ROHNERT PARK, Calif. --- Cal State Monterey Bay tightened its grasp on a postseason berth Saturday night, defeating Sonoma State 83-79 with a short bench, in numbers and size.
Guard #Jose Sanchez# pulled down 11 boards and scored 20 points to lead the Otters. Point guard #DShon Cannon# hit 7 of 9 shots, scored 17 points, made five assists and three steals. #Steve Monreal# (6 for 12) scored 19 points.
CSUMB trailed most of the game, but never by much. The Otters were down 41-37 at halftime 57-50 with 11:30 left. Cannon gave CSUMB its first lead at 72-71 and made a three-point play with 2:47 to tie it at 75.
CSUMB was missing its top rebounder and third-leading scorer, #Joe Mitchell# (10.2 boards, 14 points), and top scorer and third-best rebounder #Augie Johnston# (16.3, 3.6), due to injury. That left just six eligible Otters when their only non-guard, center #Jake Kernodle#, fouled out in the final minute.
Otters trailed just 77-76 and had the ball with 1:19 left. With 56 seconds left, Sanchez hit a pull-up jumper from about eight feet away to put the Otters ahead 78-77. On the ensuing possession, Kernodle committed his fifth foul, sending Steve Cornett to the line. But Cornett missed the front end of one-and-one, the Otters got the rebound and the Seawolves sent Cannon to the line.
Cannon, with 32 seconds left, hit one of two. That gave Sonoma a chance, but Sonoma's Jay Flores would miss his layup attempt and Sanchez came down with the rebound. Sanchez was immediately fouled and he hit both his free throws to put the Otters ahead four with 20 seconds left. After a quick score by Sonoma, Monreal scored the final points of the game from the free throw line.
"We're seventh (in the conference) right now and we're just trying to move up in the standings,” said #Steve Becker#, who started the game in place of Johnston. "We needed people to step up and Steve Monreal and #Juston Willis# (12 points) did just that."
Johnston is expected back next week. Mitchell is expected back before the end of the regular season. The Otters remain on the road next week with games against CSU Dominguez Hills and CSU Los Angeles.
Official Basketball Box Score
Official Basketball Box Score
Cal State Monterey Bay vs Sonoma State
02/16/08 7:30 pm at Rohnert Park, CA - Seawolf Gym
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VISITORS: Cal State Monterey Bay 9-13, 8-8 CCAA
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 WILLIS, Juston...... * 5-10 0-1 2-3 0 4 4 2 12 2 1 0 0 40-
10 CANNON, D'Shon...... * 7-9 0-1 3-5 1 2 3 2 17 5 4 0 3 40
11 BECKER, Stephen..... * 2-4 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 2 6 2 5 0 0 27
23 KERNODLE, Jacob..... * 3-3 0-0 1-2 0 2 2 5 7 0 0 0 0 22
31 SANCHEZ, Jose....... * 5-11 2-6 8-9 3 8 11 3 20 0 3 0 0 34
02 HOUSTON, Ron........ 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 6
21 MONREAL, Steven..... 6-12 1-3 6-7 3 2 5 2 19 1 5 0 4 31
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 29-50 5-15 20-26 9 19 28 17 83 10 18 1 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-27 51.9% 2nd Half: 15-23 65.2% Game: 58.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7 14.3% 2nd Half: 4-8 50.0% Game: 33.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 8-10 80.0% 2nd Half: 12-16 75.0% Game: 76.9% 5
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HOME TEAM: Sonoma State 9-13, 5-11 CCAA
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
01 WASHINGTON, Ben..... * 1-3 1-2 1-2 0 0 0 2 4 5 1 1 0 26
03 KOCHEVAR, Andrew.... * 5-9 3-7 1-2 0 1 1 1 14 3 1 0 3 39
20 CORNETT, Steve...... * 4-4 0-0 2-7 1 7 8 3 10 6 5 0 0 30
32 NELSON, Mike........ * 9-12 7-10 0-2 1 0 1 4 25 2 4 0 1 26
35 SAUNDERS, Blake..... * 5-11 0-0 4-6 3 2 5 4 14 1 2 0 1 27
10 FLORES, Jay......... 2-5 2-4 0-1 2 2 4 3 6 4 0 0 1 27
12 NOBLE, Doni......... 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 4
21 WRIGHT, Duane....... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 9
24 SMITH, Tyler........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
33 GARNER, Keith....... 2-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 4 4 0 4 0 0 9
51 SHANDERA, Kyle...... 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 29-50 13-23 8-21 10 13 23 23 79 22 20 1 6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-26 53.8% 2nd Half: 15-24 62.5% Game: 58.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 8-14 57.1% 2nd Half: 5-9 55.6% Game: 56.5% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-12 41.7% 2nd Half: 3-9 33.3% Game: 38.1% 5
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Officials: Candelaria, Brokenbrough, Pierce
Technical fouls: Cal State Monterey Bay-TEAM. Sonoma State-None.
Attendance: 1077
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Cal State Monterey Bay........ 37 46 - 83
Sonoma State.................. 41 38 - 79
