SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team suffered a tough 81-67 road loss to Cal State San Marcos on Saturday afternoon at The Sports Center. Despite a valiant second-half effort, the Pioneers couldn't overcome a strong start by the Cougars.
 

The Cougars came out of the gates hot, building a 15-point lead in the first half. Cal State East Bay managed to trim the deficit to eight points late in the period, but CSUSM closed strong with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer to take a 38-25 lead into halftime.

Cal State San Marcos maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half, thwarting any comeback attempts by East Bay as the Cougars finished with an 81-67 win. 

• Tyree Campbell led all scorers with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field.
• DJ Sanders and Teiano Hardee both scored in double figures as well with 15 and 11 points respectively.
• With five rebounds each were Campbell, Hardee and Beril Kabamba.
• Ramsey Huff recorded four steals to lead the defensive effort.
• Field Goal Percentage: Cal State East Bay 40.7 percent, Cal State San Marcos 42.4 percent
• The rebounding battle proved crucial, with the Cougars holding a significant 45-29 edge on the boards.

Cal State East Bay: 10-12, 8-8 CCAA
Cal State San Marcos: 4-17, 4-11 CCAA

Despite the loss for East Bay, the Pioneers sit alone for fifth place in the CCAA standings, with the top six teams in the regular season qualifying for the CCAA Tournament. Six games remain to determine if the Pioneers can reach the tournament. 
 

Cal State East Bay will look to bounce back as they return home for their next CCAA contest. The Pioneers will host Cal Poly Humboldt on Thursday, February 13, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California. East Bay will aim to replicate their earlier success against the Lumberjacks, whom they defeated 81-76 in Arcata on December 7.