SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – A clash of unbeaten CCAA opponents unfolded at the Coussoulis Arena on Thursday night, where the Cal State East Bay men's basketball team secured a hard-fought victory, dealing the No. 4 Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team their first loss of the season with a final score of 74-71. The Yotes now stand at 6-1 for the season and 2-1 in conference play.
Leading the charge for the Yotes was
Chris Mitchell, who contributed 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field. Mitchell showcased his versatility by also securing 7 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists. Following closely behind in scoring was
Robby Robinson, achieving his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The game kicked off with an 8-2 run by the Pioneers, but the Yotes swiftly responded with a 14-7 run.
Sedrick Altman punctuated this surge with a three-pointer at the 9:12 mark, propelling the Yotes to a 16-15 lead.
Altman concluded the game with 10 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds, bringing his season total to 95 points while maintaining an impressive average of 13.6 points per game.
Although the Yotes led by as much as six points in the first half, the Pioneers made a run to lead 32-30 with less than a minute in the first half. However, a three-pointer from
Jalen Flanagan with 21 seconds left in the half put the Coyotes ahead 33-32 heading into the break.
The Yotes would not go down quietly, going on a 16-4 run, capped by an
Evan Guillory layup with 47 seconds left, narrowing the Pioneers' lead to a single point at 72-71.
Guillory delivered a flawless performance, going 5-for-5 from the field while also collecting 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Despite having two opportunities to tie the game in the final 20 seconds, the Yotes' luck ran out. Two missed three-pointers sealed the victory for the Pioneers.
Overall, the Yotes maintained a shooting efficiency of 53.8% from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc. However, the defining statistic favoring the Pioneers was their ability to capitalize on turnovers, amassing 20 points compared to the Yotes' 8.
Up Next: The Yotes look to get back to their winning ways this Saturday, Dec. 9 against San Francisco State at 3:00 PM. Catch the game live at the Coussoulis Arena or stream the game on the CCAANetwork.com!
