ARCATA, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team's 2017-18 season came to an end on Tuesday as the Pioneers were defeated 54-53 by Humboldt State in Lumberjack Arena in the first round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament.

The two-time defending tournament champion Pioneers, who entered as the No. 6 seed, played an extremely tight game with the third-seeded Jacks. The score was tied 33-33 at halftime, and then the teams remained within one or two possessions of each other over the final 20 minutes.

Morgan Greene had 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting and 14 rebounds to lead the Pioneers. Savannah McGill also reached double figures, totaling 10 points and five boards on 5-for-9 from the floor.

The Pioneers played well offensively early in the contest, shooting 50 percent from the field in the first half. They jumped out to an early 15-8 lead, but the Jacks managed to keep pace. Humboldt took advantage of second chance opportunities, as they out-rebounded CSUEB 34-32 for the game and pulled in 10 offensive boards. 

The Jacks shot just 36 percent for the night, but after a hot start, the Pioneers weren't able to hit enough shots to pull away in what ended up being a low-scoring second half. Both teams struggled from long distance, with East Bay going 4-for-18 and HSU finishing 3-for-19.

It was a defensive battle down the stretch, and Humboldt managed to hang on despite scoring just seven points in the fourth quarter. They took the 54-53 lead with 1:59 remaining in the game, and both teams had a few chances to score over those final two minutes. CSUEB's final opportunity came when Kayley Hsiung grabbed the rebound following a defensive stop, and the Pioneers called timeout with 20 seconds left. 

The team's initial play call didn't pan out, and as the seconds ticked down, it appeared they might not even get a shot off. But head coach Shanele Stires was able to call another timeout with four seconds left just before HSU forced a loose ball. This gave the Pioneers another chance to set up the game-winner. They in-bounded the ball, but the Jacks (who had only three team fouls) fouled immediately, taking a second off the clock. East Bay had one more chance with 2.7 left. This time the inbounds pass when to senior Janae Chamois, who made a nice play to get a decent look at the basket, but couldn't get the shot to fall as the buzzer sounded. 

Greene's double-double was her 21st of the season. That total, as well as her 12.7 per game rebounding average, both rank No. 2 in the country. After turning in the best sophomore season in program history, she already ranks in the school's top 10 all-time in points, blocks, and field goals made. She's already up to fourth place on the all-time rebound list, and she currently has the highest field goal percentage in school history at .537. 

Elayshia Woolridge added seven points on 3-for-14 shooting, and finished the season as CSUEB's second-leading scorer at an even 13.0 points per game. Senior Bri Guillory scored five points and Chamois finished with six, both playing in their final game for Cal State East Bay.

CSUEB's final record is 16-13, the program's sixth straight year finishing over the .500 mark.