HAYWARD, Calif. — On Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Gymnasium, No. 12 Cal State East Bay stayed perfect on the season with a 70-59 win over (RV) Cal Poly Pomona in a hard-fought California Collegiate Athletic Association matchup. The Pioneers remain unbeaten at 12-0 overall and 6-0 in conference play, pulling away late behind timely defense and clutch free throws.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle with neither team leading by more than five points. After Kevin Simeth's putback gave the Broncos a 28-27 edge with 7:02 left, Jaaden Bush answered less than two minutes later with a 3-pointer to swing the lead back to East Bay. The Pioneers held a slim advantage until Michael Saba converted a three-point play at the 2:13 mark to tie it at 38. Matt Williams tipped in a rebound to reclaim the lead, and Amare Campbell drilled a 3-pointer with 31 seconds remaining to send East Bay into halftime up 43-38.
The second half saw the Pioneers maintain a narrow cushion before Pomona closed within one at 49-48 with 11:40 to play. The turning point came moments later when Jordan Espinoza's steal ignited a fastbreak dunk by Tyree Campbell at 10:44, sparking a surge that East Bay never relinquished. The Pioneers twice stretched the margin to eight, aided by steady trips to the free throw line, and sealed the win when Campbell's layup with 11 seconds left pushed the lead into double digits for the first time.
Tyree Campbell paced East Bay with 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including a 3-pointer, and added five rebounds. Jalen Foy scored 13 points and went 8-for-10 at the line as the Pioneers finished 20-for-25 on free throws. Amare Campbell chipped in 11 points, while Bush added 10. East Bay dominated the glass 38-33, with Tyree Campbell, Amare Campbell and Joshua Ijeh each grabbing five boards. Nine different Pioneers recorded at least one assist, highlighting a balanced offensive effort. Ijeh's lone block kept him atop the CCAA leaderboard with 15 this season.
Cal State East Bay head coach Bryan Rooney praised his team's execution: "It was a hard fought win against an excellent Pomona team. I was especially proud of two improvements we made from Friday. We shot the ball much better from the line (20-for-25) and our unselfishness really got our offense going (16 assists on 23 made baskets). Two tremendous challenges coming this week with Chico and Humboldt. Excited to have them at home in front of our crowd."
Next up, the Pioneers host Chico State on Thursday, January 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Pioneer Gymnasium. It will be the third of four straight CCAA home games in a nine-day stretch.
