HAYWARD, Calif. - In a tale of two halves, the Cal State East Bay men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 68-65 loss to Cal State LA on Thursday evening at Pioneer Gymnasium. The defeat effectively eliminates the Pioneers from contention for a bid in the CCAA Tournament.
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GAME SUMMARY |
The Pioneers came out strong, never trailing in the first half and building a commanding lead. What initially seemed like a close contest, with East Bay holding onto a 24-19 advantage, quickly turned into a dominant performance. The Pioneers closed out the half with an impressive eight-point run, sparked by a pair of crucial 3-pointers from DJ Sanders and Ramsey Huff. This surge sent East Bay into the locker room with a comfortable 32-19 lead at the break.
East Bay's momentum continued into the early minutes of the second half. Jordan Espinoza's layup less than a minute in pushed the Pioneers' lead to a game-high 17 points. Teiano Hardee's basket at the 17:03 mark maintained a solid 15-point advantage at 41-26.
However, the tide began to turn as Cal State LA mounted a comeback. The Golden Eagles went on a nine-point run, with Corey Coefield II contributing eight of those points. This surge marked the beginning of a steady erosion of East Bay's lead.
The pivotal moment came at 9:17 when Coefield sank two free throws, giving Cal State LA their first lead of the game at 49-48. From there, the Golden Eagles maintained a slim advantage, though the Pioneers remained within striking distance.
In a thrilling finish, DJ Sanders' fastbreak layup with just 11.1 seconds left brought East Bay within two points at 67-65. However, Cal State LA managed to break through the Pioneer defense, drawing a crucial foul that burned valuable seconds off the clock. The Golden Eagles made one of the two free throws, keeping a one possession difference intact.
With one last chance to tie, the Pioneers inbounded the ball with three seconds remaining. Despite a valiant effort running the floor, their final shot missed the mark, sealing the 68-65 victory for Cal State LA.
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NOTABLE STATS |
- Sanders led all Pioneers with 18 points, shooting 6-for-15 from the floor and an impressive 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
- Hardee contributed 16 points, providing a consistent offensive threat throughout the game.
- Beril Kabamba posted a double-digit scoring night with 12 points while also grabbing nine rebounds.
- Jordan Espinoza rounded out the top scorers with 10 points and matched Kabamba's nine rebounds.
- Ramsey Huff and Andrew Camacho each made their presence felt on the defensive end, recording a block and two steals apiece.
- Field Goal Percentage: The Pioneers shot 40.7 percent compared to the Golden Eagles' 37.9 percent.
- Cal State LA did hold a slight edge in rebounding, 43-39.
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RECORDS |
Cal State East Bay: 11-16, 9-12 CCAA
Cal State LA: 12-15, 10-11 CCAA
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
The Pioneers will look to finish the 2024-25 season strong in their regular season finale, hosting No. 19 Cal State Dominguez Hills in another CCAA matchup. The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California.
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