BOX SCORE

Cal St. East Bay 76, CAL ST. MONTEREY BAY 61 FINAL BOX SCORE

SCOREBOARD  1  2  OT  FINAL Cal St. Monterey Bay (2-4, 0-3 CCAA)  28  33  61 Cal St. East Bay (4-4, 2-1 CCAA)  32  44  76

TOP PERFORMERS

OTTERS No. STAT No. PIONEERS Ryan Nitz 26 Points 28 Gabe Kindred Kris Gallop 8 Rebounds 6 Kyle Frakes Alex Fertig 4 Assists 3 Ryan Hebebrand Gabe Kindred

HAYWARD, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team took its cold shooting streak on the road Saturday night, struggling from the floor, from the line and from 3-point range in a 76-61 loss to Cal State East Bay in Pioneer Gym.

CSUMB (2-4, 0-3 CCAA) had been shooting 46 percent from long range on the road this season, but they cooled off considerably in this game.
The Otters shot just 27 percent from the floor, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, in the first half but somehow managed to stay within four at 32-28 at halftime. 

But East Bay was red-hot from the line, converting 31-of-32 of its free throw opportunities, including all 22 in the second half as the Pioneers extended their lead into double digits early in the second half. In the meantime, CSUMB's shooting numbers went even further south before making three of its final four from the field to push its game total to just over 30 percent, but still by far a season low of 30.2 percent.

The Otters also shot a season low 3-of-17 (17.6 percent) from 3-point range and converted just 62.5 percent (20-of-32) from the line.

"We defended well enough to win the game, we really did," says CSUMB Head Coach Rob Bishop (@Coach_RBishop). "We executed the game plan, but we couldn't score. We shot 19-of-63. You're not beating anybody when you shoot 19-of-63."

The Otters got a season-high 26 points from Ryan Nitz (Rancho Cucamonga/Chaffey College), the fifth time in six games the junior swingman has led the team in scoring. Nitz also chipped in five steals, becoming the first Otter to record five steals in a game since Derrick Anderson swiped five at San Francisco State on Jan. 12, 2012.

Sophomore guard Alex Fertig (Fresno/Buchanan HS) also reached double figures for the sixth time this season, finishing with 13 points.

Gabe Kindred went 16-of-16 from the line to lead Cal State East Bay (4-4, 2-1) with 28 points.

CSUMB and East Bay will conclude their home-and-home series Saturday, Dec. 21 in The Kelp Bed. Tip-off will be a 7:30 p.m. as the nightcap of men's/women's doubleheader action.