POMONA, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker in overtime on Saturday evening, falling on the road by a final score of 73-69 at Cal Poly Pomona, which entered the week ranked No. 14 in the nation.

The Broncos jumped out quickly in the first half and led comfortably the entire frame, taking a 32-20 lead into intermission. But the Pioneers refused to roll over against a talented opponent at the end of a tiring road trip. 

East Bay opened the second half on a 30-8 run, catching fire from long distance and riding senior Alex Carmon's season-best performance. The Pioneer led by as many as five, but CPP came back to tie the score and grab the lead in the final minutes. 

Trailing by two, Carmon got a tough shot in traffic to fall with 49 seconds left to tie the score 59-59. Both squads had a shot at the ball in those waning seconds, but neither could score the winning basket.

In overtime, Jalen Richard briefly gave the Pioneers a 64-61 lead with a three-pointer, but Jordan Faison, who led all scorers with 20 points, countered with a triple of his own. After trading a few more baskets, the Broncos scored three straight at the free throw line to take a lead with less than 30 seconds to go.

On the other end of the floor, Carmon quickly went to the basket instead of attempting a three, hoping to extend the game. But the Pioneers simply ran out time as Pomona escaped the upset.

CPP out-shot the Pioneers 47.7 percent to 38.1 percent for the game, but the visitors made up for poor shooting with an impressive rebounding performance. East Bay had a 43 to 34 advantage on the glass, including 14 offensive boards.

Pomona has one of the nation's top scoring defense, which made its presence felt despite a spirited Pioneer performance in the second half. CSUEB was hurt by 17 turnovers, which led to 20 Bronco points. 

Carmon led the Pioneers with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists, posting his first double-double of the season. Richard dished out three assists and scored 16, including 3-for-7 from three-point range.

Ryan Okwudibonye tallied 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting and grabbed eight boards. Jack Pasquini pulled in six rebounds, and big man Robert Garrett posted four points, two boards, and a block in 16 minutes.

Jordan Balser added nine points, going 3-for-7 from long range before fouling out. 

The Pioneers now return home to close out the regular season and attempt to win their way into the CCAA postseason. They host Cal State L.A. next Friday at 7:30 p.m. as part of Homecoming 2016.