HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team picked up its third straight California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) victory on Thursday night with a stout defensive effort to defeat visiting Cal State San Marcos, 59-44.

The Pioneers (8-6, 5-2 CCAA) held the Cougars (7-5, 4-3 CCAA) to just 29.2 percent shooting for the game. They also dominated San Marcos on the glass and finished with a 52-35 rebounding advantage. 

The first quarter was tight and low-scoring most of the way, but East Bay exploded for a 10-0 run over the final 1:42 to end the period with a 16-9 lead. Janae Chamois gave the Pioneers a spark offensively, scoring 10 of her team-high 13 points in the first half. She knocked down a pair of three-pointers to help send CSUEB into halftime with a nine-point lead.

The Pioneers put the game away in the third quarter, once again holding the Cougars to single digits. They held on for the victory in the fourth, riding the hot hand of Elayshia Woolridge, who scored all 10 of her points in the second half on 3-for-6 shooting. She also pulled in seven rebounds.

San Marcos struggled badly from three-point range, finishing 4-for-22, as leading scorer Savannah Camp went just 1-for-11 from long distance. 

East Bay shot just 32.8 percent from the field for the game, but the real story was the team's effort on the glass, particularly in creating second chances for themselves with 20 offensive rebounds. Morgan Greene had a monster performance, racking up 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. Her total is the highest by a Pioneer this season, as well as a career high. This is her seventh time reaching double figures this season, and she leads the conference averaging 8.8 boards per game.

Remy Puou posted nine points, seven rebounds, and two steals, while Greene and Bri Guillory added eight points each. Guillory also finished with a team-high three assists. 

Kayley Hsiung contributed five points and seven boards, and fellow freshman starter Kincso Kelemen grabbed five rebounds. Shontalene Trudeau tallied six points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.

Cal State East Bay women's hoops, which had a record of 24-9 in 2016, is now 1-0 to start 2017.

The Pioneers next return to the court on Saturday evening for a huge conference showdown. Last year, East Bay tied with UC San Diego for the CCAA regular season title and defeated them on their way to a tournament championship, but the Tritons ended the Pioneers' season a week later at NCAA Regionals. This year, UCSD sits atop the standings, but CSUEB is just one back game with their 5-2 record. First place is on the line when the Tritons visit Pioneer Gym for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Saturday.