BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team jumped out to a big, early lead and never looked back in Monday night's victory over Colorado College. The Roadrunner defense stifled the visiting Tigers to earn a 38-point halftime lead and CSUB cruised to a win in the Icardo Center, 99-54.
After the game, CSUB Head Coach Rod Barnes said he was pleased with his team's overall effort, especially in sharing the ball to the tune of 20 assists. A stickler for defensive excellence, Barnes expected his team to perform even better in the second half.
On the evening, all 12 available `Runners scored while four of Barnes' men tallied double-digit scoring efforts. CSUB shot 53 percent from the field while holding the Tigers to just 37 percent shooting. Bakersfield outrebounded its foe 45-28 and that stingy defense forced 25 CC turnovers on Monday night.
Individually, sophomore guard Shaun Williams paced all players with 15 points and 7 rebounds to go with four assists and three steals. Justin McCall (12), Travis Henson (12), Antavion Collum (12), and Ivan Reynolds (11) were the other double-digit scorers for Bakersfield. Freshman Dalph Panopio tallied seven boards and seven assists against Colorado College.
The `Runners jumped out to a 22-2 lead in the first ten minutes against the Tigers. Bakersfield built its lead to 20 points, then 30 points, and surged all the way to the halftime break. The `Runners held a 55-17 lead over Colorado College at halftime, CSUB's highest point total in the first half since Nov. 9, 2018, when Bakersfield scored 68 in the period against Antelope Valley.
At the break, Reynolds led all scorers with 11 points while nine different `Runners scored in the period. Bakersfield shot nearly 60 percent from the floor while holding CC to 30 percent shooting. The Tigers committed 17 turnovers in the first half with CSUB's defense swarming them constantly.
Bakersfield continued applying the defensive pressure in the second half and built its lead throughout the rest of the game. Colorado College pushed back in the middle of the second period, getting its offensive rhythm rolling a bit. A few scoring spurts helped the Tigers cut the deficit back into the 30s a few times, but the superior athleticism of the `Runners helped CSUB surge to the end to take a 99-54 victory.
With the win, CSUB (2-2) will take the momentum earned on Monday and prepare to head back out on the road. Next up, Bakersfield is due for a Black Friday matchup with a battle-tested Boise State squad. The `Runners will meet the Broncos in Boise on Friday, Nov. 26, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. (PT).
~GoRunners.com~
