LOS ANGELES -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team is still searching for its first road victory of 2014-15 after falling to Cal State L.A. on Friday night by a final score of 63-53.

The injury-riddled Pioneers (5-18, 3-14 CCAA) continued their strong run of defensive play as their eight-man squad held the Golden Eagles to just 37 percent shooting from the floor. But East Bay struggled to find any rhythm on offense and was unable to overcome 18 turnovers. 

"Coach Horton's team is extremely physical and tough on the defensive end," said head coach Gus Argenal. "We knew we were going to have to handle the pressure to give ourselves a chance. Unfortunately our execution and ball control were not there tonight. To win on the road, you have to rebound, defend without fouling, and execute without turning the ball over." 

The Pioneers were outstanding at the free throw line (11-for-12), but CSULA took 20 more fouls shots than they did. The home team also racked up 17 offensive rebounds and converted 15 second-chance points.

Senior Nick Grieves led all scorers with 18 points, all of which came from long distance. He went 6-for-12 from three-point range and is now 11-for-22 over the last two games from deep.

Fellow senior Jacari Whitfield also reached double figures with 12 points and led the squad with five assists while playing all 40 minutes. The San Francisco native was just 2-for-10 from the floor, but did most of his damage at the foul line where he was a perfect 7-for-7. With that performance, Whitfield's career free throw percentage now stands at .846, which is the highest in school history.

The Golden Eagles were in control for most of the first half, stretching their lead out to 30-14 with just over two minutes left before the break. But the Pioneers mustered a late rally, scoring seven straight points behind three-pointers by Grieves and Marcus Norman, who scored all six of his points in the opening frame.

East Bay cut its deficit to single digits at 32-23, picking up some momentum heading into halftime. They played Cal State L.A. basically even in the second half, but couldn't manage to get closer than six points.

Freshman Patrick Marr scored nine points and led the team with seven rebounds and a season-high three blocks. The Clayton native also filled the scoresheet with three assists and a steal in 34 minutes. 

Sophomore Kyle Frakes posted six points, six rebounds and a block, going 3-for-7 from the floor. Senior Cody Kale grabbed six boards, while sophomore Paramvir Singh pulled in five. 

CSUEB is back in action on Saturday night for a Valentine's date with Cal State Dominguez Hills at the Torodome in Carson, Calif. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. following the women's game.