SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team succumbed to a second-half run by Cal State Monterey Bay on Tuesday night, falling on the road by a final score of 81-69 in a game that was extremely tight through the first 30 minutes.

The loss drops the Pioneers to 7-12 for the season and 3-9 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Otters, meanwhile, pick up a big victory to improve to 8-10 overall and 6-6 in the CCAA.

Statistically the game was quite close, with the Otters shooting 48 percent and pulling in 34 rebounds, while the Pioneers shot 46 percent from the field and grabbed 36 boards. 

The visitors didn't do themselves any favors at the free throw line, going just 5-for-11, but they also attempted nearly 30 fewer foul shots than Monterey Bay in the game.

The squads played to a 33-33 tie through the first half, with Jack Pasquini scoring 12 of his team-high 19 points in the opening frame. The score remained tight after the break, but midway though the second half, the Otters went on a 22-8 run over the span of six minutes to take a 15-point lead.

East Bay refused to quit and made some big shots down the stretch to cut the deficit to just four with under a minute to play. However, Monterey Bay knocked down enough foul shots to hold off the Pioneer comeback.

"Coach Bishop had his team ready to compete, and they played with an edge," said head coach Gus Argenal. "For us to win, we can't tun the ball over 21 times, give up 80-plus points, and allow 40 percent from the three-point line. We are capable of much more, and I expect us to play better Thursday against Cal State San Marcos."

The Pioneers didn't have an answer for the red-hot Ryan Nitz, who led all scorers with 33 points on 12-for-19 shooting for the Otters.

Pasquini also had the hot hand, going 8-for-12 from the floor and finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

Fellow senior Alex Carmon reached double figures for the ninth time this year, putting up 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting. He also notched five rebounds and dished out a team-high three assists.

Redshirt freshman Jordan Balser added 12 points off the bench, going 5-for-8 from the floor and hitting a pair of three-pointers in the second half. Forwards Ryan Okwudibonye and Patrick Marr posted six points apiece. 

After three straight contests against Bay Area rivals, the Pioneers now return home to host Cal State San Marcos on Thursday, Jan. 28 before hitting the road again for four straight tough games away from Pioneer Gym.