The best resolution for the Cal State Bakersfield men’s basketball team in this new year is to keep doing what it took to earn a 75-64 Big West Conference victory over visiting UC Davis Thursday in the Icardo Center.
“We said it in the locker room that we’re going to let 2024 go,” CSUB guard Marvin McGhee III said after being one of five Roadrunners to score in double figures, play well defensively and help secure the team’s first conference win.
Last month, the Roadrunners lost their first two Big West Conference games on the road at UC Irvine and UC San Diego. They also lost a home game to Portland State that still stings and ended 2024 with a road loss to North Dakota State that everyone wants to forget.
The new and improved 2025 CSUB (7-8 overall, 1-2 Big West) team was unleashed Thursday. It included a 20-point performance by point guard CJ Hardy, who disrupted the Aggies with key defensive plays, delivered momentum-strengthening dunks, a key three-pointer and he made 10 of 15 free throws, including 9-of-10 when it mattered most against UC Davis.
“We’ve been preparing for this all week,” Hardy said. “We knew what we had to do and we came in, fought our hardest and gave it everything we had. … This gives us motivation and shows us that we can be really good in the Big West. A lot of people counted us out and picked us nearly last. We feel we have something to prove. Every time we get to play, we’re trying to prove that point and show everyone we’re one of those teams who will do anything to get a win.”
The Roadrunners, who were picked ninth in the preseason Big West coaches poll, have spoken about having a chip on their shoulder because of it. Handing UCD (8-6, 2-1) their first conference loss — the Aggies were fifth in the poll — CSUB players were happy, but just as focused on Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. home game against Long Beach State.
“We always want to win at home, win all of our home games,” McGhee III said. “That’s something we said at the beginning of the year. This is the start of a run for us. We’ve gotta keep chopping wood, day by day. We can’t be satisfied with this win. We’re supposed to beat them (at home) and now we’ve got to take it out on Long Beach. We’ve got to protect our home court.”
Coach Rod Barnes agrees.
“I’m really proud of our team,” he said. “Overall, defensively, I thought we had a good game plan. UC Davis is a very good basketball team, well-coached. It was a tough out for us. Getting this win is important and we obviously need to play at this same level as other teams come in here.”
The Roadrunners got balanced scoring beyond Hardy and McGhee III. Corey Stephenson had 12 points and 13 rebounds, Jemel Jones had 13 points and Fidelis Okereke had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Physicality was equally in play and the Roadrunners and Aggies had players in foul trouble early and often. The teams combined for 49 fouls. Davis’ Jaci Mani fouled out with 8:32 to play and both teams had multiple players with four fouls, but stayed in out of necessity.
That was helpful to CSUB, which got to the free-throw line for 33 shots and 26 points. Davis was 20-of-28 and made 12-of-13 in the second half. CSUB made 20-of-22 in the second half. CSUB made 11-of-12 in the last 4:10 to keep Davis at bay. Hardy’s key free throws came when he was fouled on a three-point shot that did not fall. He made two of the three. He had one to complete a three-point play, and when he and McGhee were fouled late to stop the clock.
“Our coaches told us to be aggressive,” Hardy said. “We got them in the bonus early in the first half. My whole focus was to get downhill and if I see the open lane, either take it or try to find our shooters in the corner. They were playing overly aggressive. I just used my speed against them and all they could do was foul and send us to the line. For us to go to the line 33 times is big. There have been times when we barely get there, so living at the line tonight and having 26 points from there really helped us come out on top.”
Davis’ Ty Johnson led all players with 26 points and had eight rebounds. Connor Sevilla was the only other Aggie to reach double figures scoring with 10. Niko Rocak was held to eight points but had 11 rebounds.
CSUB out rebounded Davis 42-35, but was especially effective in the first half when the battle under the rim for offensive rebounds and additional shots were needed. CSUB had a 14-2 edge on offensive boards in the first half.
Barnes praised the efforts of his bench players, such as Marvin McGhee IV getting a few key defensive rebounds and Tom Mack, who was back from injuries. Mack played nearly 20 minutes and had four points, six rebounds and had a big block on a Johnson shot.
For one night in 2025, the Roadrunners put a lot of things together for a victory. Saturday at 6:30 p.m. against Long Beach State is the next chance.
CSUB women’s basketball
The Roadrunner women dropped their first Big West Conference game in 2025, an 81-37 road game against UC Davis on Thursday night.
CSUB (0-13, 0-3 Big West) trailed 22-4 in the first quarter and it was 47-17 at halftime for the host Aggies, who shot 29 of 60 from the field in the game.
The Roadrunners were 13 for 59 from the field and made only two shots in the first and fourth quarters. Garrisen Freeman and Ary Dixon each had nine points for CSUB. UC Davis (9-4, 3-0) got 21 points from Tova Sabel.
CSUB plays a 2 p.m. Saturday game at Long Beach State (7-5, 3-0).
Bakersfield College men’s basketball
The Renegades completed a season non-conference sweep of Barstow on Thursday, defeating the host Vikings 61-59. The win improved BC’s record to 8-6 with Western State Conference play right around the corner.
BC defeated Barstow 62-59 on Nov. 14 in the Gil Bishop Sports Center.
Under the direction of first-year coach Greg McCall, BC has a modest two-game win streak. The Renegades beat El Camino in their final 2024 game.
BC men and women travel to Santa Monica on Wednesday for a WSC doubleheader starting with the women’s game at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. for the men.
Bakersfield College women’s basketball
The BC women will play a final non-conference game on Saturday when they host Fresno City College at 3 p.m. in the Gil Bishop Sports Center. The women’s team is looking to improve on a 4-9 overall record under first-year coach Grant Bingham.
