CARSON, Calif. — Cal State East Bay closed out Friday night at the Torodome with a 75-65 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills, staying unbeaten in CCAA play. The Pioneers (4-5, 3-0) broke open a tight contest with a decisive fourth-quarter surge, highlighted by an 11-0 run that started with a free throw from Meredith Gilbertson and flipped the game for good.
Dominguez Hills led for most of the opening quarter but never by more than six points. East Bay trimmed the margin late when Hailey Estrada's steal set up Aloha Akaka for a fastbreak layup, closing the gap to 17-15 after the first. The second quarter remained a back-and-forth battle, with Sierra Morris knocking down a jumper in the final half-minute to give East Bay a 34-30 lead at halftime.
The Toros regained momentum in the third, capitalizing on turnovers and second-chance points to edge ahead 46-45 entering the fourth. After A'moree Ferrel opened the final frame with a 3-pointer for Dominguez Hills, Gilbertson's free throw sparked East Bay's 11-point burst. Akaka scored inside during the run, and Taylor Eldredge added a 3-pointer as part of a 22-3 stretch that pushed the lead to 67-52 with three minutes left. While the Toros closed within six in the final seconds, clutch free throws from Campbell and Gilbertson sealed the win.
Morris led all scorers with a career-high 21 points on 9-for-16 shooting and added seven rebounds. Akaka finished with 14 points, and Eldredge chipped in 12 along with six assists. Gilbertson pulled down a season-best 15 rebounds, and East Bay recorded a season-high 21 assists as a team. The Pioneers shot 42.9 percent from the field and dominated the glass 49-36.
"It's a good start for our weekend after picking up a solid road win," head coach Jenny Thigpin said. "We matched their intensity and played through our mistakes and made defensive plays down the stretch to help us get the win."
Cal State East Bay wraps up the 2025 portion of its schedule on Sunday at Cal State LA. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at University Gym in Los Angeles.
