BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Idaho (0-4) men's basketball team fell on the road to CSU Bakersfield (2-2), 76-66, on Saturday afternoon.
THE GAME
DeAndre Robinson sunk a three-pointer on the Vandals' first possession, but that would be the only lead that the Vandals would hold. The Roadrunners used a 11-0 run to take a 20-8 lead with just under 12 minutes left. Idaho would not go lightly, chipping away at the 12-point lead. With 5:41 until halftime,
Hunter-Jack Madden drained a three-pointer to draw the visitors within three points, 28-25. A
Ja'Vary Christmas three-pointer with 2:21 remaining would again make the deficit just three points, but CSUB would take a seven-point edge, 44-37, into the break.
The Vandals came out of the locker room cold, making just one field goal in 13 minutes to begin the half. In the final 6:31, Idaho outscored CSU Bakersfield 20-12, but it would not be enough. The 'Runners earned the 76-66 victory.
THE NOTES
Ja'Vary Christmas and
DeAndre Robinson both scored 13 points to lead the Vandals. Robinson was 4-for-4 from beyond the three-point line.
Tanner Christensen and
Babacar Thiombane each pulled down a team-high four rebounds.
Hunter-Jack Madden, who finished with six points, was one-for-one from the free throw line. He is now 13-for-13 from the charity stripe on the year.
This was the 11th time since 2011 that Idaho and CSU Bakersfield have met. The Roadrunners now lead the all-time series, 6-5.
The Vandals were outrebounded, 36-23. The Roadrunners pulled down 15 offensive rebounds, while the visitors had just one. CSUB scored 19 second chance points.
Idaho shot 47.7 percent (21-for-44) from the floor, while CSU Bakersfield was 28-for-55 (50.9 percent). The Vandals were 13-for-23 (56.5 percent) from beyond the arc, while the 'Runners were 1-for-9 (11.1 percent).
This was the first time a Vandals team made more than 10 three-pointer since March 2, 2019, when Idaho made 11 treys against Sacramento State.
The Roadrunners were 11-for-16 from the free throw line in the first half, while the Vandals took just three foul shots, making two.
THE NAME
Ja'Vary Christmas. Christmas scored 13 points off the bench to lead the team. The total was his best output against Division I opponents. He was 5-for-9 from the floor and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. The senior also tallied one rebound, two assists, and one steal in 24 minutes without turning the ball over.
THE QUOTES – Zac Claus
"You know exactly what you're walking into when you come down here to play Coach Barnes' team. He's done a wonderful job with this crew… They rebound the snot out of the ball. They crawled up in us and made us very uncomfortable offensively."
"For us to get better, we've got to get back out on the practice floor… and continue to work at it so we can execute and make plays… You can't shoot the ball this well and get beat."
"We've got guys that have the ability to knock down jumpers and we'll continue to emphasize that, but it's all for nothing if … we can't be tough enough to get stops and compete on the defensive glass."
"I really liked the pace with which Ja'Vary played. He ran off some screens really well. The shots that he made were in rhythm and on balance."
UP NEXT
The Vandals are scheduled to wrap up nonconference play next Saturday at Utah.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter and Instagram, @VandalHoops.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
