ROADRUNNERS (1-2 overall) vs.
SACRAMENTO STATE (0-3 overall)
NOVEMBER 25, 2008  ?  7:00 p.m.
RABOBANK ARENA  ?  BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1410 AM  ? BRIGHTHOUSE CH. 26

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HORNET NOTES
Sac State will be looking to break into the win column after three season?opening defeats...all three losses have been by double figures...leading returning scorer Loren Leath has been the Hornets' top man again this season...has led the team in 2 of 3 games, including a season-high 21 at Fresno State...Leath is the only Hornet scoring in double figures at 14.7 ppg.

SERIES HISTORY
CSUB leads 16?4. . .CSUB leads the series in Bakersfield, 9?1. . .Last season's meeting was the first with both teams at the Division I level. . .Prior to that, they had not met since the 1991 season. . .CSUB has won three in a row and nine of the last 10 in the series. . .CSUB won the only NCAA Tournament meeting, 90?89, in 1988.

LAST 10 MEETINGS
2007    CSUB 73, at Sac State 61
1991    at CSUB 83, Sac State 55
1990    CSUB 99, at Sac State 83
1989    Sac State 80, at CSUB 73
1988    at CSUB 90, Sac State 89++
1988    at CSUB 90, Sac State 81
1987    CSUB 75, at Sac State 63
1986    at CSUB 91, Sac State 86
1982    CSUB 70, at Sac State 68
1981    at CSUB 83, Sac State 66

++NCAA Tournament game

FOR (HOME) OPENERS: With last Friday's win over Cal State Northridge, CSUB is now 33?5 (.868) all?time in home openers dating back to its inaugural campaign of 1971?72. In home openers that were not season openers (such as Friday's date with Northridge), the 'Runners are 22?3 (.880).

FOR (HOME) OPENERS, PART II: The 'Runners have enjoyed tremendous success in home openers at Rabobank Arena. Since moving to the venue for the 1998?99 season, CSUB is now 10?1 in openers there. The 'Runners have won eight consecutive home openers in the building.

THE LAST TIME WE MET: Despite playing without starting center Cory Brown (Lakeside/El Capitan HS) a Demarcus Hall 14?point, 10?rebound double?double helped pave the way to a 73?61 CSUB win in the Hornet's Nest on Jan. 15, 2008. The Roadrunners led 34?30 at intermission before starting the second half on a 7?0 run to open their first double?digit lead. Sac State never got close again. Loren Leath led the Hornets with 20 points.

TAKING THE STING OUT OF THE HORNETS: Last season's win in Sacramento was CSUB's third in a row over their former NCAA Division II rival and their ninth in the last 10 meetings. Tuesday's game will be Sacramento's first trip to Bakersfield since 1991 (an 83?55 CSUB win).

WE'LL VOTE FOR THAT: While the 'Runners are still searching for their first win over a top 25 team in their brief, one?plus year history of NCAA Division I play, Friday's win over Cal State Northridge marked the first time CSUB has toppled a team receiving votes in the Division I national polls. CSUN was one of 52 teams receiving votes in the Associated Press poll leading up to Friday's game.

DOUBLE?DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE: Santwon Latunde's (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) 17?point, 14?rebound effort in last Friday's win over Cal State Northridge was his second consecutive double?double and his third in his last six games dating back to last season.

THEY'RE NOT FREE; WE EARNED THEM: After being out?gunned at the free?throw line 62 attempts to 41 in their season?opening trip to the Rockies (at Wyoming and Air Force), the 'Runners enjoyed 12 more freethrow attempts than CSUN Friday night (29?17).

'RUNNERS vs. DI COMPETITION: Although 2008?09 will be just the second time the Roadrunners take on a full NCAA Division I schedule, Bakersfield already has a bit of history in NCAA Division I play. The 'Runners own an all?time mark of 26?68 in 94 games against 42 different Division I opponents. Note that this mark does not include games against current DI teams that were not DI when they met CSUB.

WE MEET AGAIN: The 'Runners may be relative new kids on the block at the NCAA Division I level, but they possess a wealth of experience against the Division I opponents they will meet this season. CSUB owns an aggregate 150?114 all?time record against this season's opposition. Note that most of those results came when both CSUB and its opposition were competing at the Division II level.

BOMBS AWAY: Junior guard Patrick Carlson (Reno, Nev./Lassen College) became CSUB's first 20?point scorer this season when he nailed five three?pointers as part of a 21?point effort at Air Force.

37 YEARS OF CSUB BASKETBALL: The 2008?2009 season will mark the 38th anniversary of Roadrunner men's basketball at CSUB. Since the program's inception in 1971?72, the Roadrunners have posted an impressive all?time record of 738?329 (.689).

WHERE OTHERS HAVE GONE BEFORE: Making the leap from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I play is a big step. It's also a step taken by several Roadrunner rivals over the past few seasons. Bakersfield is the sixth West Region school to make the jump since 1990. The others are: Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State, UC Davis and UC Riverside.

In fact, DII and the California Collegiate Athletic Association have been jumping off points for many of the current DI programs in the West. All nine Big West Conference members are former DII schools and all but UC Irvine were formerly in the CCAA. Other former DII  and CCAA schools from the West include Fresno State, Pepperdine, San Diego State and San Jose State.