Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

Next Event

ShawnStithDD008
David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography
66
Winner UC Irvine Irvine 15-9,9-5 Big West
61
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 7-18,2-12 Big West
Winner
UC Irvine Irvine
15-9,9-5 Big West
66
Final
61
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
7-18,2-12 Big West
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Irvine Irvine 25 41 66
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 26 35 61

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Bakersfield Rally Comes up Short in Regular-Season Finale

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – A late surge by the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team came up short on Saturday afternoon as the Roadrunners suffered another narrow loss, this time, at the hands of UC Irvine. Twice CSUB pulled within one basket in the final minute of the team's regular season finale, but the visiting Anteaters hit their free throws down the stretch to seal a 66-61.

"I thought our young men did a pretty good job, especially in the first half," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "I thought we had a stretch there in the second half where we didn't defend as well, and that's been a problem of ours, but also we missed some shots to give us an opportunity to keep the game close."

Barnes went on to talk about four `Runners who played their final home games on Saturday: "I'm proud of our seniors – Justin Edler-Davis, Justin McCall, Shawn Stith, and Grehlon Easter are great young men. It's been a privilege and an honor to coach these young men…To be able to witness their growth, not only on the court or in the classroom, but their character. These young men are ready for the next stage in their life."

McCall, a native of Bakersfield, and Stith, who hails from East Oakland, Calif., led the `Runners with 12 points each on the day. Edler-Davis, a sixth-year `Runner with his name all over the CSUB record book, finished the game with six points and six rebounds while Easter's defensive presence led to 20 important minutes and three rebounds.

The `Runners and Anteaters played a very close game that featured 13 lead changes, including seven in the first three minutes of the second half. From a 51-48 UCI lead with six and a half minutes left on the clock, the Bakersfield offense went cold as the Anteaters went on a 10-1 run to create some late separation. The `Runners answered with a run of their own to pull within three points at 61-58 with 53 seconds remaining, but CSUB could not close the gap and eventually fell, 66-61.

With the loss, CSUB falls to 7-18 on the season (2-12 Big West) in what Barnes has described as a "disappointing regular season". But Bakersfield's will to fight has never waivered and the `Runners will head to Henderson, Nev. next week with unfaltering belief that they can win four games in five days at the Big West Championships.

CSUB's first-round matchup will be on Tuesday, Mar. 8, when the `Runners face off against CSUN in the 8-9 seed matchup. The winner of that game will move on to the quarterfinals on Thursday to take on top-seeded Long Beach State.

When asked about what sparks the team's drive heading into next week, Edler-Davis cited the team's ultimate goal: "It's the motivation for being in the NCAA Tournament. If you're not motivated by that, then that's a huge problem. As far as Northridge goes, we played a close game with them, as with a lot of other games we had. It comes down to the second half and just sustaining what we do in the first half. If we continue to play hard, we'll get a win."

Tuesday's opening-round contest is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tipoff at the brand-new Dollar Loan Center. All-Session tickets are available at GoRunners.com/Tickets and more information regarding the Big West Championship is available on the Championship Central page on BigWest.org.

~GoRunners.com~
Print Friendly Version
California State University at Bakersfield Athletics loading logo