ELLENSBURG, Wash. - California State University San Bernardino men's basketball remained unbeaten with a 79-70 road victory over Central Washington on Saturday afternoon at Nicholson Arena.
With the win, the Coyotes improve to 2-0 overall on the young season.
CSUSB jumped ahead 5-2 early, but Central Washington answered with an 8-0 run to take a 10-5 lead. The Coyotes regained control behind juniors Hassan Dorman and Chris Harris and fifth-year Trey Booker-Lowery, building a 16-9 advantage midway through the opening half. Central Washington then used an 11-0 run to move in front 20-18 with 5:45 remaining.
Harris tied the game with a second-chance layup, then scored again in transition, while Dorman and sophomore Zion Paleo followed with free throws during an 8-0 CSUSB response. The Wildcats trimmed the deficit to two late, but junior Aidan Fowler converted two free throws, and Dorman added another at the buzzer to give the Coyotes a 33-28 halftime lead.
Dorman led CSUSB with 12 first-half points, while Harris added eight. The Coyotes shot 10-of-26 from the field during the opening 20 minutes and held Central Washington to 8-of-28 shooting.
Fowler opened the second half with a three-pointer, Harris scored in transition, and Dorman added a fast-break layup as CSUSB extended its lead to 48-36 with 15:03 remaining. Central Washington responded with an 8-0 run to pull within 49-52 with 9:35 left, but Booker-Lowery stopped the run with a jumper and added another basket shortly afterward.
The Wildcats cut the deficit to three at 53-56, but Booker-Lowery answered with a driving layup and a free throw. He later scored on a second-chance jumper and assisted Harris on an alley-oop dunk, helping the Coyotes regain a 69-60 advantage with 2:36 remaining. Booker-Lowery added a dunk, senior Devin Curtis finished a fast-break dunk, and Dorman converted two late free throws to secure the victory.
CSUSB shot 19-of-29 from the field in the second half, including 4-of-9 from three-point range. Booker-Lowery scored 15 points after halftime, while Harris added nine, and Dorman contributed eight.
Dorman and Booker-Lowery finished the contest with 20 points apiece. Dorman added six rebounds and five assists, while Booker-Lowery shot 8-of-11 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Harris finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, while Curtis contributed seven rebounds and two blocks.
The Coyotes shot 52.7 percent overall, scored 42 points in the paint, forced 21 turnovers, and held a 45-27 advantage on the glass.
The Coyotes will close the Central Washington D2 Tip-Off Classic at 11 a.m. Sunday against Montana State Billings at Nicholson Arena.
