MONTEREY BAY, Calif. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team fell to Cal State San Bernardino, 88-74 in the final game of the Otter Classic.
 
The 'Cats (1-1) got out to a slow start in the opening minutes. Their first six points all came from David Thompson, but Central found themselves behind 6-9. Xavier Smith was the second Wildcat on the score sheet with a layup to make it 9-8. An 8-0 run from the 'Yotes (2-0) pushed their lead to 17-9.
 
All four of Thompson's baskets came from the left wing. Stafford picked up seven points with a pair of treys and a free throw.
 
San Bernardino ran their lead to 46-29 at the end of the first half after leading for 18:05. Brandon Knapper led the 'Yotes with 16 first half points. He went 6-for-10 from the field and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.
 
Central struggled to find a rhythm offensively shooting just 29 percent (9-31) from the floor in the opening stanza. Comparatively, the Coyotes converted at a clip of 57.6 percent. From beyond the arc, the 'Yotes were 5-for-12 while Central was 4-for-18. The 'Cats last lead came at 16:27.
 
The Crimson and Black outperformed the 'Yotes in certain categories and recorded four steals, one block, eight points off turnovers, and five second chance points. San Bernardino outscored CWU in the paint, 22-4.
 
After the restart for the second half, the Wildcats found a groove on offense. They outscored the Coyotes 45-42. The Crimson and Black shot 44.12 percent from the field and 11-for-11 at the charity stripe.
 
Central continued making the most of the Coyotes' mistakes, adding 13 points off turnovers in the second stanza. Central's bench chipped in with a total of 23 points for the contest, while San Bernardino's reserves managed just 12 points.
 
Micah Pollard scored seven consecutive points for Central midway through the second half. He finished with seven points. Matt Poquette led the Crimson and Black with 16 points. He finished 6-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-4 at the free throw line. He also led CWU with seven rebounds. Poquette added two blocks, two steals, and one assist to his day. Both Smith and Thompson accumulated 14 points.
 
Knapper finished with 33 points for San Bernardino. He shot 13-for-19, including a 6-for-10 mark from deep. Eddie Davis led the 'Yotes with 11 rebounds. San Bernardino finished with a shooting percentage of 58.7.
 
Central Washington is back on the road next weekend. They travel north of the border to Burnaby, British Columbia. There are a trio of games slated for the 'Cats. They open playing host Simon Fraser University in a non-conference matchup on Friday. Saturday, they take on Langara College before closing the weekend against Capilano.