Game Highlights

HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team continued its unprecedented start to the season by earning a dramatic comeback victory over Stanislaus State, 63-59, Thursday night at Pioneer Gym.

The Pioneers are now 11-2 with a 7-1 record in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, easily the program's best start since joining the conference. The victory also keeps them unbeaten at home with a perfect 6-0 mark.

It did not appear to be East Bay's night for much of Thursday's contest. The Warriors quickly jumped out to a 17-6 advantage and led by as many as 12 in the first half. East Bay spent the last 30 minutes of game time chipping away at that deficit, but it was a slow process, as the Pioneers committed an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers and struggled to get shots to fall consistently.

Leading scorer Nai Carlisle took a hard fall early in the game and played just six minutes, which led the Pioneers to rely heavily on Evan Wardlow to carry the offense. Fortunately the senior was up to the task, finishing with a season-high 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting.

Stanislaus opened the game red hot and hit nearly 50 percent of their field goals in the first half, but the Pioneers were able to make some adjustments at the break and the Warriors' shooting percentage regressed to the mean down the stretch. The visitors went just 7-for-28 from the field and managed to score just 18 points after halftime, allowing East Bay to erase its deficit midway through the second half and take its first lead with eight minutes remaining.

Wardlow and Juwan Anderson buried three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to put the Pioneers ahead 60-54 with just over three minutes left. But then a triple and a pair of free throws brought the visitors back within one. With 1:48 remaining, Wardlow drove past the defense and converted an easy layup to make it a three-point game. East Bay then stopped Stanislaus on their final three possessions to clinch the narrow victory.

Junior Trent Warren went 3-for-7 from long distance to finish with 12 points and five rebounds off the bench. Anderson also reached double figures, adding 11 points and six assists. 

In the front court, Patrick Marr and Ant Navarrete scored five each, while John Duff contributed four points. Wardlow added four assists and a team-high seven rebounds to his 21-point effort, playing 39 of the 40 minutes for CSUEB.

Next week, the Pioneers face a tough test with a road trip to Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino. But first, East Bay wraps up its 2018-19 non-conference schedule with a home game this Saturday against West Coast Baptist. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. from Pioneer Gym.