Senior Staff Writer
The ‘Runner men’s basketball team came out in full force on Saturday in their 75-62 victory over the Wolverines of Utah Valley University. Senior guard Stephon Carter led the charge by scoring 23 points in the win, inching ever closer to CSUB’s all-time scoring record.
The ‘Runners went into Saturday’s game after having lost a 66-36 game against Santa Clara last Wednesday. After 10 days, the ‘Runners came back home to the Icardo Center ready to take on the Wolverines. Their last 10 day rest ended in a win, and Saturday was no different. The ‘Runners shot 50 percent from beyond the arc and 63 percent from the free throw line against the Wolverines.
“I’m glad we had this rest because of this particular team with all our injuries and hopefully it’s passed us,” said head coach Rod Barnes. Barnes credited the ‘Runners’ preparation to the long rest, stating that the extra days gave the team a great head start on forming a gameplan for Saturday’s game. The opposite happened in the loss to Santa Clara. The short rest and injuries added up and crippled the ‘Runner offense.
There was no question about the ‘Runners’ offensive efficiency Saturday night, despite injuries to three major contributors on the team. Adam Young, Stephon Carter, and Javante Maynor had all suffered sustained injuries, yet they scored a combined 42 of the ”Runners 75 total points.
Carter scored the lion’s share with his 23, despite playing through a troubling knee injury. “If they say I can play, I’ll play,” Carter said after the game, “My knee’s alright. I’m back.”
“I don’t think he’s 100 percent, but he’s a baller,” Barnes said concerning Carter’s knee. “That’s why I love him. He’s passionate and loves this game as much as I do.”
The ‘Runners got some extra help from senior forward Tyrone White, who scored 15 points in the victory. White sank 75 percent of all his shots and freshman guard Erick Kinney came through in the clutch by going two for two from the free throw line.
“They like to shoot the ball from the perimeter, so our gameplan was to take the 3 away,” Barnes said. The Wolverines, normally a proficient 3-point shooting team, were held to 26.7 percent from beyond the arc.
“Three point shooting is what separates them, our guys really got out and pressured the ball,” said Barnes. “We did a good job of closing out on the shooters, and tonight we contested them.”
The Wolverines towered over the ‘Runners, sporting an average height of 6’4″, which allowed for a different, more blunt offensive gameplan.
“I don’t back down from anybody, I don’t care how tall they are,” said junior guard Brandon Barnes. Barnes finished the game with 12 points. “They took advantage of their size,” he added. “We’re shorter than everyone else so we have to use our speed against everyone else when they dump it down in the post.”
Carter’s 23 points in Saturday’s matchup put him within 34 points of CSUB’s all-time scoring record.
“The pressure and expectations are pretty heavy,” Carter said after the game. “I don’t know how close I am to beating it, but I can’t wait until it’s over with so we can focus on playing as a team and finishing the year off strong.”
With two consecutive games at home, Carter is set to surpass the record on the ‘Runners’ home turf. Their next game is Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Icardo Center against Wyoming.
