SEASIDE, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team was down by as many as 18 points with five minutes to go in the first half before whittling that deficit down to two by halftime, and blitzed Cal State Monterey Bay after the interval to come away with a 93-75 triumph in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's basketball action Saturday afternoon inside The Kelp Bed.
With its first league success of the new season, the Broncos improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the CCAA. CSUMB dropped to an even 3-3 overall and 0-1 following its conference opener.
William Christmas hit for 20-plus points for a third-consecutive contest, pouring in a game- and season-high 28 on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. He connected on two of his five three-point attempts, and six of seven free throws, adding game bests of eight rebounds, four assists and two steals (tied), as well as one blocked shot.
Riley Schaefer had a stellar night in his own right, matching his career high of 20 points. He shot 9-of-14 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the stripe.
Cal Poly Pomona closed the first half on a 22-6 run over the last five minutes. Senior Nikhil Peters played a large role with successive three-pointers to make it 39-35.
Trailing 42-40 after the first 20 minutes, CPP outscored the Otters 53-33 over the final 20. It was not coincidentally Christmas and Schaefer with back-to-back buckets to open the second half, both assisted by a third fourth-year senior in Justin Young. A Damian Wilson three-pointer gave the hosts one final lead at 45-44, but Schaefer answered immediately with another basket, and the Broncos never trailed again.
CSUMB did pull even once more at 55-55, but Cal Poly Pomona scored the next seven points on a Schaefer jumper, Mason Dickerson layup, and BJ Standley triple. The Otters were never within a possession from there, with the margin growing to as many as 20 points with 1:04 to go through a layup by Sione Lauese, Jr.
It was ultimately a remarkable 36-point turnaround, from the first-half mountain to climb, to the final score.
Standley (14) and Peters (11) also finished in double figures for the Broncos, who shot a sizzling 62.5 percent (20-32) from the field in that second half, while holding Cal State Monterey Bay to just 30 percent (9-30). CPP held a huge advantage in the paint with a 44-14 scoring discrepancy.
Wilson led the way for the Otters with 24 points. Charlie Tooley added 12 off the bench, all from long range.
Cal Poly Pomona remains in road action but dips out of conference activity for the CSUSB Thanksgiving Classic in the holiday week ahead. The Broncos meet the University of Saint Katherine on Friday. Tip-off at Coussoulis Arena in San Bernardino is set for 5 p.m. CPP fans can watch the game on the CCAA Network.
Bronco Bits: Cal Poly Pomona began with the same starting lineup for the fifth game in a row to open the season, of William Christmas, Nikhil Peters, Riley Schaefer, Phoenix Shackelford and Justin Young … The Broncos are in full Kamansky Watch mode, as head coach Greg Kamansky is now at 397 overall wins and 293 CCAA wins for his 20-year career at CPP … Christmas fell three points shy of his career high of 31, which came in a 83-79 double-overtime home win over Chico State on Dec. 1, 2017 … Schaefer's other 20-point effort came in a 78-71 overtime victory at San Francisco State on Nov. 29, 2018 … CPP has won six straight meetings with the Otters since a 67-65 loss in Pomona on Feb. 11, 2016, and 12 straight in Seaside, or one in each of the last 12 seasons, since a 69-52 defeat on Feb. 1, 2008.
