Story by Oscar Daniel Jimenez Iniguez and Max Guerrera
The California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) men’s basketball team lost to visiting team California Polytechnic Pomona 76-67 in a lopsided yet thrilling game on Dec. 1.
The Otters started the game off hot, leading the first period with a 19-8 start. Cal Poly overcame that 11-point deficit due to their willingness to attack the paint and hold a solid defensive front. The Broncos continued to score and never looked back, as they held onto their lead for the remainder of the game, not allowing the Otters to come back.
The second period was a struggle for the Otters. In the period’s first five minutes, the Otters were down 14 points. They eventually cut the Bronco’s lead and trailed by four points in the last five minutes. Despite this, the Otter’s efforts were futile as they could not hold the Broncos.
Otter forward Joe Wall (#55) scored 20 points, marking his fourth 20-plus point game in the six games he has played at CSUMB. Guard Jailen Nelson (#10), the Otters second leading scorer of the night, scored 12 points. Forward Jared Williams (#4) scored 10 points, while center Charles Johnston (#1) scored 9 points.
The CSUMB men’s basketball following game against Cal State San Bernardino was suspended with 1 minute, 32 seconds remaining in the first half due to a leak in the gym on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Otters are down 36-42 and the rescheduled second half has not yet been announced.
San Bernardino is ranked third in the CCAA division with the best team statistics in both offense and defense, while CSUMB currently stands at 11th place. While the Otters shouldn’t expect a comfortable win, the lead switched multiple times throughout the game so the outcome is debatable.