Box score
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Pioneer men's basketball team led 32-21 at halftime and had a 15 point advantage in the second half in their CCAA game with host Cal State LA. The Eagles rallied to tie the game in regulation and came away with a stunning 71-61 victory over the Pioneers on February 18.
The Eagles snap a four-game losing streak and keeps their CCAA playoff hopes alive with a 9-11 record. Cal State LA is 13-11 overall.
East Bay stands at 3-17 in CCAA play and 5-19 for the season.
Trailing 4-0, the Pioneers went on a 12-0 run to take a 12-4 advantage with 13:57 left in the first half.
Adam Watts layup with 4:26 remaining increased the Pioneers lead to 28-14. East Bay held its biggest lead of the first half, 32-17, at the 2:00 mark. The Eagles scored the last four points to trail 32-21 at halftime.
In the first half, the Pioneers shot 52 percent from the field compared to 27.6 for Cal State LA.
Mark Samuels and
Will Freedman led the way for the Pioneers with seven points each.
Freedman hit a 3-pointer and followed with a basket to give the Pioneers a 42-27 advantage with 13:04 left in regulation.
The Eagles tied the game 49-49 on a three-pointer by Chris Robinson at the 4:45 mark. Cal State LA took its first lead of the game 52-49 on a Carl Hoffman's three-point play. Samuels' three-point play tied the game and
Roshun Wynne made a layup to give the Pioneers a 56-54 lead with 1:50 left. Franklin Session converted two free-throws with 46 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
A tip-in by Hoffman and a Session layup enabled the Eagles to hold a 60-56 advantage with 4:25 remaining in overtime. Samuels made a pair of freethrows to cut the Eagles' lead to 61-59 at the 3:03 mark. Cal State LA went on a 10-2 run to secure the overtime victory.
Both the Pioneers and Eagles converted 21 field goals for the game. East Bay made three more 3-pointers than the Eagles. At the free throw line, Cal State LA converted 26 of 48 attempts compared to 13 of 26 for East Bay.
Samuels led the Pioneers in scoring with 22 points and had a team-best seven rebounds. Freedman scored 12 points.
Robinson poured in 21 points while Session followed with 17 for Cal State LA.
The Pioneers will play at Cal State Dominguez Hills on February 19.
