HAYWARD, Calif. -- Cal State East Bay senior Shomari Harris scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, knocked down a buzzer beater to force overtime, and finished with a season-high 29 points to lift the Pioneer women's basketball team to a thrilling 61-57 road win over Cal State L.A. on Friday.

The Pioneers out-shot the Golden Eagles 42.5 percent to 35 percent for the night to even the season series against CSULA at 1-1. East Bay improves to 10-7 overall and 7-3 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) games, putting the defending champions in sole possession of third place at the midpoint of the conference schedule.

CSUEB was hot to start the game, and their defense was excellent in the first half, holding LA to less than 10 points in each of the first two quarters. The Pioneers led by as many as 13 and took a 26-17 lead into halftime.

But the Golden Eagles came storming back in the third quarter, much like they did when they defeated the Pioneers in Hayward back in December. The home team out-scored East Bay 16-8 in the period to cut their deficit to one heading into the final frame.

Cal State L.A. continued to shoot well in the fourth, but every time the home team hit a big shot to gain momentum, Harris came right back down the court and scored for East Bay. She went 8-for-11 from the field in the second half, and at one point scored 13 straight points for the Pioneers. 

Despite her heroics down the stretch, it looked as though CSUEB might come up short. The Pioneers had the ball with 35 seconds left trailing 52-50, but committed a turnover, forcing them to foul to stop the clock. LA's Samantha Lee hit just one out of two free throws with nine seconds to keep East Bay's deficit at three and give them a chance in their final possession. And then, even though she had nearly accounted for CSUEB's entire offense in the final minutes, Harris was somehow left open for a three-pointer. She buried it as the buzzer sounded, sending the teams to an extra period tied 53-53.

Senior center Remy Puou and leading rebounder Morgan Greene both fouled out in the fourth quarter, so the Pioneers had to play small in the overtime period. Their defense stepped up, holding CSULA to 1-for-6 from the field, and Shontalene Trudeau scored two huge buckets down low for the Pioneers to give them a lead. The Golden Eagles couldn't come up with a basket when they needed it, and Harris and Elayshia Woolridge hit free throws in the final seconds to secure the victory.

For Harris, it's her seventh game this season scoring at least 20 points, and her first since posting 24 points against Cal State L.A. on Dec. 19. She also pulled in eight rebounds in a team-high 43 minutes of play. The senior transfer leads the CCAA in scoring and assists with 10 regular season contests remaining.

Bri Guillory also reached double figures with 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting, her most efficient scoring night of the season. Greene notched seven points and nine rebounds, while Puou finished with five points and seven boards. Woolridge had a tough evening shooting the ball, but contributed three points and six rebounds in 36 minutes.

The Pioneers will look to close out this road trip on a positive note when they visit Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday for a re-match of last year's CCAA Championship game. Tip-off is set for the usual 5:30 p.m.