Three Pirates scored in double-digits as the Southwestern University men defeated Cal State East Bay at home in Georgetown, TX by a score of 72-66.
Southwestern scored 15 unanswered points to jump to a 15-4 lead with 12:36 left in the first half. The Pirates then built their lead as high as 12 in the first half on a Matt Caplan (Houston, TX/University of Kansas) layup with 5:50 on the clock. SU took a 39-28 lead in to the locker room at the half.
In the second half, the Pirates held their largest lead of the game, 13, just 1:29 in to the half. The Pioneers closed the lead throughout the half and tied the game at 62-62 with 4:03 remaining. SU's lead was 68-66 after Ross Hayes (Houston, TX/Clements HS) hit one of two free throws and then Mike Powell (Houston, TX/Episcopal HS) sank a pair from the charity stripe for a four point lead with 17 seconds left. A technical foul on the CSUEB bench put Powell at the line for two more free throws with 12 seconds left and he sank both to ice the game with a six point Pirate lead.
Powell scored a team-high 17 points on 6-11 shooting and pulled down five rebounds. The senior was 4-5 from the free throw line and 1-2 from beyond the three-point line. Caplan totaled 12 points for the Pirates and was 5-8 from the floor.
Hayes, a sophomore, ended the night with 11 points and five rebounds. he also drained 5-6 at the charity stripe. Sophomore Zach Bergstrom (La Vernia, TX/La Vernia HS) led the team with six rebounds and scored nine points.
The Pirates shot 44.9 percent (22-49) while holding CSUEB to 40 percent (22-55). The Pioneers held the edge in rebounds, 37-35 while the Pirates forced 17 turnovers and only committed 13.
Southwestern hosts Carthage College on Tuesday (Dec. 18) in Georgetown at 8:00 p.m.
