Game Highlights

HAYWARD, Calif. -- A 2018-19 season that has been full of highlights for the Cal State East Bay men's basketball team added another to the reel on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers defeated Chico State in overtime by a final score of 80-72. 

It was the first time CSUEB has topped the Wildcats since February of 2011, and it continues what has been a remarkable season so far in Hayward. The Pioneers have now won three straight after sweeping their home stand this week, and they remain unbeaten in Pioneer Gymnasium this season.

It was a particularly special night for East Bay because for the first time during the regular season, they had their entire team together at Pioneer Gym. They were joined on the bench for the first time by junior Ben Wood, who has been undergoing treatment for a rare form of bone cancer throughout the school year. In honor of Ben's fight and to help raise awareness fo osteosarcoma, both coaching staffs wore sneakers  in partnership with Coaches vs. Cancer.

The presence of Wood and freshman Julian Garcia, who is redshirting this season following heart surgery, perhaps gave the Pioneers a lift against a Chico State squad that handed them a 59-45 loss when the teams met in Chico a month ago.

Indeed, the veteran East Bay team showed tremendous fight on the court. A game that matched up two of the top-ranked defenses in the nation turned into an extremely physical contest, with both teams having to work hard for every bucket. The Wildcats only attempted seven free throws the entire contest, while the Pioneers didn't take any until the final minute of overtime when Chico put them at the line intentionally.

The Wildcats boasted a significant size advantage in the front court, and that manifested immediately as Chico's Justin Briggs opened the game by scoring 16 of Chico's first 20 points. But the Pioneers were up to the task, taking care of the ball and using their possessions efficiently. Nai Carlisle, Ant Navarrete, and Evan Wardlow all had hot hands early as the Pioneers battled Chico shot for shot. They went into halftime leading by six.

The Pioneers led for the majority of the second half as well, but the visitors seemed to flip the momentum. Chico caught fire from three-point range, took its first lead with 6:23 left, and led by six points just before the final media timeout.

East Bay responded impressively, locking down on defense and getting stops on seven straight possessions, including the last one of regulation in which Chico didn't even get a shot off. Meanwhile, Navarrete made three huge shots in the paint down the stretch to tie the score at 65-65, sending the teams to an extra period. 

The Wildcats opened overtime with a three-pointer, but it was all Pioneers after that. Juwan Anderson made a pair of tough, driving layups to get within one, then Carlisle buried a three in the corner to put CSUEB ahead. Two possessions later, Anderson's pull-up triple was the dagger to put the Pioneers up seven.

East Bay went 5-for-7 from the floor in overtime and shot an even 50 percent from the field for the game. They also committed just seven turnovers all afternoon in what was one of the team's best offensive performances of the season.

Carlisle finished 3-for-5 from long distance and 7-for-10 overall to score a team-high 18 points. Navarrete added 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting to go along with seven rebounds. 

After a relatively quiet first half, Anderson made a number of huge plays for the Pioneers in the closing minutes. The senior tallied 15 points, dished out eight assists, and notched four steals. Wardlow was the fourth Pioneer in double figures with 13 points and a team-high eight boards. 

John Duff contributed six points and six rebounds along with strong defense off the bench. Fellow redshirt freshman Justin Vigil was impactful as well, scoring six points in just eight minutes.

Next up, the Pioneers hit the road once again, but they have only one game next week. CSUEB will look to sweep the season series with Stanislaus State when the team visits Turlock next Saturday, Jan. 26.