David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography

Box Score

Cal St. Fullerton CSF 5-6,4-6 Big West

CSU Bakersfield CSUB 11-6,7-3 Big West

Cal St. Fullerton CSF

5-6,4-6 Big West

Final

Jan. 30, 2021

CSU Bakersfield CSUB

11-6,7-3 Big West

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Cal St. Fullerton CSF	30	43	73
CSU Bakersfield CSUB	37	46	83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | January 30, 2021

Bakersfield Owns the Paint in 10-Point Win Over Fullerton

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at UC Irvine

2/5/2021 | 4:00 P.M.

1230AM/101.1FM ESPN

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Feb. 05 (Fri) / 4:00 P.M.

at UC Irvine

History

Recap
Roster

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – After a disappointing loss in the Icardo Center on Friday, the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team rebounded for a 10-point win over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. The Roadrunners were led by another career-high performance from Bakersfield native Justin McCall, who tallied 26 points in the 83-73 win over the Titans.

"Tonight was a much needed win after losing two games, especially one here at home," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "I liked our energy and our effort more tonight, but we still obviously need some work."

Barnes add what he thought his team did different on Saturday: "I thought our kids played with a lot of heart, played with a lot of desire, and because of that, we won the game. We have to continue to give [Cal State Fullerton] credit. They hung in there, kept fighting us, and got back in the game there late. But, I'm really pleased with the way our team came back with more of the intangibles: the energy, the effort, and the determination they played with."

McCall, a Ridgeview High School graduate, shot 11-for-15 from the field to finish with a career high in scoring for the second-straight game. The forward also added five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks against Fullerton. Fellow senior Taze Moore chipped in 20 points of his own while adding three boards and five assists.

The `Runners outrebounded their opponents, 41-24, but their fight in the paint really proved to be the difference on Saturday. Barnes spread the floor and his offense ignited for 60 points in the paint, outscoring Fullerton by 40 points in the category.

First Half

CSUB sprinted out to an early, 19-10 lead punctuated by an alley oop dunk from Czar Perry to McCall halfway through the first period. Fullerton answered with a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to two points, but CSUB pushed right back, using a 14-4 run to take its biggest lead of the half at 35-23. A last-second Titan three-pointer sent the `Runners to the locker room with a 37-30 advantage.

After posting a career-high 20 points on Friday night, McCall led all scorers with 14 points at halftime on 7-of-9 shooting. Moore chipped in eight points and two assists, but the Bakersfield roster contributed to CSUB's strong start as a whole.

The `Runners shot 59 percent from the field in the first period while outrebounding the Titans 20-9. Bakersfield also pounded the paint, outscoring Fullerton 26-12 underneath the basket.

Second Half

The game remained a back and forth fight halfway through the second half. After a Fullerton three-pointer pulled the Titans with five points, CSUB went on a 13-4 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 65-51 with just under six minutes remaining. Fullerton would not back down quietly and the Titans cut Bakersfield's lead all the way down to four points with 90 seconds left, but the `Runners broke down the full-court press and scored multiple fastbreak buckets to seal the 83-73 victory.

Barnes enjoyed a well-balanced effort on the glass with nine `Runners recording three or more rebounds on the game. Junior forward Cameron Smith led all `Runners with six rebounds, recorded a season-high 12 points, and added three steals against Fullerton. Perry, Bakersfield's starting point guard, added 10 points, five boards, and four assists in the Icardo Center.

As a team, CSUB outscored Fullerton 60-20 in the paint and 17-2 on second-chance points Saturday night.

Next Week

The `Runners improved to 6-1 in the Icardo Center and 7-3 in Big West Conference play. Next weekend, CSUB will travel to face the league-leading UC Irvine Anteaters (9-4, 5-0 BWC). CSUB and UCI will clash in a two-game series, Feb. 5 and 6, with Saturday's game seeing the `Runners back on ESPNU.

~GoRunners.com~

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