HAYWARD, Calif. — Winning on the road in the CCAA is always tough, but the Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team no doubt feels it let a road win slip away Saturday night as a late run allowed Cal State East Bay to escape with a 77–74 victory in Pioneer Gym.

CSUMB got 19 points from Evan Zeller (Mission Viejo HS), who played in foul trouble all night before fouling with five minutes left. His absence hurt even more late, when the Otters missed three free throws in the final 77 seconds. Zeller leads the CCAA in free–throw percentage, entering the game at 91 percent.

The Otters struggled in the first half, falling behind by as many as 12 points before rallying to within 40–35 at the break. They traded leads with East Bay early in the second half until they threatened to take control by turning a 4–point deficit into a 59–53 lead with possession with 8:41 remaining.

But free throw shooting reared its ugly head for the first time in the contest when the Otters missed 3–of–4 with a chance to expand their lead. The Pioneers took full advantage, going 4–of–4 from the stripe during a lightning quick 14–1 run that turned CSUMB's 61–55 lead into a 71–62 hole.
The Otters fought back, to give themselves a chance, but the late missed free throws sealed their fate.

In addition to Zeller, Daye Turner (Compton/Centennial HS) came off the bench to reach double figures for the first time as an Otter, finishing with 14 points. Alex Fertig (Fresno/Buchanan HS) added 11 points while Greg Anderson (Murietta/Palomar College) pulled down a team–leading seven rebounds.

Jacari Whitfield, who came into the game averaging just 6.0 points per game, led East Bay with 22 points, two off his career high.

The Otters and Pioneers will run it back next Saturday in The Kelp Bed at 3 p.m. Prior to that, the Otters will host Great Northwest Conference foe Northwest Nazarene University Thursday at 7 p.m.