It’s been a drama filled season for the Cal State San Bernardino men’s basketball team. The second-seeded Coyotes can’t seem to do anything easy. It was no different on Tuesday as they needed three overtimes to turn back UC San Diego 102-99 in a CCAA Tournament quarterfinal.
Should they have need three overtimes? Probably not. But seventh-seeded San Diego played well and responded each time the Coyotes (19-7) delivered a blow.
It’s a team that is marvelously talented and features the most exciting player in the conference in senior beast Kwame Alexander. Not to mention sharp-shooting guards in Lacy Haddock and Brian Goins who are exciting in their own right. When they’re good, they’re real good. But you can’t help but wonder why they can’t sustain that high level of play for 40 minutes.
The Coyotes were good enough to beat Cal Poly Pomona (25-2), which just one other opponent has done. But they also have two losses to 10-16 Cal State Stanislaus and one to 7-19 Cal State East Bay. And they needed overtime to beat 9-20 Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Coyotes started the week ranked sixth in the West region, two spots ahead of where they need to finish to qualify for the NCAA postseason. They needed at least the quarterfinal win to maintain that position.
Now the Coyotes will advance to the semifinal at 8 p.m. on Friday at Citizen’s Business Bank Arena in Ontario. They will play Chico State, a foe to whom they have lost twice by a combined seven points.
Which team will show up is anyone’s guess!