CSU Bakersfield 61, UTSA 52
SAN ANTONIO —(UTSA Media Relations) UTSA senior Michael Hale III scored 18 points, but Stephon Carter led three CSU Bakersfield players in double figures with 16 to help the visitors win a battle of Roadrunners, 61-52, on Tuesday night at the Convocation Center.
Hale made 7-of-10 from the free-throw line en route to his eight consecutive double-digit output, but UTSA (5-19) struggled overall from the charity stripe for the second straight game by making just 15-of-24 (62.5 percent) three days after hitting 54.2 percent (13-24) against UT Arlington.
Meanwhile, CSUB (10-15) knocked down 19-of-21 at the line for 90.5 percent. Adam Young (14) and Tyrone White (12) joined Carter in double figures scoring.
UTSA, which shot just 33.3 percent (16-48) from the floor and 27.8 percent (5-18) from behind the 3-point line, never led, but fought back from a nine-point first-half deficit to tie the score early in the second half.
Trailing by a 28-19 count at the break, Jordan Sims knocked down a pair of treys early in the final stanza to key an 8-2 spurt that pulled the home team within 30-27, the closest margin since CSUB took a 3-0 lead to start the contest.
Burrage was fouled and made both free throws to pull UTSA within one and then Jeromie Hill converted 1-of-2 at the line to knot the score at 30-all with 14:15 remaining.
The visitors answered with a 10-2 run over the next two and a half minutes and never relinquished.
The lead grew to double digits after short jumper in the lane off an inbounds pass by Stephon Carter made it 45-34 midway through the half.
UTSA got to within 53-46 after Hale drained a pair of freebies at the 1:31 mark, but CSUB finished the game off by going 8-for-8 at the line down the stretch to complete the regular season sweep.
UTSA shot just 28.6 percent (6-21) in the first half, including missing all six 3-point attempts, in falling behind by nine, 28-19, at the intermission. CSUB drained its first three shots from long distance in racing out to an 11-2 lead. UTSA cut the deficit to four on five occasions but could get no closer until the second half.
The Roadrunners will renew the I-35 rivalry with Texas State at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, in San Marcos.