BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Senior Kannon Burrage scored 18 points, but Stephon Carter poured in 20 and CSU Bakersfield took advantage of 26 UTSA turnovers in an 85-52 victory on Saturday night at Rabobank Arena.
UTSA (3-4) fell behind by double digits in the first five minutes and never recovered in the first-ever meeting between the only two NCAA Division I schools with the nickname Roadrunners.
CSUB (2-5), which held a 54-23 halftime lead, scored 35 points off UTSA's season-high 26 miscues and made 14 3-pointers.
Carter was a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line and he added eight rebounds and five steals to lead the way. Javante Maynor drained a game-high five treys en route to 17 points, while Brandon Barnes (13), Tyrone White (11) and Adam Young (11) also reached double figures.
Burrage scored half of his points at the charity stripe, making 9-of-10 to help UTSA post a 16-for-18 (88.9 percent) effort at the line. The visitors, who now have played six of their first seven games on the road, shot 37.5 percent (15-of-40) and made six 3-pointers, including two each by sophomore Jeremy Hines and redshirt freshman A.J. Price, who started for the injured Michael Hale III.
CSU Bakersfield stormed out of the gates to a 12-2 lead, taking advantage of six UTSA turnovers during the first four-and-a-half minutes. The home team pushed the advantage to 20 when a pair of White free throws made it 26-6 midway through the frame.
The lead grew to 34 late in the half after White knocked down a long ball to make it 51-17.
UTSA committed 20 turnovers in the first half, which led to 27 CSUB points. The home team drained nine 3-pointers in the frame and made 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) at the charity stripe, while turning the ball over just five times.
CSUB extended the lead to as many as 38 in the second half, despite forcing just six UTSA turnovers.
The home team shot 43.1 percent (25-of-58) for the game, including a 48.3-percent (14-of-29) clip from beyond the arc, and made 21-of-24 (87.5 percent) at the line.
UTSA continues its season-long six game road swing at Mississippi State (2-5) on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.