HAYWARD, Calif. — Playing at Pioneer Gymnasium on Saturday evening, Cal State East Bay picked up its fourth straight win, outlasting Cal State Monterey Bay 70-67 behind timely defense and late free throws. A crucial block in the final seconds sealed the result as the Pioneers staved off a furious Otter comeback attempt to take sole possession of fifth place in the CCAA standings.
Cal State East Bay opened the game with early energy but found itself trailing by the end of the first quarter. After Monterey Bay edged ahead 15-13, Lucca Lowenberg knocked down a three-pointer to give the Pioneers a brief lead. The Otters responded with the final two baskets of the quarter, however, sending East Bay into the break down 19-16.
Monterey Bay extended its advantage to five points early in the second quarter, but the Pioneers answered with a key run. Six unanswered points, capped by Sierra Morris' layup at the 6:52 mark, put East Bay back in front 24-23. The Otters answered quickly, but momentum shifted again after a pair of free throws from Aloha Akaka and a fastbreak layup by Nivea Campbell, created by a Lowenberg steal. Akaka then beat the buzzer with a layup to close the half, giving Cal State East Bay a 37-34 advantage at intermission.
Coming out of the locker room, the Pioneers (8-10, 7-5 CCAA) took firm control. East Bay pushed the lead to double digits during the third quarter, highlighted by Campbell's steal and layup with 43 seconds remaining for a 57-45 margin. Monterey Bay trimmed the deficit slightly before the horn, but East Bay still carried a 57-47 lead into the fourth.
The Pioneers appeared poised to pull away early in the final quarter as Akaka and Meredith Gilbertson converted consecutive layups to make it 61-47. Monterey Bay refused to go quietly, though, holding East Bay без a field goal for an extended stretch. A 15-1 Otter run eventually tied the game at 62-62 with 3:21 remaining.
Gilbertson broke the tie at the free throw line, then Taylor Eldredge came up with a steal and finished on the break to swing momentum back to East Bay. The game stayed tight down the stretch. After Lowenberg went to the line and made a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left to push the lead to 69-65, Monterey Bay answered with a layup. Following a timeout to advance the ball, Lowenberg was fouled again and hit one more free throw.
Monterey Bay still had chances in the closing seconds, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds on missed three-point attempts. Akaka delivered the defining moment with a critical block on a second-chance three, and after one final miss, Hailey Estrada secured the rebound to run out the clock and seal the 70-67 victory.
Eldredge led the Pioneers with 17 points on 8-for-14 shooting and added a team-high five assists. Akaka finished with 12 points and Lailah Carey added 11, as all 11 East Bay players who saw action scored at least two points. Eldredge, Akaka and Carey each pulled down six rebounds. Defensively, Akaka recorded two blocks, including the game-saving stop in the final seconds, while Eldredge added three steals. East Bay held advantages on the glass, 41-38, and shot 47.5 percent from the field compared to Monterey Bay's 40.8 percent.
"It was a good home win for us," head coach Jenny Thigpin said. "We defended our home court, played with purpose on both ends, and found a way to get it done against a very good Monterey Bay team."
Cal State East Bay will look to extend its winning streak on the road next week, traveling to Pomona, California, for a Thursday night matchup at No. 10 Cal Poly Pomona. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at Kellogg Gymnasium. In the first meeting of the season between the Pioneers and Broncos, Cal Poly Pomona won 77-61 on January 4.
