ROHNERT PARK, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team fell just short of a perfect weekend on Saturday night, falling on the road to Sonoma State by a score of 61-59. 

The Pioneers (7-11, 3-8 CCAA) nearly erased a 15-point deficit over the final nine minutes and had a couple chances to tie or take the lead in the final seconds, but they couldn't get the shot to fall to complete the comeback.  

The Seawolves (11-6, 6-5 CCAA) out-shot East Bay 49 percent to 39 percent for the game. Although the Pioneers won the rebounding battle, 27 to 24, the home team controlled the frontcourt offensively with 40 points in the paint. 

East Bay got off to a slow start, scoring just 21 points in the first half and trailing by seven at the break. They relied heavily on the three-point shot throughout the night, with more than half the team's field goal attempts coming from long distance. The Pioneers finished 10-for-27 from beyond the arc (37 percent), with seven different players making at least one.

Junior Jalen Richard led the team with 15 points, going 3-for-10 from deep to go along with seven rebounds. Senior Ryan Okwudibonye also reach double figures with 10 points and nine rebounds on 3-for-6 shooting.

Freshman Jordan Balser posted nine points on 4-for-7 from the field, while senior Alex Carmon added eight points and four boards. Junior Paramvir Singh buried both his attempts from long range, contributing six points. 

East Bay ends up splitting the weekend following Friday's win at SF State. With more than a month left in the season, the Pioneers have already surpassed their win total from 2015-16 and now have their sights on snagging a berth in the CCAA tournament. 

The team is back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 26 when they continue their road trip against rival Cal State Monterey Bay.