Bakersfield Hosts GCU to Open Final WAC Slate

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – A challenging non-conference schedule has come to a close for the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team and the Roadrunners are gearing up for their final run through Western Athletic Conference. CSUB will kick off league play at home this Saturday, Jan. 4, when Grand Canyon comes to Bakersfield for Hometown Heroes Night in the Icardo Center.

CSUB endured a grueling set of non-conference opponents as the `Runners raced into 2020 with the 102nd toughest strength of schedule in the country, the third-highest in the WAC behind only NM State (77th) and GCU (82nd). With the difficult slate behind them, the `Runners will look to translate the lessons learned and the momentum gained into a strong push toward another WAC Championship.

In its final season as a member of the conference, Bakersfield hopes to add to its trophy case of WAC titles before moving to the Big West Conference this summer. The `Runners claimed the 2016 WAC Tournament title, earning their first NCAA Tournament berth, before winning the regular season crown in 2017.

GCU (5-9) will make the trip to Bakersfield on the heels of a 22-point victory over Eastern Illinois on Dec. 21. The Lopes broke a three-game losing streak with that win, but GCU has not played a game since, a two-week gap between competitive action. Grand Canyon looks to Alessandro Lever to lead the way with his 15.2 points per game, but the Lopes have five student-athletes averaging double digit scoring.

As part of Hometown Heroes Night, the `Runners will be honoring Bakersfield's first responders including the campus Police Department, former Bakersfield Police Department Chief Lyle Martin, and FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jose Moreno. Captain America will also be hanging out to take photos with fans.

Tipoff on Saturday is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the blue Kern Schools Court. Fans can purchase tickets ahead of time at GoRunners.com/tickets or at the box office on game day. Those who cannot make it out to the Icardo Center can follow along live via WatchESPN. Links for tickets, live stream, radio broadcast, and live stats are all available on the CSUB men's basketball schedule page.

~GoRunners.com~

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