Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay men played their closest game since early December on Friday night, ultimately losing a heartbreaker 53-51 to visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills (11-11, 6-8 CCAA). The Pioneers (5-14, 4-11 CCAA) outscored their opponents 30-27 in the second half and played an excellent defensive game, but they were unable to make the big shot they needed in the final seconds. East Bay loses its eighth straight game, despite a 16-rebound effort from senior Nick Marshall, who led an impressive performance by the Pioneers on the glass.

East Bay went up 5-2 one minute into the game on a three-pointer by Jason Smith, one of two long balls from him on this night. From that point, the Pioneers didn't score again for almost nine minutes of play, as the Toros went on a 13-0 run, grabbing a 15-5 lead at the 10-minute media timeout. The Pioneers answered with a 12-5 run, finally getting some shots to fall and cutting the lead to three.

The teams went to halftime with Cal State Dominguez Hills leading 26-21 after an especially low-scoring first half. The Toros and Pioneers both struggled from the field, shooting 30 and 29 percent, respectively. The two teams also shared issues from long distance, with CSUDH hitting 1-of-5 and East Bay making 3-of-13. The Pioneers worked hard on the glass in the first half, out-rebounding the Toros 22 to 13, but they committed 12 turnovers.

The score stayed close, and the scoring stayed low into the second half. Shot-making remained a challenge for both squads, although the tempo was quick, so neither team could make a big run. The Pioneers were finally able to tie the game at 35-35 with 10 minutes to go on Vincent Capellino's three-point play. Gabe Kindred followed with a jumper to give East Bay its first lead since the first minute of the game.

The Pioneers continued to dominate the boards -- at one point midway through the second half, East Bay had 18 offensive rebounds, and the Toros had 19 total rebounds. But the three-point shot was elusive for the red and black, and they ended up making just 7-of-31 for the game.

The Pioneers also had to overcome a huge free throw discrepancy. With seven minutes remaining, the Toros had 28 attempts from the line, while the Pioneers had just 10 (They finished at 34 to 17 in favor of Dominguez Hills). CSUDH's shooting struggles extended to the foul line, where they shot 64.7 percent for the game, though that ended up being just enough.

It remained a one-possession ballgame heading into the final minute when the Pioneers got the ball trailing by two points. They called timeout to set up a play, but the Toro defense was Stout. Kindred's jumper fell short as the shot clock expired with 28 seconds left, forcing the Pioneers to start fouling.

They had a chance to tie the game with 15 seconds left after Dominguez Hills knocked the ball out of bounds. East Bay was able to get the shot they wanted, but Smith's three-pointer rattled out, and the Toros hit just enough free throws to escape with the win.

The Pioneers shot 29.1 percent from the floor, compared to 34.1 percent for CSUDH. They ended up out-rebounding the Toros 48 to 27, grabbing 22 on the offensive end. Kindred led the Pioneers with 11 points. Capellino was the team's most efficient scorer, notching 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

Marshall's 16 rebounds (including seven offensive boards) set a career high for the senior. He added seven points and a block in a team-high 35 minutes of play. Smith finished with six points, seven rebounds, and a pair of assists. Ryan Hebebrand also grabbed seven boards (five offensive) to go along with four points.

Ota Okungbowa and Donavon Jackson each scored four points off the bench, with the latter adding four rebounds. Jacari Whitfield knocked down a big three with just under two minutes remaining. His only points of the game put the Pioneers up by one at that moment.

The East Bay men are back in action at Pioneer Gym tomorrow night to close out Homecoming Week. The team will host Cal State LA, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. following the Pioneer women.