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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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JarkelJoinerMN06
Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography
72
Winner Grand Canyon GCU 14-7, 6-2 WAC
59
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 15-7, 7-1 WAC
Winner
Grand Canyon GCU
14-7, 6-2 WAC
72
Final
59
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
15-7, 7-1 WAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Grand Canyon GCU 32 40 72
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 30 29 59

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

CSUB Falls to GCU in First Home Loss of Season



BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – A cold shooting performance in the second half contributed to CSU Bakersfield's men's basketball team suffering its first home defeat of the 2018-19 season Saturday night. In a battle for first place in the Western Athletic Conference, the Grand Canyon Lopes prevailed over the Roadrunners, 72-59.

"We have been in this place before," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "Give them some credit because they are one of the best defensive teams in the conference. We got looks and they played really good defense. I'm confident our guys will learn from their mistakes and we'll grow from this."

CSUB got a pair of standout performances from a pair of sophomores on Tuesday. Jarkel Joiner, a guard from Oxford, Miss., went 11-for-22 from the field for a game-high 27 points. The sophomore also added two rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block against the Lopes. Redshirt sophomore Greg Lee chipped in 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting while pulling down seven rebounds for the `Runners.

The opening 20 minutes were tightly contested with five lead changes and four ties. The `Runners raced out to a quick, 8-0 lead, but GCU answered right back with a 7-0 run of its own. After a 14-14 tie, GCU took its first lead of the game on a three-pointer from Matt Jackson. The Lopes never led by more than five points in the half and CSUB tied the score at 30-30 before a GCU dunk with seven seconds left sent the visitor to the locker room with a two-point advantage.

In the first half, Joiner converted on 7-of-12 field goals for 17 points while Lee tallied seven points and four rebounds in the period. As a team, CSUB made just 2-of-4 free throws in the half while GCU sank 10-of-11. The `Runners forced nine GCU turnovers and converted for 12 points off those opportunities.

Bakersfield opened the second half aggressively, getting to the charity stripe. Joiner split the free throw line before Justin Edler-Davis knocked down a deep jumper to put the `Runners ahead 33-32, the sixth lead change of the contest. From a 38-40 deficit for the `Runners, GCU went on an 8-0 run to go ahead by double digits for the first time in the game.

Five minutes later, the Lopes gained a 15-point advantage at 41-56. Despite several good looks through the final 10 minutes of the game, the `Runners struggled to convert with several shots going in and out of the rim. The CSUB defense did its best to hold the Lopes down, but with the Bakersfield offense struggling, the `Runners had to send GCU to the charity stripe. The visiting squad wound up sinking 27-of-31 free throws (.871) on Tuesday night, which helped the Lopes take a 72-59 win in the Icardo Center.

Joiner, a 6-foot-1 guard, added 10 points in the second half on his way to 27 on the night, the second-most in his collegiate career. Lee converted for nine more points in the period to finish one shy of his season-best with 16 points. Redshirt senior James Suber chipped in eight rebounds on the night while Edler-Davis, a redshirt sophomore, recorded seven points and six rebounds.

The `Runners (15-7, 6-2 WAC) will learn from the tough loss and prepare to defend the Icardo Center in a pair of challenging home games next week. CSUB will play host to first-place NM State (18-4, 7-1 WAC) on Thursday before welcoming UT Rio Grande Valley (12-12, 4-4 WAC) to Bakersfield on Saturday.
 
~GoRunners.com~
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