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Ugnius_Jarusevicius
David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography
60
Winner UC Santa Barbara UCSB 13-2,4-0 Big West
48
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 5-11,1-4 Big West
Winner
UC Santa Barbara UCSB
13-2,4-0 Big West
60
Final
48
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
5-11,1-4 Big West
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 33 27 60
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 26 22 48

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Jarusevicius' Effort Not Enough Against Big West Leaders

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Shortly after learning that their starting point guard and leading scorer, Kaleb Higgins, would be out for the rest of the season after his knee surgery, the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners had to face a tall test against UC Santa Barbara. The Roadrunners went toe-to-toe with the Gauchos, one of two teams still undefeated in the Big West, but CSUB ultimately fell, 60-48, on Wednesday night in the Icardo Center.

Notables
  • Higgins tore his meniscus on Jan. 5 during CSUB's game against Cal Poly. The junior had surgery on Wednesday and is now expected to be out for the rest of the season.
  • UCSB improved to 13-2 on the season and 4-0 in Big West play with the win over CSUB.
  • Bakersfield was able to limit a potent Gaucho offense to 60 points, almost 12 points below their season average. This started with only allowing Ajay Mitchell, one of the top scorers in the league, to net eight points on the evening.
  • Freshman forward Ugnius Jarusevicius exploded for 11 of his season-high 15 points in the second half, finishing as the leading scorer on the game.
  • Sophomore guard Ivan Reynolds increased his career high to six assists, filling in at the point guard role in Higgins' absence, while also adding eight points and three steals for CSUB.
  • The `Runners forced 14 UCSB turnovers while making just eight of their own.
  • The Gauchos scored on 50 percent of their field goal attempts while Bakersfield's offense, still trying to reshape itself without Higgins, only converted on a .346 clip.
Quotes
  • "Everybody can play, we just need to be comfortable, settle in, and figure out how to score within the system we have. UG [Jarusevius] had a big night tonight." – junior forward Antavion Collum
  • "I'm still trying to figure the game out. It has been a hard transition from Europe to here, but my game is getting better. I'm finding my shots and finding my place in the system." – Jarusevicius
  • "We've been working on that, so it wasn't something that was too uncomfortable. It is an adjustment, but I feel like I've been doing a decent job of it. I'm just trying to get everybody involved, see what works, feel out the game, see what's there. Tonight is was UG's night." – Reynolds on transitioning from a defensive Two Gtuard to the point guard role
Next on the Schedule
  • CSUB (5-11, 1-4 BW) will continue its short home stand with one more game this weekend before hitting the road again
  • vs. UC San Diego (6-10, 1-3 BW), Saturday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. (PT)
  • at Cal State Fullerton (9-8, 3-2 BW), Monday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. (PT)
  • Full schedule available at GoRunners.com/MBB
  • CSUB Season Tickets and Single-Game Tickets available at GoRunners.com/Tickets or by calling 661-654-BLUE or 661-654-GOLD
First Half
  • The `Runners ran with the Gauchos for most of the first half, but a late UCSB run put the visiting team ahead 27-15 with about five minutes left on the clock.
  • Bakersfield answered back with a 9-0 run of its own, but UCSB held a 33-26 advantage at the end of the period.
  • Reynolds led the `Runner offense to the tune of seven points and three assists in the first half.
  • CSUB shot 36 percent from the field while the Gauchos converted on a 59 percent clip.
Second Half
  • The two teams went back and forth early in the second period, but the Gauchos found themselves ahead 46-35 with 10 minutes to play.
  • UCSB gained its biggest lead of the game, 52-38, with just under seven minutes left on the clock.
  • The `Runners continued to fight to the final buzzer, but undefeated UCSB did not relent its lead and held on for the 60-48 victory.
~GoRunners.com~
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