Box Score SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — One night after their biggest win of the season at UC San Diego, there was no let down for the Pioneer men's basketball team on Saturday. Cal State East Bay (7-17, 6-14 CCAA) defeated second-place Cal State San Bernardino (16-7, 14-6 CCAA) by the score of 82-72. It's the first win in program history at Coussoulis Arena for the Pioneers, who had five players score in double figures. East Bay shot 52.7 percent from the floor, their second-best percentage of the season, and the second straight game they've topped 50 percent as a team. This weekend's road sweep marks the first time the Pioneers have won back-to-back games this season.
This was one of the best-played games East Bay has been involved in all year, and it remained a fairly close contest throughout. The Coyotes led for almost the entire first half, although never by more than seven points. The Pioneers took the lead with three minutes remaining, thanks to a 9-0 run. A pair of
Jason Smith three-pointers sandwiched around an old-fashioned three point play by
Ryan Hebebrand gave East Bay a six-point lead. They out-shot CSUSB 48.3 percent to 40 percent in the half and went into the break with a 38-32 advantage.
San Bernardino picked up its game in the second half and played a much better period, but they couldn't do anything to stop the Pioneer shooters, who have enjoyed a long-awaited hot streak these past two nights. In the span of one minute,
Gabe Kindred made a layup in transition, East Bay got a rebound,
Jurrell Turner hit a three, Hebebrand forced a steal, and
Vincent Capellino knocked down a jumper. That sequence turned a four-point lead into an 11-point lead, and the Pioneers never looked back.
The team played remarkably consistent down the stretch, not allowing a single Coyote scoring run. The East Bay lead never dipped below five the rest of the game as they cruised to the 82-72 win. San Bernardino improved to 45.8 percent shooting in the second half, but the Pioneers hit at a scorching 57.7 percent.
The Pioneers mostly went with a seven-man rotation in this game, with four players topping 30 minutes played. Smith had an impressive night shooting from long distance, going 6-for-8 from three-point range for a team-high 18 points. Hebebrand was in double figures once again with 14, and for the second straight night, he was the top Pioneer rebounder with seven boards. The junior was 6-for-11 from the field and forced two steals. Capellino posted 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists in a team-high 37 minutes.
Sophomore guard
Jacari Whitfield had one of his best games in a Pioneer uniform, setting a career high with nine assists, the most for any East Bay player in a game this season. He also scored 10 points, going 2-for-4 from three and 4-for-4 from the line.
Gabe Kindred was the fifth Pioneer in double figures, shooting 4-for-8 from the field and finishing with 11 points. Turner added eight points, and
Ota Okungbowa notched five points, six rebounds, and two steals.
Donavon Jackson turned in four points and three boards in nine minutes off the bench. This was the best three-point shooting game of the season for the Pioneers, who knocked down 10-of-14 deep balls (71.4 percent).
East Bay will look to carry the momentum from this weekend's victories into the final games of the season at home next week. The Pioneers welcome in Chico State on Thursday, and then host Cal State Stanislaus for Senior Night on Friday in the regular season finale. Both tip-offs are set for 7:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gym.
