CARSON, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell to the (RV) Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros, 80-73 in a CCAA matchup on Thursday evening at The Torodome. The Pioneers battled back from a 13-point deficit in the second half to make it a one-possession game in the final minutes. However, the Toros' strong finish secured their victory to maintain their unbeaten conference record.
 

The first half saw the Toros take control early, building a 39-31 lead by halftime. Cal State Dominguez Hills' defense played a significant role, forcing 11 turnovers and converting them into 17 points in the opening period.

East Bay came out strong in the second half, with Ramsey Huff draining a 3-pointer in the opening seconds to cut the lead to five. The Pioneers continued to chip away at the deficit, eventually narrowing the gap to just one point, trailing 63-62 with 5:20 remaining on a dunk by Teiano Hardee.

However, the Toros responded with a crucial 8-2 run, highlighted by back-to-back jumpers from Adam Afifi, to regain control. Despite a late push from the Pioneers, including a 3-pointer by Hardee that brought them within four points with 2:06 left, Cal State Dominguez Hills held on for the win.

• Tyree Campbell led the charge for East Bay with a team-high 18 points, shooting an efficient 7-for-13 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
• Hardee provided a spark off the bench with 17 points, Beril Kabamba contributed 15 points and Huff added 13 points.
• Huff also head a team-high eight rebounds and five assists.
• Defensively, Huff and Kabamba each recorded a block and two steals.
• Field Goal Percentage: East Bay - 47.1 percent, CSUDH - 44.4 percent.
• The Toros held a slight 36-32 rebounding edge.

Cal State East Bay: 6-9, 4-5 CCAA
(RV) Cal State Dominguez Hills: 12-3, 9-0 CCAA
 

The Pioneers will look to bounce back as they continue their CCAA road trip. Cal State East Bay faces Cal State LA this coming Saturday, January 18, with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m. at the University Gym in Los Angeles, California.