SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball opened their Winter Break with a huge, 83-76 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) victory over San Francisco State Monday night, December 18 at The Swamp.
 
East Bay captured the first win of the two-game Bay Bridge series versus SF State as CSUEB improves to 9-2 on the season with a 5-1 mark in league play.
 
The tough Pioneer defense held the home team Gators to only 39.4% (26-for-66), including 22.2% (6-for-27) from three-point range, both season-low's. The hot shooting Pioneers were also the second squad to score 80 or more points on the defensive-minded Gators as they shot 45.8% (27-for-59) accuracy from the field.  
 
In all five East Bay student-athletes scored in double figures while shooting 80% (24-for-30) from the charity stripe.
 
Senior point guard Juwan Anderson (Oakland, Calif.) paced the Pioneers with a game-high 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Anderson dished out a team-best five assists to go along with three rebounds while knocking down all four of his foul shots. It was his second game of the season with at 20 points, four assists and three made three-point field goals.
 
Cal State East Bay who sits in the top three in the CCAA in rebounding corralled 42 boards to just 30 from SF State. The Pioneers scored 14 second-chance points as they finished the contest with 11 offensive rebounds. The Gators did however outscore the Pioneers 28-24 in points inside the painted area.
 
Senior wing Evan Wardlow (Lake View Terrance, Calif.) notched his fourth consecutive double digit rebounding outing with a game-high 10 rebounds. Wardlow acquired his first double-double of the season as he chipped in 15 points. Five of his rebounds come on the offensive end giving the Pioneers an extra possession.
 
Sophomore Nai Carlisle (West Lafayette, Ind.) tallied 13 points, five rebounds and an assists through 27 minutes of action. Carlisle went 5-for-7 from the free throw line while scoring 12 of his 13 points after the halftime intermission. He has scored in double digits in eight of the Pioneers 10 games.
 
Cal State East Bay nine points off of nine forced turnovers from SF State. The Pioneers also received 17 points from their reserve players. Junior Trent Warren (Melbourne, Australia) scored 10 points and a rebound. Warren went a impressive 5-for-5 from the foul line in 15 minutes off the bench.
 
Ant Navarrete (San Leandro, Calif.) added 12 points, three rebounds and an assist on 6-for-10 shooting from the floor on 23 minutes of action.
 
The Pioneers will be off for a week before continuing their CCAA road trip with a match against rival Monterey Bay at the Kelp Bed on Sunday afternoon, December 30.