HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball came up just short on Tuesday night in its attempt to upset visiting Cal Poly Pomona, which entered the game ranked No. 5 in the nation. The Broncos came away with a 74-64 win over the Pioneers to remain perfect on the season at 10-0. 

The Pioneers drop to 4-5 overall, although four of those losses were to teams ranked in the top 25 nationally. Their record in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) stands at 1-2 with one more league game left in the calendar year.

East Bay struggled in the early part of the first half against the length and tenacity of a CPP squad that boasts one of the top defenses in the country. But the Pioneer defense was up to the task as well, keeping them in the game even when the shots weren't falling on offense.

After back-to-back three-pointers by Pierre Carter and Jack Pasquini, the Pioneers trailed just 20-18 with six minutes left in the first half. However, the Broncos went on a 12-4 run to close out the frame, taking a 10-point lead into the break.

CPP quickly stretched its lead to 14 to open the second half, but the Pioneers refused to let the game get away. They cut the deficit to eight midway through the half after a triple by Paramvir Singh, who also notched five rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench. Ryan Okwudibonye then scored five straight points, and Tre Mauldin buried a long ball from the top of the key, and the Pioneers suddenly trailed by just four.

Unfortunately, that was as close as they would get. The home team couldn't quite get enough shots to drop, and the Broncos hit just enough free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. CPP topped East Bay handily in field goal percentage, 51 percent to 36 percent. Neither team was particularly effective at the free throw line or particularly efficient from three-point range, as the Pioneers finished just 9-for-29 from distance.

Jalen Richard was East Bay's primary scoring threat on this night, racking up a season-high 23 points to go along with six rebounds in a team-high 38 minutes. The Santa Clara transfer finished 7-for-17 from the floor, including 3-for-8 from deep. He leads the team in scoring through nine games this season (15.7 ppg) and had posted double figures eight times.

Okwudibonye totaled 12 points and led the squad with seven rebounds in 21 minutes, going 5-for-8 from the field. Fellow senior Alex Carmon also reached double digits with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. 

Pasquini added nine points, knocking down two of his five attempts from long range. Sophomore Patrick Marr took just one shot in 18 minutes off the bench, but he still managed to lead the team with four assists.

The Pioneers now have a few days to prepare for their next CCAA contest, a 7:30 p.m. showdown with Stanislaus State at home this Saturday.