HAYWARD, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team opened their 2020 home schedule with a 79-66 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Pioneers also captured the first win of the "Battle of the Bays" rivalry as they improve to 12-4 overall on the season with a 8-2 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action. East Bay has now won 14-consecutive games over Monterey Bay.
 
The East Bay defense was a force in the contest as they have been all season long. The Pios' suffocating first half pressure held the visiting Otters to just 26 percent shooting, as CSUEB took a 45-19 lead into the halftime intermission. In all, the Pioneers forced 15 turnovers that led to 18 points and they added six blocks and five steals as a team.
 
Cal State East Bay never trailed in the ball game as every Pioneer that touched the floor recorded a field goal. The Pios dominated inside the painted area, accumulating 44 points inside the painted area to go along with 42 rebounds. The Otters finished with 28 points in the paint and 21 rebounds.
 
The trio of Kayley Hsiung, Morgan Greene and Madison Schiller led the way offensively for the Pioneers. Hsiung tied her career-best scoring mark with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor, including going 4-for-8 from beyond the arc with three rebounds and two assists.
Greene bounced back after a tough road trip in So Cal with her second double-double of the season tallying 12 points and tying a season-high mark with 16 rebounds. Meanwhile, Schiller finished with 10 points and two rebounds, as she has now scored in double figures in four consecutive games.
 
The East Bay reserves were a huge factor in the win as they nearly double the Monterey Bay bench output, 32-17 for the game. Freshman Mina Tameilau and senior Blaysen Varnadoe each contributed eight points each off the bench. Tameilau added three rebounds and a block, while Varnadoe shot 3-of-4 from the floor with two rebounds and a block of her own.
 
Zhane Duckett was productive for the Pioneers leading the squad with five assists to tie her career-best mark. The freshman guard finished with six point, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Senior Regina Sankey also scored six points to go along with her two rebounds and one steal.
 
The Pioneers will continue their 2020 opening home stand with a pair of CCAA matches against San Francisco State and Sonoma State next week.