BAKERSFIELD, CA – The Bakersfield College men's basketball team fought until the end with 44-points in the second half to help them climb back against Citrus College. Despite the surge in the last half, BC was unable to take the lead back in overtime, dropping the game in the Gil Bishop Sports Center, 80-76.
After Citrus led most of the first half, the Renegades managed to take their first lead of the night at 2:45 left in the half, then again take the lead to the locker room, 32-31. The Owls didn't waste any time taking the lead back and making it a 5-point deficit for the Renegades with 14 minutes left to play.
Bakersfield would get another shot at the lead with forward freshman Keyshaun Bolen scoring in the paint and drawing a foul to only trail by 2 points with a little under 12 minutes left. Bolen tipped the ball in to seal the third tie in the second half at 45-45 before Citrus would call a timeout. BC surged its way back with an 8-0 run taking their largest lead of the night by 6 points with a little over 8 minutes left to play. The Owls then closed in on the Renegade lead and with 4:30 left, tied the game with under a minute and then took the lead with 35 seconds to go. At 16.6 seconds left sophomore Tyrell Coleman found the net and tied the game for the 7th time in the second half at 70 and forced the overtime.
Citrus started the scoring in extra minutes and BC went to the line shortly after and tied the game once more at 72. The Owls seized the lead with a layup at 2 minutes left to play. Unfortunately, guard Michael Guillory would force Citrus to the line and hold on to its lead. BC managed to get it back to a 1-point game with 13.2 seconds left but the Owls came back to the line twice and ended the game on top.
Sophomore Isayas Aris posted 18-points and 13 rebounds with 14 points being from the second half. Coleman tallied 15-points against the Owls. Bakersfield's bench scored 31 points while shooting 46% from the field and 40% from the three-point range.
The team drops to 0-2 in conference and 12-4 on the season. Bakersfield College will play again at home against Glendale College on Wednesday (1/10) at 7:00pm.
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