ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - Following a lengthy 25-day break, the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team came up just short to Sonoma State University, 91-85 in overtime, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) contest Thursday night inside The Wolves' Den.

With the loss, CPP fell to 6-4 overall and 2-4 in the CCAA. Sonoma State snapped a three-game losing streak and moved to 3-12 overall and 3-6 in league play. The Broncos were in action for the first time in 2022, having been idle since Dec. 18 following the holiday period with an entire early-January, three-game home stand getting wiped out by COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

The extremely tight matchup featured 10 tie scores. The 85 points scored and 91 surrendered were both season highs for Cal Poly Pomona.

A pair of Broncos posted double-doubles. Tay Aubry-Thomas was a beast underneath in the absence for the first time this year of senior Tavian Henderson, achieving his first double-double in the green and gold with season highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. The sophomore transfer from Allan Hancock College shot 6-of-9 from the field and added a block. Phoenix Shackelford fell narrowly shy of a triple-double with 10 points, career and game highs of 12 boards and eight assists, and three steals. It was the fifth-year senior's second double-double over the past three games, and just the second of his time in the program. Eight of his rebounds came on the offensive end.

Sonoma State jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead through a pair of Jackie Luong three-pointers around a Jeremy Lillis layup. Dane Erikstrup was fouled following an offensive rebound and feed down low by Shackelford, and made both free throws to put CPP on the board.

The home side would continue its hot start from outside as Jaylen Wells connected on a third triple in four attempts, and Erikstrup countered with all six Bronco points as SSU led 13-6 at the first media timeout.

Coming out of that stoppage, Erikstrup nailed a triple with Shackelford assisting, but Luong answered right away from the left baseline with his third made three already of the contest. Moments later, Shackelford grabbed the offensive board and eventually got it back on a nice feed underneath from backcourt mate BJ Standley for a nifty layup.

The Broncos used the offensive glass again on their next trip down the floor, with Brase Dottin's three-pointer making the deficit four at 18-14. Dottin would provide a second successive triple as Sonoma State clung to an 18-17 edge at the under-12 break.

Back-to-back three-pointers by true freshman Caleb Nelson, from the right and left baselines, respectively, gave CPP its first lead of the game at 27-25 around the eight-minute mark and forced Sonoma State into a timeout. The assists went to Shackelford and Standley, with Standley grabbing a steal before passing to Nelson for the go-ahead basket.

The home side used five makes in a row from the charity stripe to regain a 30-27 edge, with the run extending to seven straight points through a steal and difficult fast-break layup by Wells.

Two layups by Aubry-Thomas around the under-four timeout, with a total of three offensive rebounds from the Los Angeles native, knotted the score up again at 32-32.

The teams headed into the locker rooms at halftime tied once more at 36-36 after CPP answered four straight Seawolf points with another Aubry-Thomas lay-in and a couple of technical free throws from Shackelford. SSU was aided by making 10 of its 13 from the stripe, though the Broncos had nine offensive boards to just one by the hosts.

Both teams got off to a fast start to the second half, as Sonoma State got three-pointers by Michael Smith and Luong around a Luong layup, and CPP answered with a pair of deep hits by Erikstrup. The game remained close, with ties at 44-44, 49-49, 51-51 and 53-53. The Broncos took a 55-53 lead at the under-12 timeout after a Shackelford jumper.

Having carved out the slimmest of three-point cushions at 58-55, Cal Poly Pomona received a baseline triple from Erikstrup to force a Seawolf timeout. On the sequence, Shackelford pulled down two offensive boards before finding Erikstrup open in the left corner.

A Shackelford steal and step-back elbow jumper gave CPP its largest lead of the night at 63-56 after SSU had split a pair of free throws, as the home side needed another timeout with less than eight minutes to go.

Sonoma State notched the next six points, again utilizing the free throw line with the first four of them of the free variety. Yet again, it was level at 64-64 at the final media stoppage, with SSU headed to the line.

Smith missed the front end, and at the other end, Erikstrup drilled a three-pointer from straight away after Standley caught Shackelford's miss and found him, as the Broncos went back up, 67-64. Wells' two free throws were answered by three from the stripe by Erikstrup.

