HAYWARD, Calif. — No. 12 Cal State East Bay stayed perfect on the season Friday night, pulling away late for a 78-64 win over Cal State San Bernardino at Pioneer Gymnasium. The Pioneers remain unbeaten at 11-0 overall and 5-0 in CCAA play after a decisive second-half surge that turned a tense contest into a comfortable victory to start 2026.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle. East Bay trailed by as many as six points midway through the period after a dunk from Gavin Davis put the Coyotes ahead 23-17 at the 9:58 mark. Jaayden Bush answered with a basket to ignite a 10-3 run that swung momentum back to the home team. A steal by Bush in the final minute set up a fastbreak layup from Tyree Campbell for a 39-36 lead, but San Bernardino scored just before the buzzer to trim the margin to 39-38 at halftime.
The second half opened with more swings. East Bay built a 10-point cushion at 56-46 capped off by a Matt Williams layup with 11:35 remaining, only to see the Coyotes storm back with an 11-1 run capped by an Aidan Fowler jumper to tie the game at 57-57.
That deadlock lasted less than a minute. Campbell drilled a 3-pointer to spark the game's defining stretch — a 15-0 run that pushed the Pioneers ahead 72-57. From there, East Bay never looked back, closing out the win and keeping its unbeaten streak intact.
Campbell led the Pioneers with 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting, including three 3-pointers. Bush added 16 points and four steals, while Jalen Foy chipped in 13. Joshua Ijeh grabbed a team-high nine rebounds as East Bay dominated the glass 43-26. Ten of the 11 Pioneers who saw action scored, and nine recorded at least one rebound. East Bay shot 48.3 percent from the field compared to 46.0 percent for San Bernardino.
"Gritty effort by our guys against a well-coached San Bernardino team," head coach Bryan Rooney said. "It was not pretty but I am very proud of how we stuck together. I thought the crowd was great tonight. We will need them again Sunday."
Cal State East Bay (11-0) returns to Pioneer Gymnasium on Sunday for a 3 p.m. matchup against (RV) Cal Poly Pomona. Sunday's game is the second of a four-game CCAA homestand for East Bay.
