POMONA, CALIF. – On Saturday, January 21st, the Sonoma State men's basketball team fought their way back from a massive 21-point deficit in the first half and even took a one-point lead with under four to play in the second half. Cal Poly Pomona and the Seawolves would trade buckets down the stretch but several offensive rebounds for the Broncos would allow for some key second chance buckets to retake the lead. 

Head coach Rich Shayewitz and his defense would force a stop though and call a timeout with 11 seconds left, giving them a chance to win the game down just a point. A missed three-point attempt and a Cal Poly Pomona rebound on the ensuing possession would seal the game and give the Broncos the late two-point victory. 

FIRST HALF SSU 30-44 CPP:

The Broncos would have the upper hand early, going 5-for-6 to start the game on an 11-2 run. Buckets from Jaylen Wells and Dillon Iyawe would help slow the momentum, but the Broncos had the stroke early and poured it on for much of the first half. 

A 13-5 run from Pomona would quickly jump the lead up to 17 points midway through the first half. Under the five-minute mark, a 7-0 run would extend the lead to 21 points, the largest of the game. The Seawolves would shoot a solid 46% from the field and cut into Pomona's lead, but 6 more made field goals for the Broncos would allow them to shoot nearly 60% from the field and 47% from three, giving them a 14-point lead at the half.     

FINAL SSU 55-57 CPP:

After weathering the storm and making some early shots to start the second half, SSU would finally get some momentum and go on an 11-2 run near the ten-minute mark to cut the lead all the way down to just five points. A huge three ball from Julian Bryant would make it 45-50 with plenty on the clock for the Seawolves.

Under five minutes to play, the conference's leading scorer would give the Seawolves their first lead of the game with a made layup and then knocking down two huge free throws to give SSU a 54-53 lead. The Broncos would steal a pair of huge offensive rebounds in the following possessions leading to three points and a two-point lead. Shayewitz and his group would play some solid defense and force missed shots, but the Broncos attacked the glass and were able to create extra possessions, proving the difference maker at the end. 

Two offensive boards and then a drawn foul would put CPP at the line, but a split pair of free throws would make it just a two-point game. After an SSU timeout, Shayewitz would draw up a great off ball screen play and an over-the-top pass to Iyawe would give him a layup inside but not before a foul, sending him to the line for two. Iyawe would split the free throws to make it a one-point game but with 38 seconds left, the Seawolves could play defense and get another chance to take the lead. 

With solid rotational defense, SSU would force a stop and Bryant would come down with the rebound, bringing it up the floor and calling a timeout to draw up a play with 11 seconds. Out of the timeout, a kicked pass to the corner would give Julian Bryant a three-ball attempt but it would come off the back rim and the Broncos would grab the rebound to seal the game with under a second remaining. 

A slow scoring second half from both sides would benefit Sonoma State and help them erase a 21-point deficit, but the Broncos were able to escape with a 57-55 victory after forcing a missed three-point attempt with seconds remaining. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

The Seawolves would hold Cal Poly Pomona to just 13 points in the second half, good for a season low defensively. The broncos made just 4 field goals in the second half but SSU would only make 6 of their own and go just 1-for-7 from three-point range. 

SSU would outscore the Broncos 18-8 from the free throw line but a 21-point deficit in the first half and some crucial offensive rebounds in the final few possessions would prove to be the difference maker in the end. Sonoma State's bench also produced just 3 points compared to 10 bench points from the Broncos. A solid defensive night for SSU would just fall short as Pomona took the game 57-55, giving the Seawolves their second straight loss on the road trip.   

Sophomore forward Jaylen Wells would once again lead all players in scoring, finishing with 25 points and a team high 8 rebounds. Austin Fadal would go 4-of-8 from the field good for 10 points. Dillon Iyawe and Julian Bryant would combine for 15 points and Iyawe would dominate the glass, recording a season high 12 rebounds in the contest. 

LOOK AHEAD: 

Sonoma State falls to 8-10 overall and 7-5 in CCAA play after falling to 15th ranked San Bernardino and then Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday. The Seawolves will return to the Wolves' Den next week, where they own a 5-4 record, to take on Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State on Thursday and Saturday. Live stats, stream, and ticket links can all be found at sonomaseawolves.com on the men's basketball schedule page. As always you can stream the game LIVE on the CCAA Network. 

Be sure to follow your Seawolves on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get all the latest SSU athletics updates and information. Sonoma State athletics also has launched a new fan app in partnership with From Now On. Download the free app today in both the Apple and Google Play stores by searching Sonoma State Seawolves in the app store. @SonomaSeawolves | #NomaNation