MERCED, Calif. — On Thursday evening at the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation & Wellness Center, No. 7 Cal State East Bay turned a tight first half into a statement road win, defeating UC Merced 75-62 to extend the longest winning streak in program history to 15 games. In the first CCAA meeting between the programs, the Pioneers seized control late in the first half with a decisive burst and never let the result drift in doubt after halftime.
Deadlocked at 19-19, the game's turning point arrived at the 7:10 mark of the first half when Takai Emerson-Hardy drilled a shot from beyond the arc to ignite a 15-4 surge. The run was fueled by swarming defense that held the Bobcats without a field goal for more than four minutes, as live-ball turnovers fed transition chances and rhythm touches for the Pioneers (15-0). East Bay stretched the margin to double digits and carried a 39-29 advantage into halftime.
The Pioneers' pressure and poise traveled into the second half. East Bay methodically widened the gap, stringing together stops and second-chance points to keep UC Merced at arm's length. The cushion ballooned to 19 points with 5:02 left when Joshua Ijeh finished a layup for a 65-46 lead, capitalizing after an offensive rebound from Jalen Foy. While the final margin settled at 13, the flow of the second half was one-way traffic; East Bay controlled tempo, neutralized Bobcat runs before they could form, and managed proceedings to the horn.
Tyree Campbell set the tone offensively with a game-high 18 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-6 at the line. He also snagged four steals to headline a relentless defensive effort. Jaayden Bush added 14 points, and Ramsey Huff chipped in 11 as the Pioneers balanced their scoring with efficient shot-making and timely drives. Ijeh anchored the glass with a team-best 10 rebounds, helping East Bay edge the Bobcats on the boards, 30-29.
Defensively, the Pioneers were outstanding, piling up three blocks and an eye-popping 18 steals—tied for the most in the CCAA this season in a single game. That ball pressure was the hinge of the night, flipping possessions and sparking the decisive first-half separation that held firm. UC Merced shot 48.8 percent to East Bay's 48.1 percent, but the Pioneers' turnover creation and transition conversion made the difference in the margins that matter.
"Credit to Merced, they are well-coached and they present challenges on both ends," Cal State East Bay head coach Bryan Rooney said. "I was proud of our guys for staying the course. Once we ramped up our defensive pressure, we were able to get our transition going and change the flow of the game."
Next up, No. 7 Cal State East Bay visits Stanislaus State on Saturday, January 17, with tipoff at 3 p.m. at Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena in Turlock, California.
