HAYWARD, Calif. -- The showdown between the two-time defending California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) champion Cal State East Bay women's basketball team and first-place UC San Diego lived up to its billing Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately the Pioneers found themselves on the losing end of a tight game, falling 76-70 at Pioneer Gym.
 
It's the first home loss of 2017-18 for the Pioneers, who opened the season with six straight victories in Hayward. They fall to 11-7 overall this season with a 7-5 mark in CCAA play, still near the top of the standings but now five games behind the undefeated Tritons (15-2, 10-0 CCAA).
 
The contest was tight all afternoon, as UCSD held a single-digit lead most of the way. The Pioneers rallied late in the fourth quarter and led 70-69 with 1:49 left, but couldn't score on their final five possessions as the Tritons escaped with the victory. 
 
The Pioneers turned in a much more efficient performance on offense than their last few games, but the visitors had an excellent day shooting the ball as well. UCSD bested East Bay 49 percent to 43 percent from the field, and 42 percent to 39 percent from three-point range. The Tritons also out-rebounded CSUEB 37-34, led by Dalayna Sampton with a game-high 11 boards. 
 
East Bay trailed by seven at halftime after allowing 41 points in the first two quarters. They made some effective adjustments on defense in the second half, holding the Tritons to 14 points in the third. Then trailing by nine midway through the fourth, the Pioneers rattled off a 16-6 run to take their only lead of the second half. But three Pioneer turnovers in the final two minutes allowed UCSD to re-take the lead, and the Tritons closed out the game at the free throw line.
 
Elayshia Woolridge was the leading scorer for CSUEB, posting 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting to go with a pair of steals. Kayla Blair and Savannah McGill both had strong performances, scoring 12 points each and hitting a pair from beyond the arc. Blair went 5-for-9 from the floor, while McGill went 4-for-6, doing her damage in just 14 minutes off the bench.
 
Morgan Greene fell short of a double-double for just the fifth time this season. The conference's leading rebounder pulled in nine boards and scored 13 points on 5-for-8 from the field. 
 
Senior Janae Chamois added four points, four rebounds, and a team-high four assists, but the Tritons were effective in limiting her opportunities from long distance. 
 
The Pioneers will hope to have another shot at UCSD when the postseason rolls around, but for now, they will look to re-group as they hit the road to continue their CCAA schedule. East Bay visits local rivals SF State and Sonoma State next Friday and Saturday, with both games set for 5:30 p.m. tip-offs.