SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team executed a dominant defensive effort on Saturday, blowing out Cal State Monterey Bay on the road by a final score of 65-36.
It's the second California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) victory of the season for the two-time defending champion Pioneers, who improve to 5-5 overall this season.
East Bay held the Otters to just 22.1 percent shooting for the night, as the home team managed just 15 made field goals and went 0-for-9 from three-point range. The Pioneers, meanwhile, shot 43.6 percent from the field for the game. They were especially hot in the opening periods, hitting at 51.9 percent in the first half.
The game became one-sided early on, as the Pioneers came out firing and the Otters struggled to make shots from the opening tip. After CSUMB scored on back-to-back possessions to make it 8-8 midway through the first quarter, the teams went to a media timeout. After the timeout, the Pioneers finished the quarter on a 15-2 run.
The visitors kept that momentum going and played perhaps their most impressive period of the season in the second quarter. The Pioneers held the Otters to just four points, with the home team failing to score for the final 6:53 of the first half. After a quarter in which they out-scored Monterey Bay 17-4, the Pioneers took a 40-14 lead into halftime.
Facing a huge deficit and unable to string together a scoring run, the Otters never managed to mount a serious comeback. East Bay scored just 25 points in the second half, but they continued to defend with intensity, and it was plenty enough to cruise to the 29-point win.
Elayshia Woolridge led a trio of Pioneers in double figures, scoring a game-high 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor, to go along with six rebounds.
Morgan Greene notched her seventh double-double in 10 games this season, filling up the scoresheet with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists. She also had an efficient shooting night, finishing 6-for-9.
Janae Chamois hit a pair of three-pointers and tallied 10 points for the Pioneers, who went 7-for-24 from long distance as a team.
Kayley Hsiung chipped in nine points off the bench, and
Savannah McGill added eight in just 16 minutes.
Kayla Blair had a tough shooting performance, but nonetheless contributed five points and two steals, while pulling down a season-high nine rebounds.
With five conference games already under their belt, the Pioneers now get a break to focus on final exams. They return to the court in two weeks on Saturday, Dec. 16, hosting Chico State in just their second home game of the season.
