Bakersfield, CA—After digging itself an 11-point hole in the first half Tuesday evening at Bakersfield, the UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team found itself trailing by one, 58-57, with just 24 ticks on the clock. But CSUB's Javonte Maynor missed the front end of a one-and-one with 18 seconds to go, and Taylor Johns converted a layup at the other end of the floor to give the Highlanders a 59-58 victory.
The Highlanders (4-3) missed 13 of their first 17 shots from the field to start the game and committed five turnovers in the first 14:14 as the Roadrunners built a 22-11 lead.
UC Riverside scored the next five points and 12 of the next 14 to pull to within one, 24-23, but Bakersfield (1-6) hit the final two buckets of the period to take a six-point lead into the locker room, 29-23.
As a team, UCR made just seven of 22 shots over the first 20 minutes of play including two of nine from long distance. Johns led the Highlanders at the break with six points on three of five shooting while Nick Gruninger and Jaylen Bland each added five apiece.
The Highlanders stayed in the game thanks to a seven of nine performance from the free throw line, while the 'Runners went just one for two. UCR also forced Bakersfield into 12 first-half turnovers.
Kevin Mays paced the Roadrunners with seven points, as CSUB made 12 of 26 shots from the floor including four of 11 from beyond the arc.
Neither team could generate much offense early in the second as a Maynor jumper with 1:38 gone off the clock was the only basket scored in the first three minutes.
With 12:14 remaining, a Gruninger layup brought the Highlanders to within two, 35-33, but Bakersfield withstood the charge. Four minutes later, it was Bland's turn to cut the lead to two as his three-pointer with 8:34 to go made it 42-40 CSUB. But once again, the Roadrunners countered to maintain the lead.
With 3:09 to play, Bland again made it a two-point game, 51-49, but Steven Thornton blocked a Cortez Conners shot on the 'Runners next possession, and Bland made a pair of free throws to finally pull the Highlanders back to even.
Still, UC Riverside couldn't get over the hump, and a DaShawn Richmond three with 1:52 to go gave Bakersfield a four-point cushion.
Bland countered with a three of his own, and the lead was back to one, 56-55. Bland then stole the ball from Tyrell Corbin and went racing down the courtm but his layup attempt, which would have put the Highlanders on top for just the second time in the game, was off the mark.
Aly Ahmed and Gruninger traded layups, and UC Riverside Head Coach Dennis Cutts called timeout with 24 seconds on the clock, and UCR still trailing by one, 58-57.
CSUB inbounded the ball and Steven Jones fouled Maynor with 18 seconds remaining. Maynor missed the front end of the one-and-one, and Gruninger secured the rebound. As he turned up court, he found Johns streaking towards the basket, and the junior forward was able to convert the layup.
Maynor and Richmond each got shots off on the Roadrunners last possession, but neither found their mark, and the Highlanders walked away with the one-point win.
Johns finished with a game-high 21 points, 15 of which came after the break, and Bland added 15, seven of which came over the final three minutes and nine seconds of play. The Highlanders shot 60.9 percent from the field in the second half, and as it turned out, they needed every last bucket .
UC Riverside returns home this Saturday as the Highlanders host Portland State at 5 pm PT.
