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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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CzarPerryDD002
David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography
64
Winner UC Santa Barbara UCSB 5-3,0-0 Big West
60
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 4-6,0-0 WAC
Winner
UC Santa Barbara UCSB
5-3,0-0 Big West
64
Final
60
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
4-6,0-0 WAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 33 31 64
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 31 29 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

`Runners Fall in Thriller Against UC Santa Barbara



BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – A close battle raged inside of the Icardo Center Tuesday night as the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team matched up against future Big West Conference foe UC Santa Barbara. Neither team led by more than six points during the game that also featured seven lead changes and nine tied scores. The visiting Gauchos held off the Roadrunner advances as UCSB earned a 64-60 victory on the Kern Schools Court.

"I thought our guys played probably their best, most complete game as far as beginning to end," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "I thought we got better. Our 'better' tonight wasn't good enough to get a win, but I thought we improved."

"I think both teams were disciplined in their defenses tonight," Barnes continued. "A couple times, we kind of lost our people and they got a couple open threes…I thought we made some huge plays down the stretch and that gave us the opportunity to get a win, but we just didn't make enough."

Czar Perry, a junior transfer from Holmes Community College, paced the `Runners with a game-high 23 points on Tuesday night. The guard knocked down eight-of-ten field goals and all six of his free throws while scoring more than a third of Bakersfield's points against the Gauchos. Eight other `Runners scored in the game including seven points from junior forward Greg Lee. Taze Moore, a junior guard, chipped in three points, four rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in the Icardo Center.

For just the second time this season, CSUB came up short in the rebounding battle as UCSB pulled down 35 boards to Bakersfield's 32. The `Runners also struggled from distance, knocking down just 5-of-20 three-pointers while the Gauchos hit 8-of-18 on the night. Despite being undersized, Bakersfield's big men pounded the paint, outscoring UCSB 26-18 down low while the deep `Runner bench posted 21 points to the Gauchos' eight.

UCSB built a five-point lead at 20-15 early in the first half, but Bakersfield responded to take a three-point advantage at 27-24 six minutes later. The Gauchos finished the period on a 9-4 run, taking a narrow, 33-31 lead into the locker room.

Just 49 seconds into the second half, Santa Barbara reached its biggest lead of the game, 37-31. The `Runners answered right back with a 6-0 run to tie the score and the home team would never trail by more than six points for the rest of the contest.

CSUB hit big shot after big shot to draw close to UCSB, but each time the `Runners surged, the Gauchos pushed right back. With 30 seconds remaining, Perry tiptoed the baseline and found his way to the rim for a reverse layup to pull his `Runners within one point at 59-58. Bakersfield applied full court pressure on the inbounds play and managed to steal the ball, but a missed layup with seven seconds remaining forced the `Runners to stop the clock with a foul.

Santa Barbara's Matt Freeman, who led the Gauchos with 19 points on Tuesday, hit both of his free throws, but Perry would draw a foul of his own and cut UCSB's lead back down to one point with two made free throws. CSUB fouled again with five seconds remaining and UCSB missed one of its free throws, giving the `Runners a chance to go for the win. Perry brought the ball across the half court line and collided with a Gaucho, but a controversial call went UCSB's way and a turnover and two more free throws iced the game.

With the loss, CSUB fell to 4-6 on the season in what has been an extremely difficult non-conference schedule. Five of six opponents the `Runners have lost to this year combine for an overall record of 27-9 after Tuesday night. Bakersfield will not have much time to regroup before its next tough challenge as the `Runners are headed to Oxford, Miss. on Dec. 7 to take on Coach Barnes' alma mater, Ole Miss. The Rebels are 5-3 on the season after suffering a nine-point loss against Top 25-ranked Butler Tuesday night.

~GoRunners.com~
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