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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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JustinMcCallCDM04
Created Different Media
72
Winner UC San Diego UCSD 13-15,0-0 Big West
70
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 7-17,2-11 Big West
Winner
UC San Diego UCSD
13-15,0-0 Big West
72
Final
70
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
7-17,2-11 Big West
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC San Diego UCSD 29 43 72
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 29 41 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

McCall, Smith have Career Nights, but CSUB Falls to UCSD

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Another thrilling finish ended in heartbreak for the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team Saturday night as the Roadrunners came up two points short against UC San Diego. With the two teams playing to nine tied scores, the visiting Tritons hit the game-winning shot with 1.4 seconds on the clock, sealing a 72-70 victory in the Icardo Center.

"Obviously, we're disappointed in the outcome of tonight's game," said Rod Barnes, Bakersfield's 11th-year Head Coach. "I thought we had some times during the game where we really played well…Down the stretch, I thought we made a great effort to come back. I thought we had some individual efforts that were good…I think our kids are still fighting. At the end of the game, we were close, but just not close enough."

Bakersfield benefited from career performances by a pair of `Runners in Saturday's contest. Justin McCall, a senior from Bakersfield, tied his career-high with 26 points on 13-of-22 shooting while adding seven rebounds. Cameron Smith filled the stat sheet against UCSD, tallying nine points to go with career highs in rebounds (11), blocks (2), and assists (5). CSUB guard David Walker also chipped in 12 points in the narrow loss.

The `Runners dominated the glass in the Icardo Center, outrebounding the Tritons 41-27, including 19 offensive boards, as Bakersfield outscored UCSD 20-4 in second chance points. CSUB also enjoyed a 36-24 advantage on points in the paint, but the Tritons' sharp shooting proved to be the difference. UCSD made 50 percent of its shots on the night including 10-of-21 three-point range while the `Runners shot a respectable 43 percent from the field.

CSUB and UC San Diego played to a 29-29 tie at halftime, making Saturday's game the fourth-straight that the `Runners either led or were tied at the break. Bakersfield led by as many as nine points in the opening period, but the second half trended in UCSD's favor with the Tritons taking an eight-point lead with 4:28 remaining in the game.

McCall, a 6-foot-6 forward, was unstoppable on his way to the basket and scored six of CSUB's nine points in a 9-3 run that helped the `Runners tie the score, 70-70, with 1:44 on the clock. Bakersfield missed a pair of go-ahead shots in the final minute and UCSD grabbed a rebound with 30 seconds remaining, holding the ball for one final shot. A defensive mismatch led to a six-foot jumper by guard Bryce Pope that put the Tritons ahead, 72-70, with 1.4 seconds on the clock.

Only one regular-season game remains for CSUB (7-17, 2-11 Big West) as Bakersfield will host UC Irvine (14-9, 8-5 Big West) on Saturday, Mar. 5. The `Runners will celebrate the careers of four seniors before the game – McCall, Justin Edler-Davis, Shawn Stith, and Grehlon Easter – with the group playing its final home games this week. Tipoff on Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PT) due to the contest's regionally-televised broadcast on Spectrum SportsNet. For information on broadcasts, tickets, and more, visit GoRunners.com/Live.

~GoRunners.com~
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