Wes Bartole notched another double-double and Tyler Barber scored 16 points on Thursday as they led the Cal State Stanislaus men's basketball team to another run-away win. This time it was over Notre Dame de Namur, 72-56.
The Warriors' regular season home opener was delayed by more than 30 minutes with the Argonauts arriving late to Fitzpatrick Arena, but once the game finally got under way at 8:10 p.m., the Warriors jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back to win their third straight game.
Stanislaus will host Chico State in the rematch of last March's NCAA West Region Championship game tonight. Both teams will enter the contest with identical 5-2 overall and 2-0 California Collegiate Athletic Association records.
For the third consecutive contest, the Warriors led by 19 points at one point in the game. Thursday night that 19-point lead came in the final minute when Brian Lopez made a free throw to make it, 72-53. Stanislaus had led by 15 points early in the second half, but NDNU cut its deficit down to five on a 12-2 run during a quick 2-plus minute stretch to make it 41-36 at 15:05.
The Warriors, however, surged back ahead on a 7-0 run that was started by a Christian Bayne jumper. Barber made a layup and capped the mini-rally with one of his four three-pointers to make it 48-36 at 13:16.
The Argonauts (1-7) never got any closer after that. NDNU, which was led Jamaal Davis with 15 points, was stuck in traffic on its way over to the Central Valley when an accident closed all but one lane on Interstate 580 near Livermore.
Bartole score 10 of his points in the second half to finish with 14 points and 12 rebounds - both season-highs - for his fourth career double-double (second this season). Barber, who was 4-for-8 from beyond the arch, ended up with a season-best 14 points. Alek Carlson, too, scored a season best with 12 points by converting on three three-pointers.
As a team the Warriors made nine treys (Bayne and Brennan Pope had the other two). Rob Walters contributed with nine points and eight rebounds plus three assists and a block shot.
Tonight's showdown against Chico State is at 7:30 p.m., following the women's game against the Wildcats at 5:30 p.m.