Know thy enemy: A preview of the week in UVU sports
Photo by Brigham Berthold
It is Cal State Bakersfield week in a small slate for UVU athletics. While the wrestling team and the women’s basketball team will be welcoming CSUB to campus, the men’s basketball team will be headed to Bakersfield. The Wolverines will get to know the Roadrunners well by the time the week is through.
After hosting Air Force in its conference opener, the wrestling team will remain at home for a nonconference dual meet with the Roadrunners at Lockhart Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. CSUB sits at 3-2 on the year, coming off a loss to No. 15 ranked Stanford in their last dual meet. The Wolverines will have their eyes on CSUB’s Sergio Mendez (125) and Kalani Tonge (141) as each wrestler placed first in their respective classes at the Menlo Invitational earlier this season.
The women’s basketball team faces off against CSUB Saturday at 3 p.m. in Lockhart Arena. UVU appears to match up well with the Roadrunners as both teams share similar records. The Wolverines and CSUB shared three common opponents in their nonconference schedules: Southern Utah, Pepperdine and Cal Poly. Two of UVU’s wins came against Pepperdine and Southern Utah while CSUB lost in those matchups. The Roadrunners are led by the duo of forwards Erika and Aja Williams, who together average 23.3 points per game.
In men’s basketball, the Wolverines will tipoff against CSUB 7 p.m. Saturday. The Roadrunners are coming off a WAC Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2015-16 season. After receiving some top-25 votes early in the season, CSUB has fallen off slightly as time has gone on. The Roadrunners are still a force to be reckoned with in the conference, especially at home, where they’re a perfect 7-0. CSUB is led in scoring by Damiyne Durham, who is averaging 16 points per contest despite playing just 21 minutes per game off the bench. Jaylin Airington has been hot beyond the arc this season, shooting nearly 42 percent on 3-point shots. Airington and Dedrick Basile are also averaging double digit scoring for CSUB.
Reporting by: Devin Olsen, Ty Bianucci, Kaleb Searle
I grew up on a farm in Burley, Idaho, but I’ve always had an intense love of sports. I’m studying journalism in an attempt to turn my love into a career. I’m a huge Utah Jazz, Tennessee Titans, and San Jose Sharks fan. If it’s a sport, I’ll watch it.