`Runners Gearing Up to Host Two Tough Opponents at Home

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Coming off two road losses to Dartmouth and San Jose State, the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team has returned home to host Abilene Christian and Fresno State. The first of the two games, against Abilene Christian, will be a true test of Bakersfield's skill against a team that has made two NCAA tournaments in the last four years, while the Roadrunners will also be attempting to "Sweep the Valley" against Fresno State after the CSUB women's team beat the Bulldogs a few weeks ago. CSUB will hope to pair a resilient attitude with home court advantage into strong performances against two fierce opponents.

Upcoming Schedule

vs. Abilene Christian, Saturday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. (PT)
vs. Fresno State, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. (PT)

Quotes from Head Coach Rod Barnes

"We're glad to be at home, first of all, to get our guys back in their own beds, have a few days of practice. I thought we had some good moments [on the road], and I thought we had some really bad ones. But when you start adding the trips up and the time spent on the road, I told our kids that I felt good about a lot of things that happened. There were a few games where I thought if things had gone a little different, they were games that we could have won."
"We have two games against tough, talented teams. There are some concerns, because both of those teams are very aggressive on offense and defense. Hopefully we will be well and healthy enough to hold our own."
"We played [Abilene Christian] last year at their place, and it's their style of play where they get up and pressure you, try to get out on the break, play a lot of people. It would not surprise me if they played 11 or 12 guys. They take a lot of charges, because they protect the paint, so we are going to have to make our outside shots. They are not a big team, so we are going to have a size advantage on them."

`Runner Notes

The `Runners are preparing for a pair of battles, especially given the quality of competition that they are hosting in the Icardo Center during the next pair of games.
In their last game against San José State, the `Runners went into the second half tied but they were outscored by a balanced Spartans offense that doubled CSUB's efforts off the glass, leading the game handedly in rebounds.
Despite the result, the ever-consistent Kaleb Higgins was able to lead his team and the game with 11 points, while Antavion Collum had his best game since mid-November, tallying 10 points and 4 rebounds.
CSUB's game against Abilene Christian will be an even matchup considering the battle between the Wildcats' high-scoring offense and a `Runner defense that is currently ranked 18th in the entire NCAA, allowing just 58.8 points per contest.

Scouting the Wildcats

Abilene Christian (6-5) is led by second-year Head Coach Brette Tanner.
The Wildcats have experienced a back-and-forth year so far, beginning the season playing relatively well before getting swept at their midseason tournament in Las Vegas. However, they have recently righted the ship and have beaten four of their last five opponents, only losing to Big-12 opponent Kansas State.
In their last game out, against Texas A&M-Commerce, Abilene Christian turned a massive first half into a 83-64 win in which four of their five starters, including one bench player, had double-digit points.
The Wildcats' leading scorer in that game and on the season overall is Immanuel Allen, currently averaging 11.4 points-per-game in just 19.6 average minutes.

How to Follow the `Runners

All CSUB home games are broadcasted live on ESPN+.
Links for video, live stats, and tickets are available at GoRunners.com/Live.
Live updates will also be shared during games on Twitter @CSUB_MBB.

~GoRunners.com~

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Players Mentioned

#4 Antavion Collum: G/F; 6' 8"; Junior

#1 Kaleb Higgins: G; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#4 Antavion Collum
: 6' 8"; Junior
: G/F

#1 Kaleb Higgins
: 5' 10"; Junior
: G

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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`Runners Gearing Up to Host Two Tough Opponents at Home

Players Mentioned

#4 Antavion Collum

#1 Kaleb Higgins

Players Mentioned

#4 Antavion Collum

#1 Kaleb Higgins