Still up 70-69, Standley came up with a step-back bucket in the lane as the clock went under the one-minute mark, and the Broncos called for time with a narrow lead of 72-69. On the ensuing SSU possession, Simon Ramirez was good for three from the left corner for 72-72.

After rebounding Standley's miss, Shackelford was called for a charge with one second left, bringing on overtime.

The extra session began with another Ramirez triple. Following an empty Bronco possession, Luong laid it up and in after rebounding his own miss from beyond the arc as the home side took command at 77-72.

This time, it was CPP who wouldn't go away, with Standley splitting two free throws and Christopher Mitchell knocking down a three for 77-76. Luong made two more free throws on the other end, however, and Sonoma State held on the rest of the way.

Erikstrup shared the game high with 26 points, producing a new career high for the second game in a row after tallying 24 his previous time out on Dec. 18 at Cal State Dominguez Hills. He shot 8-of-10 from the floor, made a season-high five three-pointers on six tries, and grabbed seven rebounds. Standley had 10 points and season highs of six assists and four steals in his first start of the campaign. Nelson was a fifth Bronco in double digits with his 10 points alongside a season-best five boards.

Luong wound up with 26 points to pace SSU, having entered the day with 25 points for the entire season in 11 appearances off the bench. The College of San Mateo transfer was starting for the first time. Wells had a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, to go with five assists, four steals and a block. Ramirez joined them in double figures with 19 points, 13 of which came over the final two minutes of regulation and overtime.

CPP had season highs of 49 total rebounds and 25 offensive boards, to 37 and just six, respectively, for SSU, which made 30 free throws.

Cal Poly Pomona remains in Northern California and travels even further north to Arcata to take on Humboldt State this Saturday night, Jan. 15. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Lumberjack Arena, site of the six-team CCAA Tournament in March, following the women's game at 5:30 p.m.

All CCAA basketball contests throughout this 2021-22 season are streaming live online via the CCAA Network at www.ccaanetwork.com. Fans may also download the CCAA Network app on your iOS or Android smartphone, tablet, or through web streaming devices such as Amazon Fire, Roku or Apple TV. The CCAA Network has moved to a subscription-based model at just $9.95 per month. Subscribers have access to all CCAA broadcasts, both live and on-demand.

Bronco Bits: Cal Poly Pomona is 423-170 (.713) overall and 311-123 (.717) in CCAA play under 22nd-year head coach and record five-time CCAA Coach of the Year Greg Kamansky ... Kamansky sent out a third different starting five for this season, with seniors Phoenix Shackelford and BJ Standley joined by redshirt freshman Christopher Mitchell and true freshmen Dane Erikstrup and Jaden Winfield ... Standley, who missed the first five games due to injury before coming off the bench in the last four, drew his first start of the year ... It was Standley's 100th collegiate appearance ... Tavian Henderson missed his first game of the season after starting each of the first nine, and in fact the first game of his entire college career, having played in 104 consecutive contests during his two years each at Saint Martin's (65) and CPP (39) ... Shackelford still has not missed a single contest in the green and gold, now at 98 consecutive appearances ... Brase Dottin contributed season highs of three made three-pointers and nine points ... Tay Aubry-Thomas returned to the court after missing his first game on Dec. 18, reaching double figures in scoring for the second time this year and first since the season opener on Nov. 12 ... CPP's previous season highs were 75 points scored and 83 given up ... Both totals tonight were the most since a 95-94 overtime loss at Cal State San Bernardino on Jan. 25, 2020 ... CPP's 13 three-pointers were a season high ... The Broncos are 2-3 away from home and 1-1 in overtime in 2021-22 ... CPP still leads the all-time series, 39-18 ... The Broncos came in with six successive victories over SSU by an average margin of 16.5 points since a 63-56 loss in a CCAA Tournament first-round matchup in Rohnert Park on Feb. 28, 2017, and wins in 15 of the previous 17 meetings ... The Broncos are 18-11 against SSU on the road, with three straight wins there between that 2017 defeat and tonight ... CPP is 31-11 against the Seawolves under Kamansky (14-8 away from home) ... In the CCAA preseason coaches' poll, CPP was picked to place third with one first-place vote, while SSU was favored for 12th ... The sides are scheduled to meet again at Kellogg Arena on Saturday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m. ... Milestone Watch: Shackelford has 975 career points and Standley is at 930 points (581 at Saint Martin's).