Box Score PDF Box Score
LAS VEGAS – A late dry spell over the game's final 10 minutes ended up being the difference in No. 3 seed Chicago State's 68-62 loss to No. 6 seed Bakersfield on Thursday (March 13) evening in the 2014 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at the Orleans Arena.
The Cougars were crisper out of the gates offensively than the Bakersfield as the Cougars built a lead as large as seven points over the game's first six minutes. Senior forward and All-WAC Second Team selection,
Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg), picked up his second foul just about the same time the Cougars went up by seven. Pippen sat the rest of the half due to foul trouble and Bakersfield rallied back to take a 36-33 lead at the break.
Where Chicago State was in foul trouble in the first half, in the second the Cougars found more success attacking the basket as Bakersfield was whistled for the first five fouls of the second half. The Cougars still trailed the Roadrunners until the 9:42 mark when a steal by senior
Eddie Denard (Chicago, Ill./Foreman) set up an easy layup by senior
Nate Duhon (Lansing, Mich./Sexton) on the other end. His basket put the Cougars up 51-50. Little did the Cougars realize at the time it would be their final field goal until the 1:58 remained in the contest. Bakersfield built their lead to seven points at 63-56 with 2:03 remaining following a pair of free throw by Issiah Grayson.
The Cougars finally broke their cold spell when senior
Corey Gray (Houston, Texas/Hightower) drained a 3-pointer at the aforementioned 1:58 mark. Grayson added two more free throws to make it a six-point game, only to see Gray drain another quick 3-pointer and make it a one-possession game at 65-62 with 1:39 left. Bakersfield missed a pair of free throws on the other end to give the Cougars life. Duhon drove to the basket but his layup attempt was blocked with 50 seconds. The Cougars played it straight up on the other end and were rewarded after Bakersfield missed a layup. Still down three points with 30 seconds left, Duhon earned a 3-point attempt near the top of the key but his attempt to tie the game was off and Bakersfield grabbed the rebound. The Roadrunners added three free throws to ice the game.
"Bakersfield was determined," Chicago State head coach
Tracy Dildy said. "They answered everything we had. You have to give all the credit to Bakersfield."
Duhon led the Cougars with 19 points and eight rebounds. Junior
Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) finished with 14 points. Gray added nine points on three 3-pointers.
Chicago State shot 21-of-59 (35.6 percent) for the game, while Bakersfield finished 18-of-46 (39.1 percent) from the floor. Thursday's game was the first time this year the Cougars limited an opponent to sub 40 percent shooting and lost. The Roadrunners made up for it by a 29-of-37 performance at the free throw line. The Cougars made 12-of-17 attempts from the charity stripe. It was the 13
th time this year a Chicago State opponent made 20 or more free throws in a game. The Cougars finished with a 3-10 record in these games.
Bakersfield owned only three more offensive rebounds than the Cougars (12-9), but they did significantly more with their opportunities as Bakersfield held a 15-2 advantage in second chance points.
The Roadrunners improve to 13-18 and will play the winner of New Mexico State and Seattle U in the WAC Semifinals on Friday. Grayson finished with 29 points for Bakersfield.
Pippen scored seven points. He finishes his Chicago State career third all-time in made 3-pointers (158) and 10
th in steals (113). Senior
Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) finishes his CSU career fifth all-time in rebounds (446) and tied for sixth in blocks (75).
The Cougars end the 2013-14 season 13-19.
