Sports Editor
CSU Bakersfield men’s basketball team wins again and maintains tied for first place. The ‘Runners faced off UC Santa Cruz on Jan. 29 and won by 27 points with an ending result of 81-54. This win added another point to the ‘Runners undefeated streak at home making it 9-0.
The ‘Runners were off to a great start as they got a 11-0 lead within the first five minutes. The Banana Slugs had 10 turnovers which led the ‘Runners to score 11 points as a result of that. With the first half closing in, Justin Edler-Davis put up a three-pointer and Jarkel Joiner with a layup leading the score with a big advantage of 42-27.
During half-time, President Lynnette Zelezny honored former and current staff of The Runner including Judith Pratt with the Trailblazer Award for her many years of dedication as the advisor on the The Runner. Vice President of Strategic Marketing from Dignity Health, Robin Mangarin Scott was also honored with the President’s Spirit Award.
The ‘Runners opened the second half as strong as they did in the first half with a 10-0 run. Senior Bray Barnes entered the game putting up a three-pointer, which put CSUB ahead 74-42 with only six minutes left in the game.
Damiyne Durham had a great night with three three-pointers for a total of 12 points, 2 steals, and 4 rebounds. Jarkel Joiner, Rickey Holden, and Justin McCall all had a career high with 11 points each.
CSUB will face Grand Canyon University on Feb. 2, who is tied with them in first place. The ‘Runners will be fighting to stay in first place and stay undefeated at home. Tickets are selling out fast, so make sure you call 661-654-BLUE (2583) or visit the gorunners.com website to secure a seat for the big game Saturday night.
Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center at CSUB.
