They had made it to the semi-final game the last two years but the 2016 CSUB men's basketball team finally made it to a WAC championship game with a 72-47 win over Seattle U.
CSUB struggled out of the gate with the Redhawks leading early 7-0 but the Runners responded. Their first lead came after a Jaylin Airington 3-pointer made it 14-11 and at the break the Runners lead 36-22.
Shooting proved to be the key as the Runners were 11-18 from beyond the arc. Justin Pride finished with 12 assists and he reset the school division one record in a game breaking the old record set by Issiah Grayson in 2012.
CSUB moves on to play #1 New Mexico State in the final, a team they have never beaten (0-11) but a team that players were hoping to face. "In the locker room we were kind of praying that they won," said senior Kevin Mays. "I feel like I gave a lot in the last two games but I feel like I had more that I should have given."
Head coach Rod Barnes has been saying all season that this was a special team and he's excited that they have the opportunity to prove it in front of the country. "I can't wait for 8:00," he said. "The last 40 minutes hopefully we'll accomplish our goal and our dream of making it to the NCAA Tournament."
CSUB v. NM State starts at 8:00 PM and can been seen on ESPN U.
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