Cal State East Bay University Athletics

Bender turned in his most impressive week as a Pioneer, leading the Cal State East Bay men's hoops team to a 2-1 record in its three contests. After notching eight points last Tuesday in an overtime loss to SF State, Bender came back from the Thanksgiving a scoring machine. The senior scored 15 points on 50 percent shooting in a narrow victory over NDNU on Friday. The following night, he poured in a career-high 23 points to go along with six rebounds in a decisive win over Holy Names. 

For the week, Bender averaged 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He was red hot from long distance, knocking down 8-of-16 from beyond the arc (50 percent). He also added six assists and three steals and was excellent at the free throw line (12-for-14) in helping to ice both victories this past weekend.