San Diego, CA – Jamaal Franklin scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, as San Diego State raced out to an early lead and cruised past Cal State Bakersfield in non-conference action from Viejas Arena.
Chase Tapley contributed 14 points and Winston Shepard added 11 points off the bench for the Aztecs (12-2), who won their 31st straight game against opponents from the Golden State. San Diego State has also rattled off nine straight overall and 13 in row at home against non-conference contenders.
"We are 12-2 and have won 31 straight against California teams," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher remarked. "I love our team but I want us to get better and they do also."
Stephon Carter led all scorers with 21 points and Corey Hall totaled 14 points and nine rebounds for the Roadrunners (6-11), who made just 3-of-18 from beyond the arc.
The Aztecs scored the game's first five points and claimed a 16-7 advantage on Franklin's 3-pointer nearly five minutes in. San Diego State then closed the half with nine successive points capped by five from Tapley, including a 3- pointer with seven seconds left for the halftime margin, 37-20.
Tapley's jumper about 5 1/2 minutes into the second half put the Aztecs in front, 45-25, and the margin moved between 15 and 24 points for the remainder of the game.
"I wasn't pleased with our guys and the hunger that we played with," Cal State Bakersfield coach Rob Barnes admitted. "We understand they're the better team, but we've got to compete. We did not show enough mental toughness."
Game Notes
This marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs ... Franklin was back in double digits after seeing his 32-game streak of double-digit scoring come to an end versus Arizona in Hawaii ... The Aztecs lived at the charity stripe, holding a 21-point margin (27-6) from the foul line. San Diego State made four less field goals than the Roadrunners, but made three more free throws than CS-Bakersfield made field goals (27-24).
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