Men’s basketball tied their laces and showed out for their exhibition game against Hope International on Nov. 2 in the CU Arena. For their first competition of the season, the Golden Eagles clawed their way to victory clutching their first win, 66-60 over the Royals. This exhibition match, while not counting toward regular season stats, helped polish up the team and set the standard for the start of the regular season.

With the turn of the season, came a flock of new Golden Eagles to the nest to cheer on this year. With only five returning athletes on the court, men’s basketball might’ve uncovered some newfound strengths. “We already have an amazing culture throughout the entire team,” said sophomore stud, Charlie Dalton. “We have a different sort of energy and passion about us this year, and you can tell everyone genuinely wants to see their teammate succeed and will do  whatever it takes to get the win.”

Graduate student Jayce Catchings has already made his mark on the court as he lead the team against HIU with 18 points and nine rebounds. “Our camaraderie on this team is special,” said Catchings. “On and off the court our relationships with on another are great which helps when we face adversity to know that we are family and got each other's backs out there.”

Against HIU, the Golden Eagles were down 27-31 at the half and did what they needed to overcome the Royals. Junior Jackson Tucker said, “This game really tested our toughness, even though we were down in the first half. We did a good job of rallying together and being able to finish the game on a win.”

“Our first competition was never going to be perfect ... we did a great job at just going out and competing as hard as we could,” said Dalton. “We will get back into the gym and continue to push each other during practice, as well as finalizing some of our offensive and defensive schemes to prepare us for a big weekend ahead.”

The Golden Eagles have a keen eye on success this season and are determined to put in the work necessary to tally some victories this winter. Catchings said, “We have big goals in mind and in order to do that, we have to make the decision to come in and get better every day. If we keep doing that and playing the right way, I like our chances against anybody.”

The Golden Eagles will face Cal State LA on the road today, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. The San Marcos Cougars will then enter the Eagles nest on Sat., Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. for the Golden Eagle’s home opener.

For all things men’s basketball, visit cuigoldeneagles.com. Don’t forget to follow @cuimbasketball and @cuigoldeneagles on Instagram and keep an eye out for these Golden Eagles in your feed. Dalton said, “It’s going to be a fun season.” So you won’t want to miss a second of it.

Tags: Alexander Carr

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