LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - On Thursday, February 23rd, the Sonoma State men's basketball team shot their way to a decisive 14-point victory over Cal State LA, clinching their spot in the 2023 CCAA Tournament. The Seawolves will see postseason action for the first time since 2017 where they won 20 games on the season and represented the #3 seed in the conference tournament. They would also qualify for the NCAA West Regional, representing their most recent NCAA tournament appearance as well.
Head coach
Rich Shayewitz had his group ready to play as they came out firing from beyond the arc. SSU would hit five straight three's under the 10-minute mark which would be part of a momentous 10-0 run, giving them a 14-point lead late in the first half.
Jaylen Wells,
Pierce Rexford,
Austin Fadal, and
Nick Medeiros would each record a three during that stretch as the team scored in bunches in the first half.
Rexford would have the hot hand from beyond the arc and connect on another three ball with just under a minute remaining, giving the Seawolves a 15-point lead at the break, their largest of the half.
An 11-5 run to start the second half with buckets from center
Dillon Iyawe and several other SSU players, would build their lead to as many as 22 points. Another three ball from Rexford just under the 10-minute mark would silence the crowd and give Sonoma State their largest lead of the game at 27 points.
The Seawolves left no doubt for their postseason fate as a win would have guaranteed them a spot in the conference tournament, and a win is exactly what they would get in dominant fashion. SSU would close out the game 70-56 with three players in double figures and some fantastic outside shooting. The team's 47% from three and 9 made three pointers were both good for second highest marks on the season. Their seeding in the tournament is still unknown but they will be represented down in Turlock as they qualify for postseason action for the first time since 2017.
Jaylen Wells continues his MVP like campaign with 18 points and 11 rebounds, his 9th double-double of the season. Rexford finished with 16 points and a team high 3 three pointers made.
Austin Fadal also got himself into double figures for the first time since February 4th, finishing with 10 points on 50% shooting.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Sonoma State improves to 12-15 overall and 11-10 in conference play as their win over the Golden Eagles guarantees their spot in the 2023 CCAA Tournament. They will finish out the regular season against Cal State San Marcos on Saturday at 3:00 PM. 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
