CSUB to Host UCSB, UCSD in Busy Stretch of Games

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – A pair of home games are on tap this week for the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team. The Roadrunners will host Big West-leading UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday before welcoming UC San Diego to the Icardo Center this weekend, but they will have to do it without the help of their leading scorer, junior point guard Kaleb Higgins.

This Week's Schedule

vs. UC Santa Barbara, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m. (PT)
vs. UC San Diego, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. (PT)

How to Follow the `Runners

Single-game Tickets and Season Tickets are still available. Visit GoRunners.com/Tickets or call 661-654-BLUE or 661-654-GOLD for more information.
Fans who cannot attend the games in person can watch the live broadcasts on ESPN+.
Links for video, live stats, tickets, and more are available at GoRunners.com/Live.
Live updates will be shared during games on Twitter @CSUB_MBB.

`Runner Notes

Bakersfield (5-10, 1-3 BW) picked up its first Big West win last week, defeating Cal Poly by double digits in the Icardo Center. The `Runners then fell on the road at UC Davis to close out the week.
The Cal State Bakersfield offense felt the missing presence of its top scorer, Kaleb Higgins, who sat out the second half against Cal Poly and all of the UC Davis game with an injury. Higgins is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday and his timetable for return depends on the extent of the repairs needed.
Junior forward Antavion Collum stepped into a bigger role last week, averaging 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.

Quotes from Head Coach Rod Barnes

"We had a long talk yesterday after we got the news about Kaleb, just to make sure where their heads were. We haven't lost confidence because of Kaleb being out. Obviously it's a blow to us...but they were in good spirits."
On the opportunity for less-experienced guards like Ivan Reynolds and Cedquavious Hunter to step up: "I'm encouraged by our young kids. We're having to throw them in the fire a little bit more than I would have liked at this particular point. They will learn from it."
"I'm looking forward to [playing league-leading UC Santa Barbara]. We're fixing to get the best team in our league. You don't play three or four games with this false sense of security that you're moving in the right direction, and then you get there and wake up and go 'whoa'...We'll find out tomorrow, real quickly, some things that we need to work on or get better at, and some major things that are going well for us."

Scouting the Gauchos

UCSB (12-2, 3-0 BW) will come to Bakersfield on an eight-game win streak. The Gauchos have won 11 of their last 12 Big West games dating back to last season.
Santa Barbara looks to Ajay Mitchell to lead the way on offense. The guard is fourth in The Big West with 16.5 points per game on the year and his 20.7 average scoring in league games is tied for first.
CSUB and UCSB do not have a long history of competition as Wednesday's game will be just the seventh meeting in the all-time series.
The Gauchos hold a 5-1 lead all-time against the `Runners.
Last year, the two teams only met once due to a canceled regular season game. UCSB defeated CSUB in Bakersfield, 74-62, on Feb. 10, 2022.
CSUB will play UCSB on Wednesday, Jan. 11, then the `Runners will get a rematch against the Gauchos just 10 days later on Jan. 21.

Scouting the Tritons

UC San Diego (6-9, 1-2 BW) is on a two-game losing streak and will travel to the Central Valley after hosting UC Riverside on Wednesday.
Similar to Santa Barbara's Mitchell, Bryce Pope leads the Triton scoring as one of the league's top offensive threats. The guard is second in the league 19.0 points a contest and has averaged 20.5 points per game in a pair of Big West clashes.
UCSD is in its third year of its transition to NCAA Division I, but the `Runners and Tritons only had a little bit of overlap during their Division II days. CSUB holds a 17-3 all-time series record against UCSD.
During the 2021-22 season, the Tritons handed the `Runners a pair of losses, winning by eight points in San Diego before edging CSUB, 72-70, in Bakersfield in March.

~GoRunners.com~

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

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

#23 Ivan Reynolds: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#0 Cedquavious Hunter: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

#23 Ivan Reynolds
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G

#0 Cedquavious Hunter
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

Next Event

CSUB to Host UCSB, UCSD in Busy Stretch of Games

Players Mentioned

#4 Antavion Collum

#1 Kaleb Higgins

#23 Ivan Reynolds

#0 Cedquavious Hunter

Players Mentioned

#4 Antavion Collum

#1 Kaleb Higgins

#23 Ivan Reynolds

#0 Cedquavious Hunter