HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team returns home this weekend to continue its tough trip through the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule. The Pioneers take on the top two teams in the standings as the welcome in Chico State on Friday night, followed by Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday night. Both visiting squads carry multi-game winning streaks into Pioneer Gym, where CSUEB is 3-3 for the season.
WEEKLY RECAPThe Pioneers dropped a pair of road games last week as they visited both ends of California. They played perhaps their best game away from Pioneer Gym of the season on Thursday night, falling 87-80 at Humboldt State. They shot 50 percent as a team in the loss, including 61 percent from three-point range. Senior
Nick Grieves led the way with a game-high 21 points on 7-for-10 from long distance, but the Jacks held on with five players scoring in double figures.
Two nights later, defending regular season champion Cal State San Bernardino downed the Pioneers 81-63.
Juawnn Springfield scored a season-high 18 points, and
Jack Pasquini recorded his fifth double-digit rebound performance, but the Coyotes had a major advantage at the free throw line. They drew 32 East Bay fouls and scored 34 points at the stripe, while the Pioneers finished just 14-for-28.
PIONEER POINTSHayward native
Paramvir Singh had his highest scoring night as a Pioneer on Saturday against CSUSB. The sophomore was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, finishing with 11 points in a season-high 18 minutes off the bench.
Pasquini continues to lead the CCAA in rebounding with an average of 8.8 per game, and he now has at least eight boards in 10 consecutive games. The Scotts Valley native is also the Pioneers' leader in scoring
(9.3 ppg) and minutes played for the season.
Senior
Jacari Whitfield added four more three-pointers to his program record total this past weekend, which now sits at 163 for his career. He also led the team with 10 total assists in the two games, moving him up to second place in the CCAA with 63 for the year. The San Francisco native has now dished out 294 career assists, which ties him for place on the school's all-time list.
As a team, the Pioneers rank second in the CCAA in three-pointers made and third
in total rebounds and total blocks in league play.
Current CCAA StandingsCCAA Statistical LeadersCHECKING IN ON CHICOThe Wildcats, the defending NCAA DII West Region champions, have won three in a row with narrow victories over Cal State San Bernardino, SF State, and Sonoma State. They shoot 46 percent as a team, and they're excellent on defense, ranking first in the CCAA in rebounding margin and second in opponents field goal percentage. Sophomore Robert Duncan (12.3 ppg, 51% FG) is Chico State's leading scorer, and senior Jordan Semple (11.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg) is one of the top big men in the league. The Pioneers are 1-9 against the Wildcats since joining the conference in 2009-10, with the lone victory coming in Hayward in February of 2011.
SCOUTING STANISLAUSThe Warriors took over the top spot in the CCAA standings after sweeping their last two weekends, and they're 5-2 on the road this season. Stanislaus is shooting 41.7 percent from the field, and they rank second in the league in rebound margin. The defending CCAA tournament champs are led by senior guard Chris Read (13.3 ppg, 46% FG) and the formidable frontcourt of Wes Bartole (11.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Rob Walters (9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg). Cal State East Bay has never defeated Cal State Stanislaus in 10 meetings as members of the CCAA.
