Fresno State Bulldogs vs. CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners
Breakdown: Bulldogs
Just when it looked like the Bulldogs were becoming the Western Athletic Conference doormat, Fresno State scored perhaps the biggest victory of the season.
Head coach Steve Cleveland’s squad hung on to take out reigning WAC Tournament champion New Mexico State last Thursday in an overtime thriller, 88-83.
Behind freshman sensation Kevin Olekaibe’s 24 points, Fresno State got a season-salvaging victory at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State shot 49 percent from the field, breaking a six-game WAC losing streak after opening conference play 3-0.
Like the Bulldogs, Cal State Bakersfield has struggled down the stretch. The Roadrunners began the season strong, but have stumbled lately. Cal State Bakersfield has lost eight of its last nine contests, dropping to 9-13 on the season.
Fresno State and Cal State Bakerfield squared off last season in the Save Mart Center. The Bulldogs won 79-68 due in large part to center Greg Smiths 17 points.
The Bulldogs will have their hands full with the Roadrunners’ stellar front court, especially Cal State Bakersfield two leading scorers Stephon Carter and Donavan Bragg.
Combined, Carter and Bragg score 30 points per game, nearly half of the team’s average output.
Breakdown: Roadrunners
Cal State Bakersfield’s season has nearly mirrored Fresno State’s early success followed by recent struggles.
The Roadrunners opened the season 8-5, including winning five of six from Dec. 4 to Dec. 22. But after a home win against UC Riverside, things went downhill for head coach Keith Brown’s team.
Brown and company lost six consecutive games following the win, and eight of nine up to this matchup.
Through the losses, however, Cal State Bakersfield leading scorer Stephon Carter has shined. The sophomore has scored 16 points per game through 22 games. Carter has scored in double figures in all but five games this season.
Alsongside Carter is senior Donavan Bragg who, like his runningmate, has posted double figures in all but six of the Roadrunner’s games.
But the Division I independent Roadrunners are near the bottom in the NCAA in rebounds per game (33) and field goal percentage (262nd).
Competing on the block against Fresno State center Greg Smith will be 6-foot-6-inch Rashad Savage. The junior is averaging nearly eight points per game to go along with a team-leading 10 rebounds per game. Savage has had 12 double-digit rebounding efforts this season. Smith has just four double-digit rebounding games in 2010-11.
Keys to Victory
1. Run through Olekaibe
The freshman is on fire. Olekaibe has averaged 22 points per game in Fresno State’s last four contests. Getting him going early and often will be critical.
2. Get Smith going on the block
Smith will have his hands full with Roadrunner forward Rashad Savage, especially in the rebounding battle. Smith has taken his share of criticism this season, but has a good chance to prove himself against a seasoned forward in Savage.
3. Enjoy time away from the WAC
The WAC season hasn’t been too kind to the Bulldogs this season. But out-of-conference games in the middle of WAC play have been friendly to the ‘Dogs in the past couple years.