HAYWARD, Calif. -- After beginning the season in Oregon, the Cal State East Bay women's basketball team plays its 2016-17 home opener on Wednesday evening, as they welcome in Menlo College to Pioneer Gymnasium for a 5:30 p.m. non-conference game. 

This will be the Pioneers' first appearance on their home court since defeating Cal State Monterey Bay, 69-44, on Senior Night last February. That victory was CSUEB's 11th straight at the time, and it wrapped up a share of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season title. 

East Bay will unveil its CCAA championship banners prior to Wednesday's game. But while the community celebrates the program's historic accomplishments last year, the 2016-17 Pioneers are focused on the present, trying to improve every day with the goal of competing at a championship level when February and March roll around.

WEEK IN REVIEW
The Pioneers opened the season with two games last weekend at the Western Oregon/Hampton Inn D2 Shootout. On Saturday they outlasted Saint Martin's, 68-63, as Shanele Stires earned a victory in her head coaching debut. Redshirt sophomore Bri Guillory had a monster performance, pouring in 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting. 

The following afternoon, East Bay fell to the host Wolves, 73-63. They trailed nearly the entire contest despite shooting 46.4 percent from the field, due in part to 17 total turnovers. Senior transfer Shomari Harris was the game's leading scorer, finishing with 23 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Redshirt freshman Morgan Greene notched her first career double-double in the loss with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

PIONEER POINTS
Harris is the leading scorer in the CCAA through the first week of play at 21.5 ppg, after reaching the 20-point mark in each of the first two contests. Guillory is not far behind at 17.5 ppg, which ranks third in the conference. Greene pulled in 20 rebounds over the weekend, second-most of any player in the CCAA.

As a team, the Pioneers shot 45.3 percent in Oregon, putting them third among the 13 CCAA squads. They were also solid from three-point range, shooting 35.7 percent, led by Harris (5-for-10).

Foul trouble was an issue for the Pioneers in both their games at WOU, as they were whistled for 24 fouls on Saturday and 21 on Sunday. This especially affected their starting frontcourt, with seniors Remy Puou and Shontalene Trudeau both playing limited minutes due to early foul trouble.

HOME COOKING
East Bay will look to continue its strong record of success at Pioneer Gym into the Stires era. The Pioneers enter Wednesday's home opener having posted a winning record at home in four straight years. They're 24-6 in Pioneer Gym over the last two seasons, including a mark of 14-2 last year. 

OUTLOOK ON THE OAKS
Menlo College, which competes in NAIA, is off to a 2-2 start this season with losses to University of Great Falls and Notre Dame de Namur, followed by wins over UC Merced and Cal Maritime. They're shooting 39.3 percent as a team and have out-scored opponents by 7.3 points per game so far. The Oaks have spread their scoring around, with seven players averaging between 7.7 and 9.8 points per contest. 

Despite being separated by less than 25 miles, this will be just the third meeting between Menlo and the Pioneers since Cal State East Bay re-joined Division II in 2009. The Pioneers won the most recent matchup by a score of 84-39 last December in Atherton.