Box Score MONTEREY, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team's four-game winning streak ended following a 68-57 loss to Cal State Monterey Bay on Tuesday night. The Pioneers (10-14, 7-11 CCAA) could not find their shooting touch, while the Otters had the hot hand, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and knocking down five first-half three pointers to earn the season sweep over East Bay. 

“We didn't show up as a team, ready to compete,” Pioneer Head Coach Suzy Barcomb said. “Regardless of having to change venues and starting late, we were just not present at all. I would have anticipated us battling much harder and with more heart. Very disappointing. This was not the same team tonight that had won four straight.”

Cassie Coble led East Bay with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and a 3-for-4 performance from the free-throw line. Freshman Micah Walker joined Coble in double figures with 11 points and added five rebounds for the Pioneers. Marlene MacMillan posted her eighth double-digit rebound game in the last nine, leading all player with 12 boards and chipping in eight points. Carly Bettencourt also posted eight points, hitting a pair of threes off the bench, while Lauren Lucchesi and Brianna Terrance each contributed seven points.

“Micah and Cassie had pretty solid games,” Barcomb said.

Cal State Monterey Bay had three players score in double figures, led by Stefanie Corgel and Shonetta Crain-Williams, who each scored 12 points. Brandi Stephens added 11 points and Britnee Lewis and Brittani Jefferson each added 10 points, to help the Otters score 25 points off the bench. Jenna Bandy led the CSUMB rebounding efforts with seven boards.

The Pioneers shot just 29.3 percent from the field and went 4-for-13 from three-point range. East Bay held the advantage on the glass, out-rebounding the Otters, 38-33, and shot 76 percent from the charity stripe. On the other end, Cal State Monterey Bay shot 47.1 percent from the field, including a 5-for-11 performance from long range in the first half. The Otters also knocked down 82.4 percent of their foul shots. 

“Monterey Bay was very physical, ran their offenses well and found open shooters,” Barcomb said.

The Pioneers built a four-point lead to open the game, but the Otters stormed back with a 15-4 run that put them up 17-10 with 11:39 to play before the half. East Bay answered with a Walker three-pointer to cut the lead back to four, but Monterey Bay regained a seven-point advantage with a three of its own. The Pioneers were unfazed, however, coming back with a 6-1 run that cut the lead to just two points. The run saw Terrance hit a pair of free throws, Coble put in a layup and Lucchesi drain a jumper to cut the Otter lead to 23-21 with 7:24 left.

Cal State Monterey Bay took over from there, however, holding East Bay without a point for the next six minutes and sinking five free throws to score 16 unanswered points and take a 39-21 lead with less than a minute remaining. Though a pair of free throws from Lucchesi cut the lead to 16, Stephens capped the half with a layup for the Otters to give them a 41-23 advantage at the break.

The Pioneers opened the second half with a MacMillan bucket that cut the Monterey Bay lead to 16, but the Otters continued to answer every East Bay basket and led by 15, 47-32, with 13:24 to play. The Pioneers then managed a three-point run to cut the lead to 12 for the first time since the 3:53 point in the first half. The Otters responded with six straight, however, to push the lead back to 18 midway through the half. The Pioneers, who went to the free-throw line 15 times in the second half, used five makes at the charity stripe and Walker jumper to cut the lead to 13 twice over the next five minutes before the Otters went on a 6-0 run to take their largest lead of the game, 61-42, with 5:10 remaining.

East Bay battled back, pulling within 11 thanks to a pair of threes from Bettencourt, free throws from Coble and a bucket from MacMillan to trail 66-55. The push was too little, too late, though, as the Otters held onto the 11-point lead with less than a minute left to pick up the win and snap the Pioneer winning streak at four games.

Cal State East Bay returns home this weekend for the final homestand of the season, when it plays host to Cal State San Bernardino and No. 1 UC San Diego. The Pioneers and Coyotes are set to get underway on Friday, while the top-ranked Tritons come to town for Senior Night at Pioneer Gym on Saturday, with both games scheduled for 5:30 p.m.