HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team closed out a remarkable Friday for Pioneer Athletics, securing an 81-76 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills in front of a raucous crowd of nearly 1,000 at Pioneer Gymnasium. 

The Pioneers (9-16, 5-13 CCAA) trailed for most of the first half as the Toros (10-15, 4-13 CCAA) looked to avenge a dramatic two-point loss at Pioneer Gym last season.

After falling behind 28-19 with just over six minutes left, East Bay closed out the half on an 18-6 run, culminating on a Jack Pasquini layup in the final seconds to give the home team a 37-34 lead heading into the break.

Although the game remained tight for the final 20 minutes, the Pioneers never trailed in the second half, knocking down 20-of-24 attempts at the free throw line to hold off a Toro rally. 

East Bay struggled from long distanced (3-for-17), but they nonetheless out-shot Dominguez Hills for the night, 45 percent to 41 percent from the field. The Pioneers did most of their damage in the paint, where they racked up 46 points. 

Three players accounted for the bulk of the scoring, as Jalen Richard led the way with 23 points on 8-for-21 from the floor in a game-high 40 minutes.

Ryan Okwudibonye went 8-for-12 from the floor, tallying 21 points. He also matched his career high with 13 rebounds, picking up his second double-double of the season.

Pasquini, a fellow senior, finished with 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting. He also pulled in seven boards and notched two blocks. 

Alex Carmon also had an effective night, adding eight points on 3-for-6 form the field, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out a team-high five assists. 

CSUEB will look to make it two wins in a row on Saturday evening, as the squad returns to action to close out Homecoming Week with a 7:30 game against Cal State L.A. at Pioneer Gym.