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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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JarkelJoinerMN03
Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography
72
Winner California Baptist CBU 15-11, 6-6 WAC
58
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 16-11, 7-6 WAC
Winner
California Baptist CBU
15-11, 6-6 WAC
72
Final
58
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
16-11, 7-6 WAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
California Baptist CBU 44 28 72
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 33 25 58

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

`Runners Fall to California Baptist on Senior Night



BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Senior Night ended in disappointment for the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team on Saturday night. The Roadrunners suffered a tough loss in the Icardo Center, falling to Western Athletic Conference foe California Baptist by a final score of 72-58.

"I'm so thankful for our seniors," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "Bray and Damiyne have given us three out of four years of winning and I'm thankful to them. I also want to thank our fans. The last four games you guys have really come out and supported us well and we're thankful for that." The `Runners enjoyed over 34,000 fans come to CSUB men's basketball games this year, the second-straight season eclipsing that attendance mark. 

Barnes went on to discuss Saturday night's loss: "You have to give California Baptist a lot of credit. We're two different types of teams. They are known for their offense and they want a high-scoring game. They got ahead of us and they made the game the style of game they wanted to play. We responded, but we dug ourselves too big of a hole."

With the `Runners heading on the road for the final three games of the season, Barnes is looking for his team to find a rhythm as they head into the WAC Tournament: "There are some things we have to address. We have to be better defensively from the start of the game…I think our team is in a place where we believe we can beat anybody on any given night, but we have to put that into action. The belief is good, but in the end, we have to not only believe, we have got to do something."

CBU put on an impressive offensive performance in the first half of Saturday's contest. The Lancers converted on 61% of their field goals including six three-pointers, opening up as much as a 19-point lead on the `Runners. Trailing 17-36 with just over five minutes to play in the period, CSUB went on a 14-4 run to bring the Lancer lead to single digits. CBU went to the locker room with a 44-33 advantage in the Icardo Center.

In the second half, CSUB's defense locked down on the Lancers, holding CBU to just 33% shooting. The `Runners heated up themselves, knocking down 50% of their shots in the period, but every attempt to close the gap was answered by a big basket from the Lancers.

Even when CBU surged to its biggest lead, 67-44 with just under eight minutes to play, the `Runners did not back down. Bakersfield outscored the Lancers 14-8 down the stretch, but eventually fell by the final score of 72-58.

Sophomore Jarkel Joiner led the `Runners in scoring with 22 points on 50% shooting from both the field and three-point range. The native of Oxford, Miss. came into the game leading the WAC in scoring during league play with 19.0 points per game and increased that average against the Lancers, who boast the league's second-best player in the category (Milan Acquaah, 11 points on Saturday).

Seniors Rickey Holden, Damiyne Durham, and James Suber all posted double-digital statistics in their last home game. Holden and Durham each scored 10 points while Suber used eight offensive rebounds to finish with 11 total boards on the evening. Making the first start of his career, senior Bray Barnes played just shy of six minutes while playing sound defense in the paint.

With the loss, CSUB fell to 16-11 on the year and 7-6 in WAC play. The `Runners are currently tied for fourth in the WAC standings with UTRGV, but Bakersfield could still finish as high as second with a strong finish and a little help.

Next week, the `Runners will have a single game on the road. On Saturday, Mar. 2, CSUB will travel to take on second-place Grand Canyon (16-10, 9-4 WAC) in Phoenix, Ariz. The following week, the `Runners will close out the regular season at Seattle U and Utah Valley before heading to Las Vegas for the WAC Tournament.
 
~GoRunners.com~
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