Box score

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Pioneer men's basketball team is off to a 2-0 start following an 80-70 victory over Academy of Art University on Wednesday night.

Following a 29-point performance against Dominican University, Mark Samuels poured in a game-high   28 points on 12 of 18 from the field and four of five from the free throw line.   

“We did enough good things to win tonight,” Pioneer coach Will Biggs said. “Academy of Art played a strong game in front of their home crowd. I was proud of the way our team competed on the road. They like playing together.”   

Nick Marshall scored five points while Jurrell Turner had a dunk and a lay-up to give the Pioneers a 9-4 lead in the early going.

Jason Smith came off the bench to convert a pair of three-pointers as the Pioneers maintained a 17-12 advantage with 14:09 left in the first half.

The Pioneers increased their lead to 35-25 with 8:04 remaining on a Samuels' lay-up. A pair of free-throws by Samuels with 4:52 remaining gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the half 39-27.

A lay-up by the Urban Knights' William Overton cut the Pioneers lead to (40-34) with 3:16 left.

Samuels scored his 12th point as the Pioneers took a 44-34 halftime advantage.

The Urban Knights went on a 9-1 run to trim the Pioneers lead to (45-43) with 17:39 remaining in the game.

Smith's third 3-pointer of the game and a dunk by Marshall increased the Pioneers lead to 52-45 in the next two minutes.

The Pioneers took a 57-45 advantage with 14:32 left when Smith converted his fourth 3-pointer.

Academy of Art rallied with a 5-0 run to trail by seven with 12:34 left.

Overton hit a three-pointer with 6:15 left to trim the Pioneers advantage to 63-59.

A pair of lay-ups by Smith and Samuels gave the Pioneers an eight point lead two minutes later.

The Pioneers secured the victory when Smith converted a three-pointer with 1:32 left in the game.

Smith followed Samuels in scoring with 22 points including six 3-pointers. Marshall, who scored nine points, led the Pioneers on the boards with 10 rebounds.

The Pioneers shot 47% from the field and held the Urban Knights to 41% shooting from the floor while forcing 24 turnovers.

Cal State East Bay will face Western Oregon in the first day of the Western Oregon Tournament on November 18.