HONOLULU — Cal State East Bay earned its first win of the season Saturday afternoon at McCabe Gym, defeating Chaminade 80-63 behind a dominant first-half performance and a balanced team effort. The Pioneers built a commanding lead early and never looked back, fueled by a decisive run in the opening quarter.

After a back-and-forth start, Lailah Carey's layup off an offensive rebound at the 3:34 mark of the first quarter sparked a surge that changed the game. The Pioneers rattled off 10 unanswered points, holding the Silverswords without a field goal for the remainder of the period. East Bay closed the quarter ahead 26-11, setting the tone for the afternoon.

The momentum carried into the second quarter as the Pioneers extended their lead to as many as 27 points. By halftime, East Bay had doubled up Chaminade on the scoreboard, 48-24, thanks to aggressive rebounding and opportunistic scoring off turnovers. Although the Silverswords chipped away with small runs in the second half, the Pioneers (1-4) maintained a double-digit cushion throughout and cruised to an 80-63 victory.

• Taylor Eldredge led East Bay with 17 points, shooting 6-for-14 from the floor and a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line.
• Sierra Morris added 10 points, while Meredith Gilbertson controlled the glass with a team-high 13 rebounds.
• Hailey Estrada contributed across the board with four assists and four steals.
• The Pioneers dominated the hustle stats, scoring 29 points off turnovers and 22 on second-chance opportunities.
• East Bay also held a 50-32 rebounding advantage and finished with a 36.6 percent shooting clip compared to Chaminade's 35.7 percent.

"We came out and played hard from the jump and established a lead," head coach Jenny Thigpin said. "We sustained and played hard which was important, especially on the road. In the second half, we did not have any let ups and were able to pick up our first win."

Cal State East Bay returns to action Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Dominican (Calif.) in San Rafael. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Conlan Center. The matchup marks the Pioneers' final non-conference game before the start of CCAA play and the first of three contests next week.