HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team faces perhaps its toughest test of the season this week as the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule takes them north for a Thursday night matchup with Humboldt State, and then south for a Saturday night showdown at Cal State San Bernardino. Both contests are slated for 7:30 p.m. tip-offs following the women's games.
WEEKLY RECAPThe Pioneers engaged in a pair of defensive battles as they returned home to Hayward this past weekend. On Friday, the squad secured its most dramatic victory of the season after
Jacari Whitfield's last-second floater broke a 53-53 tie with Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Click here to watch highlights of the game, followed by a postgame interview with junior
Marcus Norman, who finished with eight points and a season-high five rebounds.
East Bay came up short the following night, falling 62-50 to Cal State L.A. despite 14 points and nine rebounds from
Jack Pasquini. The team's defensive performance has improved lately, but Pioneers continue to struggle with outside shooting, going 13-for-51 from thee-point range for the weekend.
PIONEER POINTSFreshman forward
Patrick Marr was named CSUEB's Male Athlete of the Week for his outstanding shooting performance in the two games. The De La Salle High School product was East Bay's leading scorer with 12 points against Dominguez Hills. He finished the weekend with nine total rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field (6-for-11) and 71 percent from long distance (5-for-7). Since moving into the starting lineup, Marr is averaging nine points and four boards per game, and he's been the team's top three-point shooter at 64 percent (7-for-11).
Pasquini continues to lead the CCAA in rebounding with an average of 8.7 per game, and he has at least eight boards in eight consecutive games. The Scotts Valley native is also the Pioneers' leading scorer for the season (9.5 ppg) after reaching double figures three times in the past four games.
Whitfield became CSUEB's all-time leader in career three-pointers in the team's overtime loss to Menlo earlier this season. This past weekend, he added two more to his program record total, which now sits at 159.
After eight assists in the two games, Whitfield ranks third among CCAA players in assists per game (3.8) and assist/turnover ratio (2.4). He has now dished out 284 career assists, which puts him just three short of fifth place on the school's all-time list.
Whitfield also ranks second in school history with a free throw percentage of .839 (104-for-124). This season, he's 19-for-23 at the line (.826). That number is second-best on the team, trailing senior
Jarred Jourdan, who ranks second in the conference at 88.9 percent (24-for-27).
As a team, the Pioneers rank third in the CCAA in total rebounds, total blocks, and three-pointers made in league play.
Current CCAA StandingsCCAA Statistical LeadersLOOKING IN ON THE LUMBERJACKSHumboldt State lost their first four CCAA games, then rattled off a six-game winning streak before falling 70-66 to Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday. The Jacks are the top offense in the conference, leading the league in points per game (85.1) and field goal percentage (.486). They're also tops in the CCAA in team steals and blocks. Seniors Austin Bryan (14.0 ppg) and Allan Guel (13.6 ppg) are HSU's best scorers, and point guard Malik Morgan (11.5 ppg, 4.7 apg) leads the league in assists. The Pioneers are 3-7 against the Jacks since joining the CCAA in 2009-10. They have captured three straight at home, but they've never won in Lumberjack Arena.
CATCHING UP WITH THE COYOTESCal State San Bernardino, which
finished in first place in 2013-14, is just 4-7 for the season after losing tight games at Chico State and Cal State San Bernardino this past weekend. They are a perfect 3-0 at
Coussoulis Arena, however. The Coyotes are fourth in the league in scoring (68.8 ppg), but they have struggled defensively, ranking last in the CCAA in rebound margin and opponents' shooting percentage (.492). CSUSB has four players averaging in double figures, led by junior Jacob Thomas (22.5 ppg), who has been the leading scorer in the CCAA in six games since returning from an injury. Cal State East Bay is 2-8 against the Coyotes as members of the conference. The Pioneers lost by 16 in San Bernardino last year, but they did pick up an 82-72 victory at
Coussoulis Arena in 2012-13. 
