The Otter Sports Center was packed Thursday night in a heavily promoted game against San Francisco State. Free pizza was provided by Student Housing and Residential Life, as well as a prize raffle at each half-time for sweaters, blankets, a $150 New Balance gift card and a Roku TV.
At each halftime, another set of prizes was given out in the “Erik’s Deli: Swish and Win” competition. Contestants were challenged to make a layup, free throw, three-pointer and half-court shot, winning increasing prizes up to free sandwiches for a year. Nobody made the half-court shot, but one student did make a three-pointer to win a $50 Erik’s gift card.
The event attracted a large crowd, with over 398 attendees checking in at the front desk by 9:30, filling stands on both sides of the Kelp Bed almost to the brim. Small cheer sections emerged throughout.
Megan Clarke, a third-year environmental science student and business studies student Gianni Juarez had never attended a game at the Kelp Bed before. But only after the first game, they planned to start. “We’re gonna start [attending games]!” said Clarke.
The newly formed Foggy Otter Pep Band also was present, taking up residence in the corner of the stands to play along with the game.
Cal State Monterey Bay basketball fans suffered two heartbreaking defeats against the opposing Gators, with two close losses in overtime.
The women’s team lost by only one point after a close game finishing in double overtime. The Otters took control of the lead at the start of the second period and held it until a nail-biting finish brought them to a tie at the end of the fourth. Senior Ella Doherty led the charge for the Otters with 14 points.
“I thought it was the first time our girls put in 50 minutes of hard work, and that put us in a position where we had opportunities to win, unfortunately, we fell short at the end. We’re gonna carry that on to our match in East Bay this Saturday,” said Kaylin Randhawa, assistant coach of Otter Women’s Basketball.
The men’s team suffered a defeat in only a single overtime after an equally close game. The Otters struggled to pull the trigger in the first half, repeatedly letting the shot clock run down even in the final minute of the first period. Things appeared to be looking up in the second half following an electric shooting performance by sophomore guard Jaden Tengen, who rained in 25 points including a dagger from deep beyond the 3-point line which appeared to bring the game to a close in its final minutes.
The basketball season is just getting started; check out the game schedule on the Otter Athletics website to cheer on your Otters all season long.