ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The #15 Central Washington University men's basketball team was defeated by the #14 Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes Friday evening by a score of 76-59 in their first match in the CCAA-GNAC Crossover.

Quoting Head Coach Brandon Rinta
"San Bernardino consistently has one of the better defensive teams in the west region. We struggled to take care of the basketball and make shots versus them tonight. The guys kept fighting and we had some good stretches. We just needed to play better versus a team like that."

Notable Stats

• Cavin Holden and Calvin Sisk led the team in points with 12 total each.
• Sisk also led the team in blocks with three and had a strong field goal percentage shooting 71.4 percent from the field.
• Garrett Anderson led the team in rebounds (five) and steals (three).
• Evan Oliver led the Coyotes with 21 overall points.
• Charlie Henderson led the Coyotes in rebounds (seven), steals (three), and blocks (two).

First Half

• CSUSB shot out of the gates with an 11-2 run to get the early lead. Oliver recorded six of the 11 first points for the Coyotes.
• Central struggled at first to challenge the Coyotes' lead but began to build a rhythm about halfway through the first half and trailed 22-21.
• The 'Cats were making free throws to score, but CSUSB was earning jump shots and three-pointers to regain momentum and rebuild its lead.
• CWU made strong efforts to stay in the game, but the Coyotes closed the half with a couple more buckets to go into the locker room leading 34-26.

Second Half

• The Wildcats began the second half with a strong attempt at evening the score, going on an 11-5 run to trail 39-37.
• CSUSB returned the favor with a 6-2 run to keep the lead out of immediate reach.
• Central showed perseverance as they kept the score within four points, but the Coyotes caught a stride and scored 10 unanswered points to lead 60-46.
• The 'Cats couldn't find many opportunities from the field in the final 10 minutes but were drawing fouls and got points from free throws.
• The Coyotes kept their offense running and finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field versus CWU's 38.5 percent, as CSUSB took the game 76-59.

Up Next
The Wildcats play in their second match of the CCAA-GNAC Crossover on Sunday, Nov 10 against the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters. Tip-off from Nicholson Arena is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.