HAYWARD, Calif. - For the second straight game, Cal State East Bay men's basketball has come up two points short in CCAA losses inside Pioneer Gymnasium, falling 63-61 to Sonoma State on Thursday. 
 

GAME SUMMARY

The Pioneers battled fiercely throughout the game, keeping pace with the Seawolves in a tightly contested affair. Although a 3-point play from Teiano Hardee brought the Pioneers within two points with 23 seconds remaining in the first half, the half ended with Sonoma State holding a slim 26-24 lead, setting the stage for an intense second half.

Key moments in the game included a strong push by the Pioneers in the final minutes. Trailing by 10 points with just over five minutes remaining, Cal State East Bay mounted a comeback. A layup by Payden White started a run of nine unanswered points to cut the deficit to a point, trailing 59-58 at the 1:23 mark. Sonoma State got the next four points back to follow, but in response, East Bay come back within a possession following three separate free throws. With four seconds left, the Seawolves could have closed out the game with a pair of free throws, but missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Beril Kabamba rebounded for one more opportunity for East Bay. However, the Pioneers were unable to score a tying or winning basket in the closing seconds and lost 63-61. 
 

NOTABLE STATS

• Beril Kabamba led the charge for Cal State East Bay, scoring a team-high 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line. Kabamba also contributed significantly on the boards, pulling down a team-best six rebounds.
• Payden White and Tyree Campbell provided solid support for the Pioneers, scoring 14 and 13 points respectively.
• Campbell's defensive efforts were particularly noteworthy, as he recorded three steals during the game.
• Cal State East Bay outrebounded Sonoma State 36-32.
• However, the Seawolves' superior shooting proved to be the difference-maker. Sonoma State shot an impressive 49.0 percent from the field compared to the Pioneers' 38.1 percent.

RECORDS

Cal State East Bay: 4-8, 2-4 CCAA
Sonoma State: 6-5, 2-3 CCAA
 

UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY

The Pioneers will look to bounce back from Saturday's narrow defeat when they host Cal State Monterey Bay in their next CCAA game. The matchup is scheduled for Thursday, January 9, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California.