HAYWARD, Calif., -- After back-to-back tournaments away from the Hayward hills to kick start the non-conference season, the Cal State East Bay women's basketball team is back home as they open CCAA action.
 
The Pioneers will host Cal State L.A. on Thursday evening, inside Pioneer Gymnasium at 5:30 before wrapping up the weekend with a road matchup against Chico State on Saturday evening, November 23 at 5:30 in Art Acker Gymnasium.
 
"We're all really excited to open conference play with our first home game of the season," expressed Head Coach Shanele Stires. "The team knows they have not played their best basketball yet and they are anxious to show their home crowd that they are able to play at a high level. So far this season we have been a little up and down but we are ready to show we can put a full game together and we are hungry to get a home opening win."
 
East Bay is off to a 2-2 start to the season after going 1-1 during the Warrior Classic last week hosted by Stanislaus State. The Pioneers opened the tournament with a tough one-point loss on a buzzer-beating by Notre Dame De Namur on Friday night. The Pioneers bounced back in fantastic fashion with a 50-point victory over Holy Names on Saturday.
 
"The biggest takeaway from playing in those non-conference tournaments is playing consistently for 40 minutes," Stires explained. "The non-conference has allowed us to get kids plenty of minutes and it's really helping them mature. We've got a seasoned group of kids as well as a young group of kids, so it's figuring out how to blend those two group together. It's going to be fun to watch this scrappy bunch continue to grow."
 
PIONEER POINTS
 

• The Pioneers have gotten off to the 2-2 start to the season after the Western Oregon Conference Challenge & the Warrior Classic.
• East Bay is tops in the CCAA allowing only 53.0 points per game.
• The Pioneers defense is holding opponents to just 35.3% shooting, best in the league.
• CSUEB is 2nd in the conference in rebounding defense holding their opponents to 27.3 rebounds per game.
• Cal State East Bay is 4th best in the CCAA in rebounding margin at +6.5 so far this season.
• Kincso Kelemen leading the Pioneers with 8.5 ppg while shooting 52.4% from three-point range, 3rd best in the conference.
• Kelemen is 3rd in the league averaging 2.8 three-pointers per contest.
• Mina Tameilau is tops on CSUEB with 20 total rebounds.
• Madison Schiller is currently 5th in the conference with 3.8 apg. Schiller is also 2nd in the league with a 3.0 assist/turnover ratio.
• Morgan Greene is sitting second on the squad with 4.8 rpg and she is second on the team with 19 total rebounds.

 
 
SCOUTING CAL STATE L.A.
The Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles enter the matchup against the Pioneers with a 2-3 record on the season after falling to Cal State San Marcos before splitting a back-to-back against Simon Fraser last weekend. Sydney Bordonaro is leading CSULA with 14.4 points and 3.6 assists. Alyssa Fisher is tops on the Golden Eagles grabbing 6.8 rebounds per contest.
 
SCOUTING CHICO STATE
The Chico State Wildcats come into their matchup against the Pioneers with a 4-1 showing so far on the season after wins over Concordia (Ore.) and Western Oregon. Maddy Wong is leading the Wildcats with 13.8 points to go along with 2.2 assists. Hannah Washington is corralling a team-best 7.3 rebounds per match.