Box Score HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team started its season on a high note with a thrilling 63-62 victory over visiting Notre Dame de Namur Sunday afternoon. It's the fourth straight opening-day win for the Pioneers (1-0, 0-0 CCAA), who will play the rest of their non-conference schedule on the road.

Newcomer Gabe Kindred hit a free throw with 0.8 seconds remaining to clinch to win for East Bay after drawing a foul on an offensive rebound. Kindred was just 3-for-10 from the field in his team debut, but still finished with 10 points and seven rebounds as one of three Pioneers to score in double figures.

Senior forward Jurrell Turner led the way for East Bay on this day with 18 points and seven boards on 5-of-6 shooting. Turner added one block and attempted more than half of the team's free throws, going 8-for-12.

It was an extremely tight contest, as both teams made 22 field goals and 14 free throws, but it wasn't a stellar afternoon shooting for either squad (not surprising with both schools seeing game action for the first time this year). The Pioneers shot 39.3 percent from the field, 60.9 percent from the line, and 35.7 percent from behind the arc. They committed 10 turnovers and forced 13, and managed to win despite being out-rebounded 44 to 36.

“Notre Dame came in and made us work,” said head coach Will Biggs after the game. “I was really happy with the way we competed. We kept competing and kept coming back each time we got down.”

Reigning CCAA Newcomer of the Year Jacari Whitfield knocked down a pull-up jumper in the lane to start off the scoring for the Pioneers in 2012-13. He finished with 10 points, but had a tough time finding a rhythm, shooting 4-for-12 from the field and 2-for-7 from three-point range.

As a team, East Bay struggled shooting early in the first half and missed six of their first seven three-pointers. Nonetheless, the intensity was evident and the Pioneers were tenacious on defense. The perimeter defenders in particular excelled with ball denial, frustrating the Argonauts in the early going.

The Argonauts didn't stay dormant long, though, and went on an 11-0 run to take a 16-8 lead midway through the first half behind the hot shooting of guard Simon Enciso, who had eight points at the break.

The Pioneers finally caught fire late in the first half. With six minutes remaining, redshirt freshman Ota Okungbowa slashed across the lane and laid in his first two points as a Pioneer, cutting the Argonaut lead to two in the process. After a turnover, Whitfield knocked down a three to give East Bay a 21-20 lead.

The Pioneer frontcourt accounting for the lion's share of the first half offense, as Turner scored 10 points to lead all scorers and Nick Marshall added six. Turner also led the team with four rebounds in the first half. Defensively, East Bay struggled to contain NDNU forward Micah Dunhour, who was just 2-for-10 from the field, but still led the Argonauts with nine points and nine boards in the first half.

The Pioneers took a narrow 32-30 lead into halftime. East Bay headed to the break out-shooting NDNU 39.4 percent (13-for-33) to 28.6 percent (8-for-28). The Pioneers stayed consistent and shot 39.1 percent (9-for-23) in the second half, while the Argonauts upped their shooting to 46.7 percent (14-for-30).

The Argonauts attempted 15 free throws in the opening frame to just six for the Pioneers. That trend reversed in the second half, as East Bay shot 17 times from the line to the Argonauts' three. Turner, the only Pioneer to get to the line consistently, attempted the team's first 10 foul shots of the game. 12 minutes remained in the second half before someone besides Turner shot a free throw for East Bay.

Newcomer Ryan Hebebrand began to assert his presence down low in the second half, giving the Pioneers several extra chances on the offensive boards. Hebebrand finished with six rebounds in 15 minutes, and also added eight points on 3-of-3 shooting.

The shooting evened out in the second half, as NDNU was able to find more open passing lanes and convert transition baskets. They went on a quick 9-3 run to take regain the lead and took a 52-48 advantage into the under-10 media timeout. It was a back-and-forth contest the rest of the way.

Whitfield converted a running floater in traffic with 2:12 left to give the Pioneers a four-point lead and force an Argonaut timeout. Emotions were running hot after Dunhour committed a hard foul on Okungbowa, and NDNU responded by getting a turnover and two quick baskets to tie the game with less than a minute to play.

With the score tied 62-62, the Pioneers got a crucial stop and Coach Biggs called a timeout with eight second left to set up the final shot. After Whitfield missed a long three-pointer, Kindred came flying in, grabbed the offensive rebound and threw up an off-balance shot, drawing a foul with 0.8 seconds remaining in the clock. The junior transfer from Oakland knocked down one of two free throws, and NDNU's desperation shot fell short as the buzzer sounded to give the Pioneers a 63-32 win on opening day.

“We improved a lot as the game went on,” added Biggs. “There are certainly lots of things we can still build on and areas where we can improve, but it's nice to come away with a win.”

Marshall finished with eight points and four rebounds, and Okungbowa added four points, four boards, and a team-high three steals. Senior Vincent Capellino notched five points, three rebounds, and three assists as a starter at forward.

For NDNU, Dunhour led all players with 20 points and 13 rebounds on 7-for-18 shooting. Enciso and Wesley White were the other two Argonauts in double figures, scoring 13 points apiece. White added eight rebounds, including a game-high five offensive boards.

The Pioneers are back in action on Tuesday night when they travel across the bridge to take on the University of San Francisco. The Dons will be the only Division I opponent on East Bay's schedule this year. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from War Memorial Gym.

Cal State East Bay Athletics was able to raise $310 this weekend for the “Help a Hero” program, benefiting the Veterans of Foreign Wars Operation Uplink, which provides free calling cards for deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members to make call home. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Veteran's Day fundraising effort!