BAKERSFIELD, CA - In a home opener at the Gil Bishop Sports Center, the Bakersfield College Renegades men's basketball team edged out the Barstow Vikings 62-59. Bakersfield's balanced attack and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch proved to be the difference in a game that stayed close from start to finish.

The Renegades opened with a strong defensive effort in the first half, forcing Barstow into tough shots and capitalizing on transition opportunities. Sophomore Lendl Henderson led the way off the bench, knocking down two crucial three-pointers. Despite struggling with turnovers (13 in the half), BC took a narrow 30-28 lead into halftime, thanks to efficient free-throw shooting (88.9%) and timely buckets from forward Ollie Fell and freshman guard Leviticus Latu.

In the second half, Barstow fought back but Bakersfield stayed resilient. Redshirt freshman Gustavo Chavez provided key scoring in the second half, hitting two deep three-pointers, while freshman Godwill Fomusoh controlled the boards with 9 rebounds and contributed six points.

With the game on the line, BC's defense held firm. A critical block by freshman Markell Brooks and a steal by Henderson in the closing minutes sealed the victory. The Renegades dominated fast-break points (12-0), turning Barstow's 15 turnovers into crucial scoring opportunities.

Leading the Renegades tonight was sophomore, Henderson with 15 points and two steals followed by teammate Chavez ending the night with 11 points.

With the win, Bakersfield improves to 2-3 on the season and will host the Santa Barbara Vaqueros at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, November 19th.