Box Score

    POMONA -- Statistics can lie and Cal State San Bernardino proved it Tuesday night, defeating the 2009 NCAA Division II runnerup Cal Poly Pomona Broncos, 66-58, even though the Coyotes were not the best team shooting field goals. 
    The difference was a 35-20 edge in rebounding and a late surge by CSUSB fueled by Bryan LeDuc, the game's MVP with 25 points and 17 rebounds, and some solid free throw shooting (sinking nine of 10 from the line) in the final two minutes by Corey Caston, Aaron Hill and LeDuc.
     The victory improved the Coyotes to 6-1 in the CCAA and gives them a half-game lead in the California Collegiate Athletic Association over idle Chico State (5-1) while the Broncos slipped to 5-2 in the conference and 7-3 overall. CSUSB improved to 8-3 overall.
     A partisan crowd of 1,302 fans jammed into Kellogg Gym expecting to see the Broncos do what they usually do against San Bernardino, pull out a close game at the end. CSUSB hadn't won in Kellogg Gym since 2003. 
     However, after rallying from an eight-point deficit to trail 29-27 at the half, the Coyotes moved ahead by six points with 6:47 left in the game only to have Pomona outscore them 8-4  and take a 56-54 lead on a three-pointer by Mitchel Anderson with 2:18 left in the game.
     Hill was fouled with 1:54 left and made both free throws to tie the game at 56. Anderson then turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and LeDuc drained a three-pointer from the corner with 1:27 left for a 59-56 Coyote lead. 
     CSUSB's defense forced Pomona to turn the ball over with 47 seconds left on a shot clock violation and Caston was fouled on the inbounds pass and sank both free throws for a 61-56 advantage. Dahir Nasser was fouled by the Coyotes' Devon Davis (his fifth of the game) with 26 seconds left and made both free throws.
     Pomona sent Caston back to the line with 19 seconds left and he made both free throws for a 63-58 advantage.  Austin Swift missed a three-pointer with 12 seconds left and Pomona fouled Hill who made one of two free throws for a six-point advantage.
     LeDuc rebounded a miss by Nasser and was fouled and made both free throws to close out the game.
     The graduate student from Corona (Santiago HS) hit nine of 15 field goals and 10 of his rebounds were on the offensive glass. Davis, the 6-7 senior center, had 12 points on six of nine shooting for the Coyotes to go with five rebounds. Caston finished with 11 points and eight assists. 
    Anderson led Pomona with 14 points followed by Swift with 13 and Nasser with 10.
    Pomona was 20 for 37 from the field (54 percent), nine of 20 from long range (45 percent) and nine of 13 from the foul line (69 percent) but were outpointed by CSUSB, which shot just 40 percent (23 of 57) from the field and was just five of 22 from the three (23 percent). CSUSB did sink 15 of 20 from the foul line (75 percent) including seven of eight in the final 1:54.
     The Coyotes return home  Friday night to host Cal State L.A., currently 5-2 in the CCAA, a game behind the Coyotes in the standings. Tip-off will be at 7:35 p.m.