Sports Editor

The CSU Bakersfield men’s basketball team is not looking to be at the bottom of the Western Athletic Conference standings come March.

The Roadrunner men, in the last three games have a record of 2-1. A Jan. 26 loss at Seattle University seems to have woken up members of the team.

On Saturday, Feb. 3, the Roadrunners (10-12, 3-5) shot 55 percent in a landslide 81-53 home win against the University of Missouri-Kansas City (6-19, 1-7).

Freshman guard Jarkel Joiner once again led the team in points, with 21 and shot 50 percent from the 3-point line (3-for-6).

The defense held on tight against the Kangaroos. CSUB had seven steals, three blocks and scored 17 points off of turnovers.
Senior center Moataz Aly had two blocks and redshirt-junior guard Damiyne Durham ended his night with a team-leading four steals.

CSUB’s largest lead was 26 points during the first half, which put away UMKC.

“We played extremely hard and, I thought we played together,” said CSUB Head Coach Rod Barnes. “I thought we were really agressive on both ends of the court.”

On Feb. 1, the Roadrunners won 91-61 at home when they took on a struggling Chicago State University men’s program. The Cougars (2-23, 0-8) could not catch up to the Roadrunners’ 51 percent shooting to the Cougars’ 37 percent. Durham led the Roadrunners with 18 points. He also added two assists in the home win.

Rickey Holden also had a great night on the court. Holden totaled 17 points, nine of which were from distance. Holden shot 50 percent from the 3-point line.

In the Roadrunners’ Jan. 26 loss at Seattle U (16-8, 5-2), they could not get the offense rolling. CSUB lost 59-55 to a team that is currently fourth in WAC standings.

At home, the Redhawks are 14-2, which shows their home fan support could make a difference for their energy. Seattle are 1-6 in road games.

Next up, the Roadrunners travel to New Mexico State University Thursday, Feb. 8. The Aggies lead the WAC at a perfect 7-0. Overall, the Aggies are 20-3.

The Roadrunners face a daunting task in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They have never defeated New Mexico State on the road since CSUB joined the WAC in 2013.

The Roadrunners lost at home to the Aggies on Jan. 13 by a score of 66-53.

On Saturday, Feb. 10, CSUB travels to the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

The Vaqueros also defeated the Roadrunners in the Icardo Center earlier this season, 87-74, on Jan. 11.