BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to halt lengthy slides will meet when Cal State Bakersfield hosts Pepperdine in nonconference men’s basketball Saturday at Icardo Center. The Roadrunners (4-7) have dropped five straight games since a Nov. 30 win at Fresno State. Their most recent defeat was an 80-69 home loss to North Dakota State on Thursday. Cal State Bakersfield’s defense, a traditional strength, has allowed an average of 89.2 points during the losing streak. Pepperdine (3-7) arrives on a five-game skid of its own, most recently a 65-56 home loss to Vermont on Dec. 6. The Waves have struggled offensively in that stretch, failing to reach 70 points in four of the five losses. A player to watch for Pepperdine is guard Javon Cooley, who has been a consistent scorer. He is averaging 13.4 points over his last seven games, including a 23-point performance in a win over New Orleans on Nov. 18 and 15 points against Vermont. His backcourt mate, Styles Phipps, leads the team in assists. Cal State Bakersfield’s schedule has been road-heavy, with this game representing just its fifth home contest of the season. The Roadrunners are 3-1 at Icardo Center, with the lone loss coming in their last outing. Historically, this is a rare matchup. The programs have met only once before, with Pepperdine securing a victory in 2016. Both teams are looking for momentum before entering their respective conference schedules. Pepperdine begins West Coast Conference play on Dec. 28 against Gonzaga, while Cal State Bakersfield opens Big West action on Jan. 1 against UC Irvine. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.