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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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ShawnStithNE06
Nick Ellis
79
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 6-15,1-10 Big West
81
Winner UC Davis UCD 11-7,4-3 Big West
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
6-15,1-10 Big West
79
Final
81
UC Davis UCD
11-7,4-3 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 39 40 79
UC Davis UCD 38 43 81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

`Runners Fall in Heartbreaking Battle at UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. – For the second-straight matchup against UC Davis, the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team suffered a two-point loss after Saturday night's nail biter in Northern California. The Roadrunners battled the Aggies on the road, but CSUB came up just short, dropping a heartbreaker, 81-79.

Bakersfield enjoyed a one-point lead at halftime, in large part thanks to the standout play of senior forward Shawn Stith and his 20 points in the first period. In the second half, another senior forward in Justin McCall heated up to lead the CSUB offense before sophomore guard Kaleb Higgins took over for the `Runners. Alas, a late surge put the host Aggies ahead and the `Runners could not close the gap in the two-point loss.

Higgins, who hails from Pine Bluff, Ark., finished the game with a team- and season-high 23 points while adding three assists. Stith wrapped up the game with his 20 first-half points after fouling out midway through the second period, but not before the big man added four boards and three assists of his own.

CSUB rivaled UC Davis in just about every statistical category, but free throw shooting proved to be the difference on Saturday night. The Aggies went to the line 35 times and made 29 attempts while the `Runners sank 20 of their 23 shots from the charity stripe.

After a quick start, the CSUB offense went cold for a stretch as UC Davis grew a lead to as many as seven points in the first period. Bakersfield started a comeback, catalyzed by overpowering offense from Stith, who scored 14 of CSUB's first 18 points in the game. From a 23-18 deficit, the `Runners made a 12-5 run to take their own seven-point advantage.

With Stith leading the way, the `Runners held on for a 39-38 halftime lead. A native of East Oakland, Calif., Stith tallied 20 points in the first period on 7-of-12 shooting. CSUB outperformed UC Davis in most statistical categories, but the Aggies shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half to keep the score close.

UC Davis briefly regained a lead, 54-53, just over seven minutes into the second half, but a McCall jumper put CSUB ahead again. The Aggies later used a 17-6 run to go ahead 71-65 with four minutes left on the clock. The `Runners pulled within a single bucket multiple times down the stretch, but UC Davis hit its free throws and CSUB could not come from behind, falling by the final score of 81-79.

CSUB (6-15, 1-10 Big West) is now halfway through a four-game road trip. The `Runners will return home for a quick pit stop before heading back out on the road. On Tuesday, Feb. 22, Bakersfield will pay a visit to San Luis Obispo, Calif. to face off against the Cal Poly Mustangs. Tipoff on the Central Coast is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PT) and the game will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.

~GoRunners.com~
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