HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team rode an outstanding second-half performance to a 72-63 win over visiting Stanislaus State on Saturday night at Pioneer Gym. 

It's the second straight win for the Pioneers in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play and improves their record to an even 8-8 for the season. 

The game was tied 29-29 after a tight, low-scoring first half that saw the teams combine to go 6-for-25 from three-point range. The Warriors were ahead most of the opening period, but freshman Keshawn Bruner beat the halftime buzzer with a jumper in the paint to head into halftime all squared up. 

The lead changed hands six times in the second half before the Pioneers finally grabbed it for good. Trailing by one with just over 10 minutes left, Juwan Anderson fed Kyle Frakes for a slam dunk that keyed a 7-0 run for the home team, putting them ahead by six. 

Three minutes later, Stanislaus cut its deficit to two, but the Pioneers answered with a three-pointer by Druce Asah and jumper by Anderson. East Bay went 4-for-5 from the field and 5-for-7 at the free throw line in the final four minutes as they held off the Warriors' attempts to rally back. 

The Pioneers ended up shooting 45.2 percent as a team, while holding Stanislaus to just 32.1 percent from the floor and 4-for-21 from long distance. CSUEB attempted half as many free throws as their opponents, and struggled with the chances they did get, finishing 7-for-14. That didn't end up costing them, however, as the Pioneers won the rebounding battle 41-35 and made some big shots from beyond the arc down the stretch.

No one was more clutch than Anderson, who turned in perhaps his best game of the season. The junior flirted with a triple-double, scoring 13 of his 16 points in the second half, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out eight assists. He finished 5-for-9 from the floor, including 4-for-7 from three.

Drew Bender contributed 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting, reaching double figures for the ninth time in his last 11 games.

Bruner had one of the most impactful games of his young career, notching 10 points and seven rebounds, while going 4-for-7 from the field. Frakes added eight points and seven boards, and Asah and Jelani Mitchell scored five apiece.

With a 4-6 record in CCAA play, the Pioneers are just two wins shy of matching their total from last season, when they went 6-14. Head coach Bryan Rooney has his squad defending at a high level in his first season at the helm. That defense will face a tough test in their next contest when the Pioneers welcome in Cal State San Marcos on Thursday, Jan. 11. The Cougars are just one game out of first place in the conference, and East Bay will be looking for revenge after suffering a 93-78 loss when the teams met in San Marcos back in November.