BOX SCORE

ROB BISHOP POSTGAME COMMENTS


SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball gave a 45–minute symposium on tenacity in the face of adversity Saturday night. Short–handed and physically out–matched, the Otters mustered a whatever–it–takes–to–win performance to come from behind late and stun perennial power Cal State San Bernardino 72–66 in overtime Saturday night in The Kelp Bed.

The win all but eliminates San Bernardino (13–10, 12–8 CCAA) from conference title contention. The Coyotes have already secured a spot in the CCAA Tournament.

Junior guard Brandon Ward (Riverside/Woodcrest HS) scored the biggest of his game–high 23 points on the final CSUMB possession of regulation, nailing a three–pointer from the right wing to tie the game at 58–58 and force overtime. He then made a dazzling move between a pair of Coyote defenders to make a layup and draw a foul, giving CSUMB the lead for good at 67–64 with just over a minute remaining in overtime.
Ward's heroics began a few minutes before his big three–pointer. He scored the final eight Otter points in regulation, bringing CSUMB back from a six–point deficit in the final 2:31.

CSUMB came out on fire, with sophomore James Thomas (Castro Valley/Bishop O'Dowd) nailing three early three–pointers to get the home finale night crowd into the game early as the Otters raced to a quick 16–8 lead. But the Coyotes chipped away at the lead until Tre Brewer's three–pointer at the buzzer sent the teams to the lockerroom tied at 27–27.

Brewer's trey was part of a 14–1 Coyote run around halftime that seemed to put San Bernardino in control, 35–28, five minutes into the second half.

But that's as far as the Otters would let them stray. CSUMB kept battling back, though it couldn't get over the hump until Ward took over with the game on the line. He drove hard to the basket to create a three–point play that made the score 56–55 San Bernardino with 26 ticks remaining. After a pair of Hakeem Nicks free throws made it a three–point game again, Ward raced down court, came off a ball screen and calmly drilled the shot that forced overtime.

Kwame Alexander made one of two from the line on the first Coyote possession of the extra period, to give San Bernardino its final lead before a Kevin Loustale (Chico HS/Shasta College) put back erased that deficit 29 seconds later, pointing the way to ultimate victory.

In addition to Ward, Thomas scored 15 points and Loustale grabbed 10 rebounds for CSUMB. Theron Laudermill scored 22 points for San Bernardino while Alexander pulled down 13 rebounds.

CSUMB will close its 2011–12 season on the road, playing at Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus Feb. 23–24.