Box Score SEASIDE---  Cal State Monterey Bay Otters used a second half power surge to key their 78-72 conference victory over the visiting SF State Gators (8-6, 6-5 CCAA) this evening at The Kelp Bed in Seaside.  Ryan Nitz paced the Otters with 17 points as he was one of four players to score in double figures. 
 
"Every day you have to come to play in this conference," said SF State head coach Paul Trevor.  "We need to learn from this loss right away as tomorrow evening is not going to get any easier at East Bay."  "It was nice to have Calvin (Otiono) back, but that was not enough tonight."
 
The Otters (6-8, 4-7 CCAA) held the Gators to just 41% shooting from the field including 36% from three-point land and forced 12 turnovers by their guests. 
 
Besides Nitz's 17 points, Devin Murphy added 13 points for the hosts and Kris Gallop and Evan Zeller each had 11 points. 
 
The first half was evenly played with there being six ties with the last one, 21-21, with 6:04 to go in the half.  The Gators then went on a 9-2 run to take a 30-23 lead capped by a Calvin Otiono trey at the 3:33 mark of the first stanza.
 
The hosts cut the Gator lead to 32-29, but the Gators finished the half outscoring their hosts 5-2 to take a 37-31 lead into the locker room at the half.
 
SF State scored the first four points of the second half to take a 41-31 lead in the first two minutes, but the Otters came right back and outscored their guest 21-5 to take a 52-46 lead at the 9:52 mark.
 
A Will Overton, Jr. jumper cut the deficit to 52-50 with 9:07 to go in the game, but that is the closest the Gators would get as the Otters increased their lead to 69-58 on a three by Zeller with 1:28 on the clock.
 
The Gators made it a game at the end as they cut the deficit to 78-72,but it was a little too late as the Otters held on for the home CCAA win.
 
Overton led the way for the Gators with 24 points, 17 in the first half.  Calvin Otiono added 19 points off the bench and Derrick Brown chipped in 10 points, for SF State who will travel to Hayward, Calif., tomorrow evening for a 7:30pm scheduled game with Cal State East Bay.  The Pioneers defeated Sonoma State 71-69 this evening in Hayward.
 
With the loss, the Gators are in sixth place one game out of third place which is held by Cal State L.A., Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus.  

Box Score