HAYWARD, Calif. — Cal State East Bay stayed perfect on the season Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Gymnasium, defeating Menlo 78-65 behind a strong defensive start and balanced scoring. The Pioneers opened the game on a 6-0 run and held the Oaks scoreless for more than five minutes, setting the tone early.
East Bay built a nine-point lead midway through the first half, going up 13-4 after a pair of free throws from Andrew Camacho at the 12:31 mark. Menlo rallied to tie the game at 24-24, but the Pioneers answered immediately with a basket from Payden White and never trailed again. In the closing seconds of the half, Jaayden Bush converted a layup to give East Bay a 36-30 advantage at the break.
Less than a minute into the second half, Ramsey Huff scored on a fastbreak layup and Tyree Campbell knocked down a 3-pointer to push the lead to double digits for the first time. From there, the Pioneers (3-0) maintained control, leading by as many as 15 points before closing out the 78-65 victory.
Huff paced East Bay with 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting and added four steals. Bush finished with 14 points and four steals, while Campbell contributed 13 points, including two 3-pointers. The Pioneers dominated the glass with a 41-30 rebounding edge, led by seven boards from Jalen Foy. Ten different players grabbed at least one rebound in the win. Defensively, East Bay forced 15 steals and converted turnovers into key scoring runs.
Both teams were nearly even from the field, with Menlo shooting 43.4 percent and East Bay at 43.1 percent.
"Very proud of the effort by our guys tonight," said head coach Bryan Rooney. "I thought our defense dictated the pace early and we built some important momentum creating turnovers." Rooney added, "Huge game on Tuesday night. Excited for the opportunity to keep improving with our group."
Cal State East Bay returns to action Tuesday, November 25, hosting Saint Martin's in a non-conference matchup at Pioneer Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. The Pioneers will look to avenge last season's overtime loss to the Saints, who prevailed 86-84 on December 16, 2024.
