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David Dennis / All-Star Sports Photography

Men's Basketball

`Runners Ready for Turnaround Rematch at UCSB

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Cal State Bakersfield men's basketball team continues Big West play on the road this weekend before returning home next week. The Roadrunners will get their second look in a 10-day span against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, the team that currently sits second in the league standings.

Upcoming Schedule
  • at UC Santa Barbara, Saturday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. (PT)
  • vs. UC Davis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m. (PT)
    • Replica Gold Jersey giveaway
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 (6-12, 2-5 BW) mounted a big second-half comeback last Saturday to knock off UC San Diego, but the `Runners did not fare as well on the road against Cal State Fullerton on Monday.
  • CSUB continues to play without point guard and leading scorer Kaleb Higgins, who went down with a season-ending injury a couple weeks ago.
  • Freshman forward Ugnius Jarusevicius had picked up some of the offensive slack, averaging over 15 points a game last week, but the Lithuanian big man went down early against Fullerton and his status for this weekend remains uncertain.
  • CSUB will continue to look to veterans like Antavion Collum, Cameron Smith, and Travis Henson to lead the squad into battle.
Quotes from Head Coach Rod Barnes
  • "We had come off a very good win [against UC San Diego] and I thought our guys, going on the road, may have been a little complacent going into the game. Fullerton is a very good basketball team; they have a lot of experience on their team. I just thought we wasn't as locked in as we needed to be."
  • "We're going to Santa Barbara. We're obviously very familiar with them. It's a turnaround game, pretty much. The last time, I thought we played well, not great, but we played well."
  • "We have a young team, a new team to the league, so just to have a team they are familiar with is helpful…It's always better when you have experienced guys who have been through the league. They know what to expect or how teams play."
Scouting the Gauchos
  • UCSB (14-3, 5-1 BW) has won 10 of its last 11 games and the Gauchos are currently tied in the Big West standings for second behind only UC Riverside (13-6, 6-1 BW).
  • The Gauchos came to Bakersfield on Jan. 11 and handed the `Runners a loss on their home court, 60-48. Jarusevicius was the game's top scorer with 15 points.
  • Santa Barbara looks to Ajay Mitchell to lead the way on offense. The guard is fourth in The Big West with 15.8 points per game on the year, an average that dropped 10 days again when the `Runner defense limited him to just eight points.
  • CSUB and UCSB do not have a long history of competition as Wednesday's game will be just the eighth meeting in the all-time series.
  • The Gauchos hold a 6-1 lead all-time against the `Runners.
~GoRunners.com~
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Players Mentioned

Antavion Collum

#4 Antavion Collum

G/F
6' 8"
Junior
Travis Henson

#2 Travis Henson

F
6' 6"
Senior
Kaleb Higgins

#1 Kaleb Higgins

G
5' 10"
Junior
Cameron Smith

#22 Cameron Smith

F
6' 7"
Senior
Ugnius Jarusevicius

#21 Ugnius Jarusevicius

F
6' 10"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Antavion Collum

#4 Antavion Collum

6' 8"
Junior
G/F
Travis Henson

#2 Travis Henson

6' 6"
Senior
F
Kaleb Higgins

#1 Kaleb Higgins

5' 10"
Junior
G
Cameron Smith

#22 Cameron Smith

6' 7"
Senior
F
Ugnius Jarusevicius

#21 Ugnius Jarusevicius

6' 10"
Freshman
F
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