HAYWARD, Calif., -- The Pioneer men's basketball team dropped a tight contest 74-72 to Montana State-Billings in their season opening game Friday evening, November 10 in Pioneer Gymnasium.
 
The Pioneers and Yellowjackets battled down to the final seconds of the game in the second matchup of the Pioneer Veteran's Day Weekend Challenge. The game featured three lead changes and four times for a winner was decided as neither team led by more then eight points.
 
CSUEB and MSUB came out on fire as both squads shot 50% from the field in the first half. The Yellowjackets would keep the hot hand in the second half as they finished the game shooting 50% from the field while the Pioneers shot 43.3% for the game after posting a 36.6 shooting percentage after the intermission.
 
The deciding factor in the game seemed to be the three-point line as East Bay shot an abysmal 7.1% (1-for-14) from beyond the arc. Montana-State Billings went 12-for-22 (54.5%) from long distance for the game.
 
Despite the tough night from three-point land the Pioneers held a 39-36 lead at halftime. But the the Yellowjackets would outscore the Pioneers 38-33 in the second half.
 
Senior Drew Bender (Phoenix, Ariz.) led the Pioneers with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field. Bender added three assists, three steals and a rebound in 27 minutes off the bench. Sophomore Druce Asah (Tracy, Calif.) was the only other East Bay double figure scorer with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 23 minutes of action.
 
The Pioneers dominated the points in the paint, 42-18 and points off turnovers, 34-11. East Bay also garnered 39 points off the bench to just 16 for Montana State-Billings. East Bay outrebounded the Yellowjackets 33-31 for the game.
 
Juwan Anderson (Oakland, Calif.), Jelani Mitchell (Pasadena, Calif.) and Deiondre Bird also chipped in nine points apiece for the Pioneers. Anderson racked up a team-high four assists with a rebound and a steal in 34 minutes on the court. Mitchell shot 3-for-6 from the field while grabbing four rebounds. Bird notched a career-best in point on 4-for-5 accuracy from the floor while adding two assists, two steals and a rebound in 22 minutes off the bench.
 
Patrick Marr (Clayton, Calif.) pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds to go with his six points. Freshman Keshawn Bruner (Sacramento, Calif.) finished with eight points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and posting a rim-rocking dunk down the middle of the lane in the Pioneer debut.
 
The Pioneers will wrap-up the Pioneer Veteran's Day Weekend Challenge with a matchup against Seattle Pacific. The contest will begin at 2:00 p.m. in Pioneer Gymnasium.