ARCATA, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team punched their tickets to the second round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) postseason tournament after defeating 2017-18 tournament champions Humboldt State, Tuesday evening, March 5.
 
The Pioneers were scorching hot from the field as the finished the ball game shooting a season-best 57 percent from the floor. East Bay also sunk 10 shots from three-point range at a 42 percent clip. Their 42 percent shooting from the field was their second best outing of the season. The Pios also knocked down 47 percent of their long range shots in their January 17 loss to Humboldt State.
 
Senior Elayshia Woolridge (Oakland, Calif.) was huge for the Pioneers in the second half of action helping CSUEB outscore Humboldt 56-45 through the final three quarters. Woolridge scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half. She went 5-for-6 from the field including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and 3-for-4 from the foul line to go along with two steals, a rebound and an assist across 32 minutes of action.
 
An 11-0 run midway through the second quarter gave CSUEB a lead they never surrendered. The Pioneers led 39-33 following the offensive burst and took a slender 39-37 lead into the intermission. East Bay shot 61 percent from the field in the first half of action including 46 percent from three-point land.
 
The major key in the game with the Pioneers production from their reserve players. The East Bay bench outscored their opponents bench 31-3 for the game. Junior Regina Sankey (San Jose, Calif.) scored a team-high 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the floor with two made three-pointers. Sankey added eight rebounds, a block, an assist, and a steal while going 4-for-6 from the charity stripe through 23 minutes off the bench.
 
Madison Schiller (Ridgecrest, Calif.) also turned in an efficient performance off the bench for the Pioneers scoring 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field. Schiller knocked down 2-of-3 shots from three-point land with three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
 
Cal State East Bay was also effective on the defensive side of the ball as they held the third leading scoring team and third highest field goal percentage in the league to just 62 points on 36.5 percent shooting accuracy for the contest.
 
The Pioneers were dominate inside the painted area out rebounding the Lumberjacks 34 to 25 for the game and outscoring Humboldt 22-20 on points in the paint. Senior Savannah McGill (Lacey, Wash.) notched her 12th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. McGill shot 5-for-8 for the game and added two blocks, a steal and an assist.
 
Kincso Kelemen (Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania) also caught fire from long distance going 3-for-6 from three-point range as she tallied nine points in 20 minutes. Faith Turner (Auburn, Wash) compiled six points and two rebounds on 3-for-4 shooting for the game. Ei
 
With the win, The Pioneers pulled off the lone upset in the first round of the CCAA Postseason Tournament. East Bay also avenged last season's heart-wrenching 54-53 first round loss to Humboldt State in Lumberjack Arena.
 
 The Pioneers will move on to face Cal Poly Pomona in the semifinals of the CCAA Tournament Friday afternoon in Hayward at Pioneer Gymnasium. The Broncos swept the Pioneers this season with two wins by a total of eight points.