STOCKTON, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team made history yet again on Saturday night, defeating Cal State Dominguez Hills 68-53 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament title game at Stockton Arena to capture the University's first ever CCAA championship banner. 

It was the 14th straight win for the remarkable 2015-16 Pioneers, who improved their record to 27-4 and secured the program's first berth in the NCAA Division II West Regionals. 

"We accomplished our goal of winning a CCAA tournament title, and we had so many unsung heroes tonight," said head coach Suzy Barcomb. "This senior class has led the way all year and tonight was no different. I cannot stress this enough -- we are a team that plays for the love of the game and the love for one another."

Tori Breshers led all scorers with 23 points and was named CCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player. Fellow senior Laci Effenberger was also selected to the All-Tournament team after tallying 13 points, six assists, and five rebounds. She racked up 14 total assists over the two games in Stockton this weekend.

As expected, the game was tight from the outset. Effenberger had it going early, nailing a pair of long three-pointers to extend her streak to 46 straight games with a made three. After the first quarter, the teams were knotted at 17-17.

CSUDH guard Breanne Garcia, the CCAA's leading scorer during the regular season, poured in eight first-half points, but got called for three early fouls and had to sit out most of the second quarter. Unfortunately, the Pioneers weren't able to take advantage. Effenberger scored 10 points in the first two periods, but East Bay shot just 28 percent from the field as a team. They went into halftime trailing the Toros 29-27.

The Pioneers ratcheted up their defense in the third quarter, holding CSUDH to 3-for-11 shooting in the period. After a tough first half, Tori Breshers finally found success around the rim, and the Pioneers rallied around her scoring. East Bay out-scored the Toros 19-11 in the quarter to take a 46-40 lead heading into the fourth.

There would be no dramatic finish on this night, as the Pioneers pulled away in the final quarter. Breshers took over offensively, and East Bay dominated the glass down the stretch. They ended up out-rebounding CSUDH 41 to 31 and racked up 16 offensive boards. 

When the final buzzer sounded, the Pioneers earned a 15-point victory to avenge last year's CCAA title game loss to the Toros. They got to cut down the nets at Stockton Arena and raise the first CCAA championship banner in the school's history.

"This team has allowed me to push and push all season long as we worked to improve every day," said Barcomb. "Tonight they pushed themselves over the hump and won the title."

Breshers scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half, finishing 7-for-18 from the floor and 9-for-11 from the free throw line. Shannon Bland reached double figures as well with 11 points, while Remy Puou and Madison Craig added seven points each. 

Ashleigh Anderson turned in a huge performance, grabbing 11 rebounds to lead all players and pace an East Bay defense that wore down an extremely talented Dominguez Hills squad.

With CCAA regular season and tournament championships under their belt along with a school record for victories, the Pioneers now turn their sights towards an NCAA Championship. The eight-team field and host site for the NCAA Division II West Regionals will be announced Sunday night at 7 p.m. during the annual selection show, which can be viewed at ncaa.com/liveschedule.