Box Score
SAN BERNARDINO--- Kirby Gardner led the way for the No. 15 ranked Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes (21-3, 18-2 CCAA) in their 75-57 CCAA home victory over the visiting SF State Gators. Gardner was one of four Coyotes to score in double digits as they held their guests to just 35% shooting from the field including 33% in the second half.
"We competed and scrapped with a very tough Cal State San Bernardino team tonight," said SF State head coach
Paul Trevor. "I am very proud of our guys and we need to get ready for a big week in our final two games of the regular season." "We need to get healthy as we look to get into the CCAA play-offs."
Besides Gardner's 16 points, the Coyotes received double digit performances from Juan Martinez (14 points), Taylor Statham (10 points) and Lacy Haddock (10 points). Cal State San Bernardino forced 18 turnovers and recorded 13 steals while the hosts stayed tied for first place in the CCAA with Cal Poly Pomona.
With their loss to the Coyotes and coupled with UC San Diego's 76-58 loss to Sonoma State, the Gators are still tied for sixth in the CCAA. The top six teams at the end of the regular season after March 1 will receive a berth to the 2013-14 CCAA Basketball Championships that start on March 6 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
Derrick Brown led SF State (12-11, 10-10 CCAA) with 13 points off the bench while
Udun Osakue added 10 points as did
Nefi Perdomo.
SF State did out-rebound its hosts, 44-35, led by
Brandon Tatum's 11 rebounds. The visitors also were 12-for-14 from the charity stripe with four going two-for-two in Perdomo, Osakue, Brown and Will Overton, Jr.
Perdomo's three, eight minutes into the game, gave the Gators an 11-9 lead.
The Coyotes outscored their guests 20-15 in the next nine minutes to take a 31-24 lead.
Taylor Statham's three capped a 9-3 run by Cal State San Bernardino, who is currently ranked number one in the recent NCAA Division II West Regional rankings, to give the Coyotes a 40-27 lead heading into the 15-minute halftime.
The Coyotes continued their run early in the new half as they took a 50-27 lead in the first six minutes of the second stanza.
SF State chipped away at the Coyote lead and cut it to 63-48 on a
Derrick Brown lay-up with 6:14 on the clock, but the hosts increased their lead to 67-48 as they went on for the 75-57 victory.
The Gators will now return to The Swamp for their final two games of the regular season beginning with this Friday, February 28 at 7:30pm, when they host Cal State East Bay. One week from this evening, the Gators will host Cal State Monterey Bay in their regular season home finale also at 7:30pm at The Swamp. Prior the game, the Gators will recognize their seniors.
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