Game 30
CSUMB (16-13) vs CSU San Bernardino (19-9)
Saturday, Mar. 7 at 7:30 PM

Radio: KRXA (540 AM)
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Photo Gallery: Semifinal

Game Notes






OPENING TIP:
The Otters will take on Cal State San Bernardino in the CCAA Finals on Saturday, Mar. 7 at Coussoulis Arena.  In just its third year of eligibility for NCAA Division II postseason play, the CSUMB men's basketball team will be making the school's first CCAA final appearance.

SCOUTING THE COYOTES:
Cal State San Bernardino (19-9, 15-5 CCAA) has won 11 of its last 13 games, falling to Cal Poly Pomona (73-71 OT) and UC San Diego (69-63) on the road. San Francisco State is the only CCAA school to defeat the Coyotes on their own court, a 63-55 decision on Jan. 23.  Players to watch: Brandon Brown (20.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 37 blocks), Devin Montgomery (14.7 ppg, 81 assists), DuBois Williams (8.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg).

PREVIOUS MATCHUP:
The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team fell, 85-77, to visiting Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Otter Sports Center. Senior #Dante Green# led the Otters with 19 points, shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Senior #Joe Mitchell# connected on his first 3-pointer of the season and finished with 16 points, while recording a team-high six rebounds and five assists. The Coyotes took 39-28 lead after an 11-0 run, giving them a 44-38 advantage at the break. Junior #Trevor Ray#'s back-to-back 3-pointers closed the gap to 66-63 with 9:51 remaining. After a Coyote basket, senior #Jose Sanchez# connected a three to make it 68-66.  A layup by Mitchell tied the game at 68-68. Senior #Steve Monreal#'s two free throws gave the Otters their first lead of the second half, 70-68 at 6:52. Both teams traded leads for the next four minutes before the Coyotes pulled away on seven straight points in the remaining two minutes. The Otters outrebounded CSUSB, 27-26. The Coyotes were led by Michael Frazier with 27 points, shooting 77.7 percent (7-for-9) from beyond the arc.

OTTERS BREAK INTO NATIONAL STATISTICS:
(as of 03/01/09)
CSUMB finds itself ranked 68th in the nation in free throw percentage (71.7) and 127th in scoring offense (72.7). Individually, senior #Steve Monreal# is in the national top 100 in two categories: 13th in free throw percentage with 108-for-123 in 25 games (88.4) and 78th in assists per game (4.3).  Senior #Joe Mitchell# is ranked 34th after averaging 9.0 rebounds per game.

AGAINST CAL POLY POMONA (CCAA SEMIFINALS):
Senior guard #Steve Monreal# scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds to help Cal State Monterey Bay to a 54-49 overtime victory over top-seeded Cal Poly Pomona in a semifinal game of the 2009 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball Tournament Friday at Coussoulis Arena in San Bernardino. The Otters (16-13), who entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed, advance to Saturday's championship game where they will face Cal State San Bernardino. Cal State Monterey Bay is just in its second year as a full-fledged member of the CCAA after joining the conference in 2007. CCAA Most Valuable Player Larry Gordon led Cal Poly Pomona (20-7) with 17 points, six rebounds and seven steals. Senior #Jose Sanchez# scored six of his eight points in the overtime period for the Otters. Senior forward #Joe Mitchell# was a force on the boards for Cal State Monterey Bay as he collected a game-high 14 rebounds and added eight points. The second half featured six lead changes and three ties as no team led by more than four points during the final 20 minutes of regulation. The Otters twice held four-point leads, but needed a lay-up by Monreal with :21 remaining to force overtime. Both teams shot below 35 percent from the field as Cal State Monterey Bay connected on 33.9 percent of its field goals while Cal Poly Pomona managed to convert just 33.3 percent of its shots.

MITCHELL, MONREAL EARN ALL-CCAA HONORS:
The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team had two players selected to all-conference teams, it was announced on Wednesday, March 6, by the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) office.  Senior #Joe Mitchell# was named first team All-CCAA, while senior #Steve Monreal# earned second-team all-conference honors. Mitchell earns his second all-conference nod after averaging 10.8 points and 8.9 rebounds.  In the CCAA final regular season statistic standings, he finished second in rebounds and field goal percentage (56.7 percent). Mitchell will finish his career as CSUMB's men's basketball all-time leader in points (965), rebounds (750) and steals (90). A four-year player from Oakland, Mitchell led the Otters with nine double-doubles on the year. With a total of 243 rebounds, Mitchell also set the program's all-time single season rebounding mark. Monreal takes home his first All-CCAA selection after leading the Otters in scoring at 15.1 points per game this season.  Nationally, Monreal has moved up to a 13th ranking with a 88.4 free throw percentage. He is second in the CCAA in free throws, while ranking third in steals (1.8 per game) and assists (4.4 per game).

MITCHELL NAMED WILSON/CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Senior #Joe Mitchell#, a 6-foot-4 senior from Oakland, Calif. averaged 15.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and connected on 52.9 percent of his field goal attempts as the Otters split a pair of road games at Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills. During an 80-70 loss at Cal State L.A., Mitchell scored 17 points and totaled a career-high 19 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. He followed that effort with 13 rebounds and five rebounds during a 76-72 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills that helped keep the Otters within a game of first place in the CCAA. A four-year player for the Otters, this is Mitchell's first time being named Wilson CCAA Player of the Week.  

MAKING IT REAL:
Senior #Steve Monreal# has emerged as CSUMB's top free throw shooter, by accumulating an impressive 89.0 percentage making (129-for-145) from the charity stripe. Monreal began the season with a 14-for-14 showing at the free throw line against Alaska-Fairbanks on Nov. 14,
2008.

RECORD BREAKING SEASON:
On Thursday, Feb. 26, senior #Joe Mitchell# claimed another career record at CSUMB by passing D'Shon Cannon as the all-time leading scorer title. Mitchell holds the following CSUMB career records: points (978), field goals made (374), rebounds (770), steals (90) and games played (106).

HOME SWEET HOME:
The Otters opened the 2008-09 season undefeated at home with eight victories, the best start in school team history.

CCAA LEADERS:
(Overall statistics as of 03/02/2009)

#Steve Monreal# - 3rd in points (15.1 per game); 2nd free throw percentage (88.4 percent), 3rd in assists (4.3 per game); 3rd in steals (1.8 per game), 4th in 3-point field goals made (53).

#Joe Mitchell# - 2nd in total rebounds (243), 2nd in rebounding (9.0 per game); 1st in offensive
rebounds (2.7 per game), 2nd in defensive boards (6.3 per game), 2nd in fi eld goal percentage (57.1 percent), 10th in blocked shots (14), 17th in points (11.0 per game).

#Dante Green# - 6th in field goal percentage (53.6 percent), 14th in rebounding (5.0 per game); 13th in offensive boards (1.7 per game); 15th in defensive boards (3.3 per game), 25th in points (9.3 per game).

#Jose Sanchez# - 26th in points (9.2 per game).