SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – In one of the wildest finishes Coussoulis Arena has ever seen, the California State University San Bernardino men's basketball team picked up an otherworldly 80-77 win over Cal Poly Humboldt in CCAA action Thursday evening.
With the Coyotes trailing by two, redshirt senior Gavin Davis (Carson, Calif.) hit a mid-range jumper to tie the score at 77-77 and seemingly force overtime with 1.6 seconds left. On the ensuing inbound pass, Coyote freshman Xavier Clinton (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) jumped into the passing lane, saved the ball from going out of bounds, and threw up a prayer that caught nothing but net as the horn sounded to give Cal State San Bernardino a stunning victory.
With the win, the Coyotes improve to 13-13 overall and 10-9 in conference play.
CSUSB set the tone early, shooting 60 percent from the field in the first half and building a 10-point advantage midway through the opening period. Sophomore Pablo Soumare (Dakar, Senegal) sparked the early surge, scoring the Coyotes' first four points and finishing multiple strong takes inside. Clinton added key buckets during the run, including a second-chance jumper that pushed the lead to 8-2.
The Coyotes carried a narrow 39-37 lead into halftime after shooting 18-of-30 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half featured eight lead changes and constant momentum swings. Sophomore Aidan Fowler (San Clemente, Calif.)Â continued his efficient night with timely mid-range jumpers, while Davis attacked the paint and converted multiple second-chance opportunities. Clinton caught fire midway through the half, knocking down a three-pointer to give CSUSB a 66-58 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Humboldt answered with a 10-2 run to even the score at 68-68, setting up a tense final stretch. Fowler finished through contact and Davis added key interior buckets to keep the Coyotes within striking distance.
Clinton led the Coyotes with 19 points, shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. Fowler added 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while Davis finished with 18 points and four rebounds. Soumare contributed 10 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes of action. Freshman Zion Paleo (Diamond Bar, Calif.) flirted with an unconventional double-double, posting nine points and tying a career-high with eight assists.
CSUSB shot an impressive 61.1 percent from the field for the game and scored 40 points in the paint, overcoming Humboldt's 11 three-pointers and 75 percent free-throw shooting.
The Coyotes will look to build on the momentum as they play their Senior Day game against Chico State on Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.
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