TURLOCK, Calif. — Stan State recognized Daniel Ameyaw, Jason Cibull, Javon Johnson, Tahjae Ordonio and Jordan Smith in a pregame ceremony celebrating their dedication and contributions to the Warrior men's basketball program, but the celebration turned bittersweet as the Warriors fell 66-64 to Cal State Los Angeles on Senior Day inside Fitzpatrick Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors (12-14, 8-12 CCAA) led 40-33 at halftime and held the advantage in the final minute, but Cal State Los Angeles (8-18, 7-13 CCAA) made the final plays to escape with the conference win.

First Half

Stan State shot the ball efficiently in the opening 20 minutes, connecting on 7-of-12 from three-point range and 45.2 percent overall to build a seven-point halftime cushion.

Malachi Johnson paced the early scoring, while Lloyd French knocked down a pair of three-pointers to keep the offense flowing. Donjae Lindsey provided a spark off the bench as the Warriors built their largest lead of the half.

Defensively, Stan State limited Cal State Los Angeles to 38.7 percent shooting in the first half and controlled the tempo heading into the break.

Second Half

Cal State Los Angeles responded after intermission, shooting 48.1 percent in the second half and attacking the paint to chip away at the Warrior lead.

The contest featured five lead changes over the final stretch. Stan State regained a one-point edge with 22 seconds remaining on a Donovan Vickers layup, but Cal State Los Angeles answered with a go-ahead jumper with six seconds left.

After a late foul sequence in the closing seconds, Cal State Los Angeles converted at the free-throw line to secure the 66-64 victory.

Stan State shot 37.0 percent in the second half and finished 24-for-58 (41.4 percent) from the field and 8-for-19 (42.1 percent) from three-point range.

Warrior Notables

• Malachi Johnson led Stan State with 12 points.
• Lloyd French added 11 points and dished out a team-high four assists.
• Donjae Lindsey paced the Warrior bench with seven points.
• Daniel Ameyaw grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and now has 555 career rebounds, ranking fourth all-time in Stan State program history.
• The Warriors held a 25-8 advantage in bench scoring.

CCAA Standings Update

With Saturday's result, Stan State sits eighth in the CCAA standings at 8-12 in conference play and 12-14 overall. The current top eight teams in the standings are No. 2 Cal State East Bay (20-0), Cal State Dominguez Hills (16-4), Cal State Monterey Bay (11-9), Cal State San Bernardino (11-9), Cal Poly Humboldt (11-9), Cal Poly Pomona (10-10), Cal State San Marcos (10-10) and Stan State (8-12).

The top six teams qualify for the CCAA Basketball Championship Tournament, scheduled for March 5-8 in Pomona, Calif. With two games remaining, Stan State remains in the hunt for a conference tournament berth heading into the final stretch.

Up Next

Stan State hits the road for its final two regular-season games, beginning Thursday, Feb. 26 at No. 2 Cal State East Bay. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, Calif.

The Warriors close the regular season Saturday, Feb. 28 with a 3:00 p.m. matchup at San Francisco State inside SFFCU Gymnasium at Don Nasser Family Plaza in San Francisco, Calif.

Both games will be streamed live on FloCollege with live stats available.