After CSUN used a 2-3 zone in its stunning win over first-place UC Santa Barbara last weekend, Cal State Bakersfield coach Rod Barnes had his team practice against a zone extensively ahead of its matchup with the Matadors.
"I was really fighting myself this morning and my wife called me around lunch and told me to get myself together," Barnes said, "because I had spent two-and-a-half days focusing on zone, and I said, 'If they come out here and play us man and do something different, I'll be mad with myself.'
"But they came out and played zone and our guys handled it well."
That might be an understatement. The Roadrunners, who for much of the season have shot the fewest 3-pointers of any team in the nation, demonstrated good ball movement around the perimeter and came out firing from beyond the arc Thursday night. CSUB scored its first four baskets from deep and went 7-for-10 on 3s in the first half, building a 19-point halftime lead and coasting to a 73-58 win at the Icardo Center.
"They gave us open looks," said senior Travis Henson, who finished with a team-high 20 points. "We work on our shot every day, so we just believe in it, so just jump up with confidence and shoot."
The depleted Roadrunners continued to lean on the lineup of point guard Ivan Reynolds, wings Henson and Marvin McGhee III and forwards Cameron Smith and Antavion Collum, and now have the longest winning streak in the Big West Conference at three games in a row.
Reigning conference player of the week Collum tallied 17 points and eight rebounds despite a strong post defense from CSUN, Smith managed 11 and eight boards of his own and McGhee added 13 more points.
But at the helm of the strong offensive showing was Reynolds, a converted wing who had six points, eight rebounds and 10 assists with no turnovers.
"I think he's been probably the biggest reason why we've been successful," Barnes said. "His demeanor is good for our team. He's really laid-back, he takes hard coaching ... he's listening and not only that, he understands the responsibility of running our team."
Reynolds also held CSUN's leading scorer Atin Wright to just seven points after limiting him to the same total in last year's conference tournament.
"The performance last year in the Big West tournament was kind of personal," Reynolds said, "we were talking back and forth, and I just took it upon myself to try to do the same thing."
The Matadors did a good job getting CSUB into foul trouble and went 18-for-23 from the line on the night. But in terms of halfcourt offense, no one but De'Sean Allen-Eikens (14 points on 6-of-10 shooting) and occasionally Ethan Igbanugo (10 points, 4-of-6) could get much done. The rest of the team shot a combined 9-for-26.
CSUB never trailed and asserted itself early, using its four 3s and a Henson leaping dunk to go up 14-4 right away. Fidelis Okereke cut the lead to seven points with an up-and-under midway through the half, but the Roadrunners immediately responded with another 10-2 run. As halftime approached, Henson, McGhee and Smith started to rack up fouls, but McGhee sank a pair of 3s to keep the momentum going entering the break.
Henson missed two quick attempts from deep early in the second half, but responded by sinking two in a row, followed by a contested drive to give CSUB its biggest lead of the night at 53-30.
The Roadrunners got a bit sloppy on defense as the night progressed, giving up a three-point play on an Onyi Eyisi dunk and allowing Wright, the conference's top free-throw shooter, to take four straight from the line after a Reynolds foul and technical.
"I thought we kind of lost a little of our purpose," Barnes said, "and you don't want that to happen."
Still, CSUN never got within 15 points thanks to strong offensive play from Collum and McGhee.
CSUB (9-15, 5-8 Big West) will face Long Beach State (14-11, 8-5) Saturday at the Icardo Center in a pivotal game. The Beach had a six-game winning streak snapped by UCSB Thursday night.
"They put us out of the Big West Championship last year, the tournament," Smith said, "so it's personal."
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
