Cal State men get back on track

By T.J. Berka
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - The first game for the Cal State San Bernardino
men's basketball team at Coussoulis Arena since Nov. 16 wasn't just
significant because it was the first home game in a long time. It
also might have been the game that brought the Coyotes back in range
of their preseason predictions.

The Coyotes have struggled for much of the 2008-09 season but
certainly looked good against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday,
breaking out to a 92-68 win over the Warriors.

"This is a big win and we need to have another big effort (tonight)
against Chico State," Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. "We are still
looking up in the standings, so we got to keep winning games in a row
until we are back on top."

The Coyotes (4-5 overall, 2-1 CCAA) looked more like the previous
versions of Cal State teams that have won CCAA titles, been
nationally ranked and have advanced deep into the Division II
playoffs than it has all year, especially after the midway point of
the first half.

Stanislaus (4-4, 0-3) started off hot, taking a 21-17 with just under
12 minutes left in the first half. Cal State locked the Warriors down
from that point on, finishing the half with a 20-7 run to take the
37-28 lead.

"The two things we have had problems with all year are turnovers and
not playing consistent defense," Oliver said. "In those first 10
minutes, we were going through that same thing. We had five turnovers
in the first five minutes and they got some quick baskets on us. We
did a better job after that."

Brandon Brown ended the half with a bang, going coast-to-coast for an
emphatic right-handed slam dunk as the buzzer sounded. The dunk,
started by a blocked shot by senior point guard Devin Montgomery,
arguably was flushed in the net right after the clock hit zero.

But while his dunk may have been disputed, Brown's impact on Cal
State since his debut in late December. The junior from New Orleans
averaged 20 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game
coming into Friday and was close to maintaining those numbers,
compiling 16 points, 10 rebounds and a blocked shot.

"Brandon brings lots of energy," Cal State junior guard Lawrence
Tyson said. "He's a big presence in the post and really makes an
impact down there offensively and defensively."

Brown was far from the only Coyote that was feeling it though. The
Coyotes scorched the nets in the second half, shooting 55.0 percent
from the floor while outscoring Stanislaus 55-40.

Tyson was one of the Coyotes who felt it in the second half. After
missing the only shot he took in the first 20 minutes, Tyson was 6 of
8 from the field in the second half, including 3 of 5 from 3-point
range. He ended up with 15 points.

Montgomery and DuBois Williams also finished in double figures for
the Coyotes, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively. Williams was one
of three Coyotes to have double-figure rebounds, joining Brown and
Tavaris Gilbert, who led Cal State with 12 boards. Benny Koochoie led
Stanislaus with 15 points.