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January 08 2021: CSU Bakersfield vs Cal Poly
David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography
68
San Diego Christian SDC 0-0
100
Winner CSU Bakersfield CSUB 0-0,0-0 Big West
San Diego Christian SDC
0-0
68
Final
100
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
0-0,0-0 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
San Diego Christian SDC 34 34 68
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 48 52 100

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Bakersfield Posts Century in Exhibition Victory

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – One hundred points in an exhibition victory helped the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team get the 2021-22 season going with an exciting night in the Icardo Center. Led by a well-rounded team effort and a deep roster, the Roadrunners downed San Diego Christian 100-68 in front of the first basketball crowd CSUB has enjoyed in almost two years.

"It was exciting to be back here and have our fans with us," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "Obviously, we have a lot of work to do, but I thought we had some guys that played well tonight. Under the lights, we had a lot of guys that did a really good job for their first Division I experience."

Bakersfield shot lights out on the game, converting on 51.5% of shots from the field, 40% from three-point range, and hitting 22-of-27 free throws (.815) against the Hawks. Barnes' versatile and deep roster showed itself on the evening as 14 different `Runners played against SDCC and all 14 scored at least one basket.

While it is hard to pick out top performers in that kind of performance, a few `Runners, old and new, enjoyed standout games. Sixth-year senior Justin Edler-Davis quietly posted seven points, nine rebounds, and two assists on Saturday night. Meanwhile, freshman guard Dalph Panopio played a team-high 22 minutes, scoring seven points and dishing out seven assists in his unofficial debut. And fifth-year senior Justin McCall went 7-for-8 from the free throw line to end up with 11 points on the evening.

CSUB started a little slow out of the gate, at times lapsing on defense as San Diego Christian enjoyed 50% shooting in the first half. The `Runners surged through the end of the opening period and built a 14-point halftime lead, 48-34. In the first half, redshirt sophomore guard Shaun Williams led all `Runners with nine points.

Bakersfield blew the game open in the second half, slowing its visitor's offensive output while pressing the gas petal on both ends of the court. CSUB converted on 8-of-20 three-point attempts (.400) in the period and turned defense into offense, forcing the Hawks to make 24 total turnovers on the game.

The `Runners will officially open the 2021-22 season on Tuesday, Nov. 9, with perhaps their toughest test of the year, a road matchup with No. 2 UCLA.

"We're taking it one game at a time," Barnes said. "I know coaches say that and it's a cliché, but we really came in focused on this game. Again, we're happy with some things, but we're disappointed with others. We'll go to UCLA and we're going be who we are and see how we match up."

Tuesday's game in Los Angeles is set for an 8 p.m. (PT) tip-off from Pauley Pavilion. CSUB and UCLA will be going toe-to-toe for the first time since the 2017-18 season when the `Runners fell in a close road game, 75-66. Fans can make the trip to LA or watch the `Runners live on the Pac-12 Networks.

~GoRunners.com~
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