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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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RickeyHoldenMN02
Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography
61
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 16-14, 7-9 WAC
76
Winner Utah Valley UVU 23-8, 12-4 WAC
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
16-14, 7-9 WAC
61
Final
76
Utah Valley UVU
23-8, 12-4 WAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 27 34 61
Utah Valley UVU 32 44 76

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

CSUB Drops Regular-Season Finale at Utah Valley



OREM, Utah – A strong first-half effort by CSU Bakersfield's men's basketball team gave way to a tough second half as the Western Athletic Conference's second-place Utah Valley Wolverines pulled away for a 76-61 victory in Saturday night's regular-season finale.

"We have to give Utah Valley credit, they are at home and they played well," said Rod Barnes, Bakersfield's eighth-year Head Coach. "I thought we played really well in the first half and defended them well…We got a chance to get some guys some minutes, get some guys to the court. We know who we're playing next week and we're looking forward to the [WAC] Tournament."

In the first five minutes of the game, UVU pulled down three offensive rebounds, but shot 2-for-8 (25%) as CSUB's defense kept the Wolverines from going on a run. Utah Valley enjoyed a bevy of fouls going its way in the opening period as the Wolverines finished the first half 11-of-15 from the free throw line. Despite the tightly-called period, the `Runners never let the Wolverines get ahead by more than eight points, holding UVU to just 32% shooting from the field.

A pair of free throws from senior Rickey Holden made the score 32-27 in UVU's favor as the two teams headed to halftime. Redshirt sophomore Taze Moore did a little bit of everything for the `Runners in the opening period, posting seven points, three rebounds, and three steals.

Holden finish the first half with six points and two boards, but the large free throw discrepancy found CSUB trailing by five. Redshirt freshman Cartrell Thompson also played big minutes to end the first half with a pair of `Runner big men in foul trouble.

Back-to-back three-pointers early in the second period pushed UVU to a nine-point lead and the Wolverines went ahead 49-39 with 13 minutes to play. Redshirt sophomore Greg Lee converted a three-point play to bring Bakersfield's deficit back to single digits, but UVU went on a 7-1 run to take a 13-point advantage.

Holden converted on a running jumper on one possession followed by a contested three on the next, drawing CSUB within single digits again at 48-56. As was the case most of the evening, each time the `Runners made a push, the Wolverines answered back. UVU went on a 16-0 run over a six-minute stretch to go ahead 72-48.

With the game slipping out of reach Coach Barnes decided to preserve his starters, who played long minutes in Thursday night's overtime game at Seattle U. Redshirt freshman Jeremiah Dickerson entered the game and caused trouble for the Wolverines, getting into the paint and going to the free throw line several times in the final minutes. Dickerson wrapped up the evening with five points and a steal while Sophomore Justin McCall also got in on the action as his four points in the final minute made the final score 76-61.

A senior point guard, Holden finished the game with a team-high 15 points to go with two rebounds and two assists. The `Runners shot just under 40% from the field on the game and converted 14-of-21 free throws on Saturday. CSUB also outrebounded the Wolverines, 35-33, and scored 16 points on second-chance opportunities.

The `Runners (16-14, 7-9 WAC) have wrapped up the regular season and will set their focus on the WAC Tournament next week. Bakersfield and the rest of the conference will battle it out in Las Vegas, Nev. with an automatic bid to the Big Dance on the line. The `Runners earned the fifth seed in the tournament and will face off against No. 4 UTRGV (18-15, 9-7 WAC) on Thursday, Mar. 14, in the opening round at the Orleans Arena.

For information on the WAC Tournament including tickets, game times, and more, visiting the Tournament Central page.

~GoRunners.com~
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