SAN FRANCISCO -- The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team completed a perfect 2-0 weekend to open the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule by pulling off a thrilling 51-48 victory on the road at San Francisco State on Saturday evening. 

The Pioneers are now 5-3 overall under first-year head coach Shanele Stires, and have won 13 straight regular season games in CCAA play dating back to last season.

East Bay struggled badly shooting the ball early in the contest and trailed by six heading into halftime, but they turned in an outstanding defensive performance to keep themselves in the game, then rode their seniors to a dramatic fourth quarter comeback. 

Shomari Harris was the hero for the Pioneers, pouring in 20 points and grabbing six rebounds in 38 minutes. She was just 1-for-4 from three-point range, but that one triple won the game for Cal State East Bay.

The Pioneers shot 26.1 percent and made just six field goals through the first two periods, scoring nine points in each. Remy Puou got things going for East Bay after the break, scoring the team's first six points of the second half. The Pioneers out-scored the Otters 14-12 in the third to cut into their deficit. 

The Gators hit a three on their first possession of the fourth quarter to stretch their lead to seven, their largest of the game. But the Pioneers answered right back with points in the paint on three straight possessions, capped off by an offensive rebound and put-back by Shontalene Trudeau.

The teams proceeded to trade baskets down the stretch, handing the lead back and forth. Harris buried a jumper to give the Pioneers a 46-45 lead with 2:27 left, but SFSU's Erika Nilson answered back with a three-pointer. The Gators held their 48-46 advantage into the final minute, then East Bay got a stop with 38 seconds left and called timeout to set up their potential final possession. The play worked perfectly, as Harris knocked down a three-pointer with 23 seconds left to put the Pioneers back on top.

After a turnover by the Gators, Harris got fouled and sank both free throws with five seconds left to clinch the victory.

Puou finished with 10 points and four rebounds, navigating around foul trouble. She had a perfect shooting night, going 4-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-2 at the line. Fellow senior Trudeau added four points and pulled in a team-high nine rebounds, including four on the offensive end. 

Morgan Greene had five rebounds off the bench, and Elayshia Woolridge made her presence felt despite a tough 2-for-9 shooting night. The sophomore filled up the scoresheet with five points, four boards, three assists, and two steals. 

Next up, the Pioneers take a break from conference play and travel south to battle the No. 10 ranked team in the nation, California Baptist, on Saturday, Dec. 10.