Alex Fertig scored all 12 of his points after halftime to help the Otters stay close Saturday night.
BOX SCORE
SEASIDE, Calif. — Playing its best game of the four–game homestand, the Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team gave itself a great chance to upend Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday night, but key turnovers down the stretch proved costly in a 65–58 loss in The Kelp Bed.
Trailing by just three with more than two minutes to play, the Otter defense forced three consecutive stops only to see the offense turn the ball over on all three ensuing possessions. Four free throws by Myron Green and Givon Crump in the final 31 seconds eventually sealed CSUMB's fate.
The teams played through five ties and 10 lead changes in a taut first half. Senior guard
Brandon Ward (Riverside/Woodcrest HS) seemed ready to will the Otters to victory with 14 points in the period before foul trouble derailed him for the balance of the game. Freshman guard
Alex Fertig (Fresno/Buchanan HS) picked up the slack, scoring all 12 of his points after intermission to help keep the Otters close.
CSUMB took its final lead at 42-40 on a
Julian Ball (Citrus Heights/Sierra College) three-pointer with 14:29 to play. But a quick 10–1 spurt put the Toros back in front, 50–43. Their lead hovered between three and seven points for the final 13:30 of regulation.
Fertig and Ward were the only Otters to reach double figures. Green and Pierson Williams led four Toros in double figures with 12 points apiece.
CSUMB hits the road for its next four games, beginning with a trip to Arcata to tackle Humboldt State Thursday, Feb. 14. The Otters return home to host Cal State Stanislaus on Feb. 28.
GO OTTERS!
