ROHNERT PARK, Calif., -- The Pioneer men's basketball team could not complete the season sweep as Sonoma State picked up the, 72-68 victory Saturday night, January 20 in the Wolves' Den. CSUEB defeated the Seawolves, 77-66 in Pioneer Gymnasium to begin the 2018 year.
 
East Bay moves to 8-12 on the season with a 4-10 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action as they suffered their fourth consecutive loss.
 
CSUEB outplayed the Seawolves in several areas of the game. The Pioneers held the rebounding advantage, 31-28 while scoring 11 points off 11 Sonoma State turnovers. East Bay outscored Sonoma State, 28-22 in points within the painted area.
 
Despite the unfavorable outcome, the Pioneers had strong performances from several players. Senior center Kyle Frakes (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) had his second double double in three games with 15 points and 10 rebounds on 7-for-13 shooting from the floor. Frakes has now scored in double figures in three consecutive outings.
 
Senior guard Drew Bender (Phoenix, Ariz.) compiled a game high 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field. Bender added five rebounds and two assists on 32 minutes on the court. Junior guard Juwan Anderson (Oakland, Calif.) tallied 17 points while connecting on 4-for-7 shot from three-point land. Anderson finished 6-for-11 from the field with a rebound, a steal and an assists in 28 minutes.
 
East Bay struggled to find their shot during the contest as they only knocked down 36.8% (7-for-19) of their shot from three-point range. The Pioneers completed the game shooting 44.8% (26-for-58) from the field after a 50% (14-for-28) second half shooting mark.
 
However, CSUEB got off to a hot start to begin the second half as they claimed their biggest lead of four points midway through the second half. But a 9-0 run by the Seawolves put them ahead for good as they would never trail again in the contest.
 
Both squads finished dead even in bench production with 13 points. Sophomore Jordan Balser (Auburn, Calif.) led the Pioneer reserves with seven points and two assists on 3-for-4 shooting in 22 minutes of play.
 
Deiondre Bird (Portland, Ore.) dished out a career best four assists for East Bay while grabbing five rebounds and scoring two points in 21 minutes.
 
The Pioneers will host Cal Poly Pomona on January 26 and Cal State San Bernardino on January 27 in Pioneer Gymnasium for their next matchups.