CSUB Set for NMSU, UTRGV Rematches in Icardo Center

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Saturday night's defeat at the hands of Grand Canyon is still fresh in the minds of CSU Bakersfield's men's basketball team, but the Roadrunners will have to leave the past behind them with another pair of Western Athletic Conference games coming this week. CSUB is preparing to host WAC-leading NM State on Thursday, Feb. 7, before the `Runners close their home stand with UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday, Feb. 9.

"We had a tremendous crowd," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners, reflecting on Saturday's game. "It was a lot of fun, but the ending wasn't what we hoped for. But it gives us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and what we need to improve on."

Barnes was also asked about Saturday's sellout crowd and the impact it had on the game: "This week is an important week for us. We knew these last three games would determine first place. We need for our place to be packed again. We're thankful for the people of Bakersfield for coming out last weekend and we need another sellout crowd if we want to contend for another championship this season."

NMSU (18-4, 7-1 WAC) will come to Bakersfield as co-leader in the WAC along with Grand Canyon. The Aggies have been hot recently, winning seven-straight contests and nine of their last ten. Terrell Brown leads the NMSU offense with 12.0 points per game, but the Aggies pride themselves on defensive effort.

This season, NM State has held its opponents to an average of just 65.5 points per game and that average has dipped below 64 points during league play. When the `Runners and Aggies met in Las Cruces on Jan. 12, CSUB held a lead on the road as late as 6:43 to go in the second half, but NMSU surged to the end, taking a 73-62 win in the Pan American Center.

UTRGV (12-12, 4-4 WAC) has a tough week ahead as the Vaqueros will travel to Grand Canyon on Thursday before visiting the Icardo Center on Saturday. The Vaqueros have won three of their last four games with the only defeat in that span a two-point loss at the hands of NMSU. Terry Winn III paces the UTRGV offense with 12.4 points a game while six Vaqueros average eight points or more per contest.

When CSUB traveled to Edinburg, Texas in January, the `Runners earned a 10-point advantage at halftime and led by 18 points with six and a half minutes remaining. A late surge by UTRGV was enough to make the `Runners nervous, but Bakersfield held on to pick up the road win, 75-69.

Thursday's game against NMSU is set to tipoff at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center. The doors open at 6 p.m. and fans are encouraged to get tickets ahead of time to avoid the lines. As always, CSUB students always get into games for free with a valid CSUB ID.

On Saturday, the `Runners and Vaqueros will also tipoff at 6 p.m. Vegas Night is the theme on Saturday as fans who arrive early will be given a free WAC Vegas t-shirt (while supplies last).

Fans who are unable to attend the games this week can follow along live via WatchESPN, CSUB's radio broadcast, or live stats. Links for all three options are available on the CSUB schedule page.

~GoRunners.com~

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