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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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CamAllenDD02
David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography
57
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 10-12,4-3 WAC
61
Winner New Mexico St. NMSU 16-6,7-0 WAC
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
10-12,4-3 WAC
57
Final
61
New Mexico St. NMSU
16-6,7-0 WAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 30 27 57
New Mexico St. NMSU 35 26 61

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

CSUB Falls to WAC-Leader NMSU 61-57

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Roadrunner men's basketball team went toe-to-toe Thursday night with the only undefeated team in Western Athletic Conference play, NM State. CSU Bakersfield's defense stifled the Aggies in the second half and the `Runners pulled within two points with eleven seconds to go, but Bakersfield came up short in the 61-57 loss to the first-place Aggies.

"I thought our kids gave a great effort," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "That's all you can ask of your team…I think we played with a lot of composure. We played against a really good team. I thought we controlled the game the best we could…I thought we put ourselves in a position to win. Hopefully we learn from it, but we have to move on for the next one."

NM State got out to a hot start in the first half, hitting six of their first seven shots, and taking a 19-9 lead over CSUB early on. Cam Allen sparked a fire for the `Runners off the bench, forcing a pair of Aggie turnovers and hitting a pair of big shots that pulled CSUB with a single basket at 21-18.

The `Runners kept the Aggies within striking distance for the rest of the half and trailed the WAC's only undefeated team by just five points at halftime, 35-30. Allen's 11-point, first-half performance drove the Bakersfield rally. Fellow junior guard Czar Perry chipped in four points and five assists in the opening period.

Just over five minutes into the second half, Justin Edler-Davis hit back-to-back three-pointers to tie the score at 42-42. The `Runner defense held the potent Aggies silent for over four minutes minutes and CSUB took its first lead of the game, 53-52, with 3:36 when Edler-Davis drained another trey.

NMSU regained the lead, 58-55, with 1:18 left on the clock. Both teams held strong on their defensive ends until De'Monte Buckingham hit a two-pointer in transition with 8.9 seconds remaining. That shot pulled CSUB within two points, but the Aggies hit their free throws down the stretch and held off the `Runners in a 61-57 victory. NM State earned its 25th-straight victory against WAC opponents after deflecting the furious CSUB rally.

Edler-Davis heated up for 11 points in the second half, tying Allen for the team-high in scoring on the night. Perry chipped in ten points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals against NMSU. Taze Moore added 10 points while Buckingham had nine points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Bakersfield (10-12, 4-3 WAC) was comparable with NMSU in nearly every category except free throws. The Aggies converted 19-of-25 attempts from the charity stripe while the `Runners made just two-of-five as the free throw line proved to be the difference on Thursday night in the Pan American center.

~GoRunners.com~
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