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January 08 2021: CSU Bakersfield vs Cal Poly
David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography
63
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 10-5,6-2 Big West
70
Winner UC Riverside UCR 7-4,4-2 Big West
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
10-5,6-2 Big West
63
Final
70
UC Riverside UCR
7-4,4-2 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 32 31 63
UC Riverside UCR 31 39 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

`Runner Win Streak Snapped In Road Loss To UCR

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A tightly-contested game that featured 19 lead changes went the way of the home team Saturday night as CSU Bakersfield dropped a 70-63 contest against Big West Conference foe UC Riverside (7-4, 4-2 BWC). The road loss snapped a six-game win streak for the Roadrunners (10-5, 6-2 BWC), who are now tied with UC Santa Barbara as the leaders in conference wins (6).

"We put [UC Riverside] on the free throw line late and didn't make them earn baskets," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "Give them credit, they stepped up to the line and also made some key three-pointers. We fouled in the back court and we have to learn from that."

"I thought we did a pretty good job on defense overall," Barnes continued. "I thought both teams played a little better offensively tonight after seeing and figuring out some things about each other. The big thing is they made some plays at the end of the game."

Bakersfield's Head Coach also reflected on the hot start his team has made to league play: "I'm proud of what we have done, to go on the road three out of four weekends and to be in the position we are right now…We've got to get back home, get some rest, and get healed. We have to prepare for a big series next week against Fullerton."

For the second-straight night, redshirt senior Taze Moore led the `Runners, wrapping up the series with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Senior forward Justin McCall put together a big second half on his way to 10 points and six rebounds in Riverside.

First Half

Friday night's defensive battle gave way to a better offensive flow on Saturday in SRC Arena. Despite the increased output from both teams, the contest remained tightly contested. The `Runners and Highlanders exchanged the lead eight times over the final seven minutes of the half and CSUB found itself with a 32-31 advantage at the break.

UCR led by as many as nine points early on, but Bakersfield's rebounding helped the `Runners overcome the deficit. CSUB grabbed 20 rebounds compared to UCR's 14 in the first 20 minutes while the `Runners shot 47 percent from the field.

Moore, a senior guard, paced the whole field with 11 points to that point. Junior Cameron Smith came off the bench and chipped in four points and four rebounds in the period while De'Monte Buckingham added two points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Second Half

The lead changes did not slow in the second half with both teams jockeying for position all the way down to the final minutes. Trailing 60-55, CSUB went on a 6-0 run that included four-straight points from McCall and reclaimed the lead with three and a half minutes to play. As Barnes described, Bakersfield's fouls began sending UCR to the free throw line and the Highlanders pulled ahead, 66-61, after sinking six-straight from the charity stripe.

The `Runners pulled within three points on another layup from McCall, but time was running low and the Highlanders sank their free throws to ice the game as Riverside's final 10 points of the game came via the free throw line. Despite outrebounding UCR host 38-32, Bakersfield suffered its first loss in seven games, 70-63. 

CSUB and UCR nearly equaled each other in shooting on the evening, but the Highlanders sank eight more free throws on the night, which proved to be the difference. Senior forward Shawn Stith chipped in nine points and four rebounds against UCR while Smith, a junior forward, posted four points and five rebounds in just twelve minutes of action.

Overshadowed by the defeat was a milestone for Moore, who reached 750 career points during the contest. With the accomplishment, the versatile guard became just the eighth `Runner in CSUB's history to tally 750 points, 300 rebounds, and 150 assists in a career.

Next Week

The two-week road swing is over and CSUB will return to Bakersfield for a home series against Cal State Fullerton, Jan. 29-30. Friday's game will be nationally televised on ESPNU while Saturday's contest can be followed via Bakersfield's normal ESPN3 broadcast.
 
~GoRunners.com~
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