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Chol Deng at Western Oregon
Eddie Bruning/WOU Athletics
69
Winner Cal St. Monterey Bay CSMB 1-0,0-0 CCAA
49
Western Ore. WOU 0-1,0-0 Great Northwest
Winner
Cal St. Monterey Bay CSMB
1-0,0-0 CCAA
69
Final
49
Western Ore. WOU
0-1,0-0 Great Northwest
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Cal St. Monterey Bay CSMB 37 32 69
Western Ore. WOU 22 27 49

Next Game:

vs. Central Washington

11/14/2026 | 6:00 PM

GNAC Network

KMBY 1240 AM

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Full Schedule
Nov. 14 (Sat) / 6:00 PM
vs. Central Washington
History

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Kevin Gilmore (@OtterKevin)

Otters Tame Wolves In Season Opener, 69-49

Chol Deng leads on both ends with 20 points, seven steals

MONMOUTH, Ore. — The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team lifted the lid on its 2026-27 season by matching its biggest season-opening win in NCAA competition with a 69–49 victory over Western Oregon Friday at the Wolves Athletic Center.

The 20-point victory matches the margin in CSUMB's 77–57 win over Central Washington in the same building to open the 2022 season. It was one point better than its 86–67 win over WOU that opened last season in The Kelp Bed.

The Otters won the game with solid play on both ends of the floor. Fifth-year forward Chol Deng led the offense with a career-high 20 points. He also led a defense that posted 17 steals with a career-high seven on his own. Both of those numbers are program records against NCAA competition.

Layups by Cheikh Sow (Theis, Senegal/Idaho State) and Joey Bilello (Littleton, Colo./Thunderridge HS) on CSUMB's first two possession gave the Otter a quick 4–0 lead they would never relinquish. They pushed their lead to 15 points, 37–22, by intermission and to as many as 26 in the second half before settling on the 20-point final margin.

In addition to Deng, sophomore Miki Gacic (Belgrade, Serbia) and Sow both reached double figures with 12 and 11 points respectively. Deng led a balanced effort on the glass with eight rebounds while Gacic pulled down seven and Sow grabbed six.
 

THE GAME WAS STATISTICALLY OVER WHEN… As we do in this space every season, we use the Bill James safe lead formula, to calculate when the game was put out of reach statistically. Friday the game was statistically over when Jeremiah Hunt made a put-back layup with 6:25 remaining to extend CSUMB's lead to 62–36.

FOR OPENERS: The Otters have been treading water recently opening night, winning 9 of their last 18 openers, after Friday's 69–49 win at Western Oregon. Overall, CSUMB is 11–16 on opening night dating back to 1998–99.

FOR (ROAD) OPENERS: The Otters now are 6–14 all-time when opening on the road dating to the 1998–99 season. They are 11–17 when playing their first road game of the season.

FOR OPENERS, BLOWOUT EDITION: CSUMB's 69–49 win over Western Oregon Friday night matched the 77–57 win against Central Washington posted by the 2022-23 Otters for the biggest season-opening win against NCAA competition. In 2012, they beat Pacifica College 104–52 for the all-time record.

WHAT A STEAL, TEAM EDITION: CSUMB's 17 steals in Friday's win at Western Oregon were its sixth-most ever in all games and its most ever against an NCAA opponent. Its previous high against NCAA competition was 15 against Notre Dame de Namur in 2012. Its all-time record is 37 in a rout of Life Bible College on Nov. 7, 1998.

WHAT A STEAL, PLAYER EDITION: Chol Deng's career-high seven steals in Friday's win at Western Oregon were the second-most in a game in Otter history and the most against NCAA competition. Chris Hardy set the all-time record of eight in a win over Bethany College in 1999. Jailen Nelson set the record against NCAA opponents with six against Central Washington in 2022.

LEADERS OF THE RAFT… POINTS: Chol Deng 20; REBOUNDS: Chol Deng 8; ASSISTS: Chol Deng 2; BLOCKS: Jackson Corley/Cheikh Sow 1; STEALS: Chol Deng 7.

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters conclude play at the CCAA/GNAC Crossover by facing Central Washington Saturday for a 6 p.m. tip.



 
GO OTTERS!





 
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Players Mentioned

Joey Bilello

#2 Joey Bilello

F
6' 8"
Junior
Jackson Corley

#5 Jackson Corley

G
6' 3"
Junior
Chol Deng

#10 Chol Deng

G
6' 6"
Senior
Miki Gacic

#24 Miki Gacic

G
6' 3"
Freshman
Jeremiah Hunt

#21 Jeremiah Hunt

G
6' 3"
Freshman
Cheikh Sow

#11 Cheikh Sow

F
6' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Joey Bilello

#2 Joey Bilello

6' 8"
Junior
F
Jackson Corley

#5 Jackson Corley

6' 3"
Junior
G
Chol Deng

#10 Chol Deng

6' 6"
Senior
G
Miki Gacic

#24 Miki Gacic

6' 3"
Freshman
G
Jeremiah Hunt

#21 Jeremiah Hunt

6' 3"
Freshman
G
Cheikh Sow

#11 Cheikh Sow

6' 7"
Senior
F