Pioneers open season with overtime victory over Academy of Art
- November 16, 2010
HAYWARD, Calif. - The Pioneer men's basketball team came away with a 68-65 overtime win over Academy of Art University in the season opener for both schools on Nov. 16.
As a team, the Pioneers shot 37 percent from the floor and held a 52-27 advantage on the boards. Mark Samuels led four Pioneer players in double figures with 20 points including seven in the overtime period. Samuels pulled down eight rebounds and dished out four assists.
Roshun Wynne added 14 points and completed a double-double with 10 rebounds. Will Freedman also scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, going 2-for-4 from the three point area. Donavon Jackson came off the bench to score 10 points and grab seven rebounds.
Keith Davis led the Academy of Art with a game-high 25 points including three three-pointers. Will Overton came off the bench to score 11 points.
"We played solid defense and did a great job on the boards," CSUEB Head Coach Will Biggs said. "Our kids kept scrapping against a talented Academy of Art team."
East Bay led 33-25 at halftime and increased its advantage to 42-31 on a three-pointer by Wynne with 15:05 remaining. The Urban Knights tied the game at 55 with 4:07 left on a three-point basket by Davis.
Academy of Art went ahead 61-57 with 1:23 remaining in regulation. Freedman made a layup with 1:07 left to cut the Urban Knights lead to 61-51. Samuels converted a layup with 12 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
Samuels took over in the extra period, scoring all seven Pioneer points including two clutch free throws with 30 seconds left to secure the victory.
"Our kids did a nice job making plays when we were down by four points late in the game," Biggs said. "Mark Samuels had a tremendous floor game and was a real leader in the overtime period."
Fans from Cal State East Bay and Academy of Art both came out in full force, as the two teams played in front of 400 strong. Coach Biggs praised the Pioneer fans for their support in the victory.
"The crowd, especially our student body, had a lot of energy throughout the game," Biggs said. "They really contributed to our win."
Cal State East Bay will travel to Seattle, Wash., to play in the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic on November 19-20.