Box Score SAN BERNARDINO – A match-up between a team with postseason aspirations and the other with a look toward next year turned into a game for the ages at Coussoulis Arena on Friday night.

Down 20 points with nearly the entire second half ahead of them, the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes turned aside a night of frustration with an unfathomable comeback in an 84-82 overtime victory against Cal State Monterey Bay in CCAA basketball Friday night.

Not only was the victory monumental in terms of maintaining an eye toward the postseason, but the win for CSUSB, now 16-6 overall and 14-5 in the CCAA, was No. 500 in the history of the program.

Junior guard Lacy Haddock led five Coyotes in double figures with 24 points as CSUSB rallied after trailing nearly the entire game. Senior Kwame Alexander pumped in 18 points before fouling out early in overtime and sophomore Juan Martinez followed with 14.

Senior Johnny Bell had 13 – all in the second half on 6-of-6 shooting and sophomore Taylor Statham added 10 with a massive 3-pointer late in OT.

 CSUSB struggled in the first half as the Otters (8-18, 4-15) grabbed control in the first half and took a 47-29 lead at the break. Otters guard Brandon Ward was the mainstay in the opening 20 minutes, hitting 12 points as CSUMB held the Coyotes to just 11-of-34 shooting.

After the break, the Otters extended their largest lead to 20 with 19:26 left and it seemed that a Coyote victory was not in the offing.

However, the Coyotes cut the deficit to nine – 52-43 – on a layup from Alexander with 12:52 left. CSUMB then answered right back and extended its lead to 16 twice, the last on Ward's layup that put CSUMB up 62-46 with 9:44 remaining.

But over the next seven minutes, the Coyotes went on a torrid 22-7 run with Bell and Alexander each scoring six in that run and Martinez adding five and CSUSB closed to within a point, 69-68, on Martinez' driving layup with 2:28 left.

The game was tied two more times until Ward hit a 3-point play after coming out of a CSUMB timeout with 41 seconds left.

The Coyotes had the ball and Haddock drove inside, hit the layup and went to the line. He hit the free throw to tie the game at 75-75 with 34 seconds left.

The Otters played for the last shot and Alex Fertig sent up a high-arching 5-footer that hit the rim, bounced up and just fell away at the horn.

In extended play, the Otters built two four-point leads, but the Coyotes were not going to be denied.

Down 82-79 with 1:56 left, Statham worked free to get in the corner and nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game with one minute left.

That's when Joshua Gouch stepped up after being scoreless. He stole the ball from Kevin Loustale and drove in for a layup with 28 seconds left that gave the Coyotes their first lead of the game since the 19:18 mark of the first half.

Ward had a chance to give his team a tie, but he missed a pair of free throws and the Coyotes held possession.

Bell was fouled with three seconds left, but he missed both giving the Otters a chance to tie or go ahead with a 3. But Fertig's 3-pointer was off and the Coyotes had their improbable win.

The Coyotes were without two of their stars. Junior guard Brian Goins did not play due to illness and his status for tomorrow night's game against Cal State East Bay will be a game-time decision.

Sophomore guard Jamari Simmons did not dress for the game. Coach Jeff Oliver said afterward that Simmons was off for personal reasons, but that he is still a member of the team and is welcome to return.