SAN FRANCISCO - Cal State East Bay women's basketball played a CCAA game on the final day of 2023 at San Francisco State. Despite falling behind by as much as 19 points in the first quarter, the Pioneers battled back. However, they came up short on Sunday, falling 68-61 to the Gators inside the Main Gym on the SF State campus. 
 

GAME SUMMARY

In the first quarter, the Gators started the game on a 20-2 run. The first field goal of the game for CSUEB was from Kayla Rosemon at the 3:01 mark of the quarter. Ultimately, the Gators led 23-7 at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Pioneers would methodically climbed back into the ballgame in the second quarter starting with a 14-6 run, capped by a Payton Sterk three-pointer with 4:17 left, to trim the Gators' lead to single digits at 29-21. The Pioneers would come as close as three points, trailing 31-28, on an Abigail Cooper jumper with 33 seconds left in the half. SF State led 31-28 at the break. 
 
In the third quarter, the Gators would hold the Pioneers at arms' length. Even though the Pioneers would close the deficit to two points, at 35-33, on a Cooper free throw with 4:58 left in the quarter, the Gators built their lead to eight, at 47-39 at the 1:35 mark. A 6-0 run by the Pioneers is how the third quarter finished, as the run was capped by a Brooke Donnelly three-pointer, to trim the Gators' lead to 47-45 heading into the final quarter. 
 
SF State opened the quarter on an 11-0 run to lead 58-45 lead with 4:31 left. The Pioneers would come as close as four on three occasions; the third occasion at 65-61 after a pair of free throws from Donnelly with 16 seconds left. However, the Gators made three of four free throw attempts down the stretch, as CSUEB was unsuccessful on its final two possessions as SF State won 68-61 on Sunday. 
 

NOTABLE STATS

• Sterk scored a team-high 15 points for the Pioneers, going 4-for-18 from the floor making a pair of baskets from beyond the arc. She leads the CCAA in scoring average with 17.8 points per game through Sunday.  
• Also reaching double figures in scoring for CSUEB were Donnelly with 11 points in her Pioneer debut, along with Rosemon and Camryn Washington with 10 points each. 
• With a game-high 15 rebounds was Taylor Linzie. 
• Alexsandra Alvarado scored a game-high 24 points for the Gators. 
• The Pioneers shot 28.1 percent from the floor while the Gators shot 38.2 percent in field goals.
• Cal State East Bay outrebounded San Francisco State 46-34. 

POSTGAME QUOTE

Cal State East Bay head coach Jenny Thigpin following Sunday's game: 
"We did not have the start we needed to have, especially on the road after a long layover. We dug ourselves a hole early and it was tough to come back from although the effort was better in the second half. Hopefully we can learn from this and play better in our next outing."
 

RECORDS

Cal State East Bay: 4-7, 2-3 CCAA
SF State: 3-7, 2-3 CCAA
 

UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY

The first game of 2024 for the Pioneers takes place this coming Thursday, January 4. Cal State East Bay begins a four-game homestand by hosting Cal Poly Humboldt. Tipoff from Pioneer Gymnasium is set for 5:30 p.m.