ROCKLIN, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team continued its undefeated start to the 2026-27 season Saturday evening, defeating Jessup 78-59 at Warrior Arena. The Pioneers used a strong first-half shooting performance and an effective defensive effort to secure their fourth consecutive victory and improve to 4-0 on the season.
Jessup opened the contest with an early advantage, but Jaayden Bush quickly provided an offensive spark for East Bay, connecting on three three-pointers in the opening four minutes. The Pioneers continued to find success from beyond the arc as NaVaughn Long added a pair of three-pointers to help establish a 22-17 advantage with under seven minutes remaining in the first half.
East Bay continued to build its lead behind contributions from Aaron Reddish, Mason Honeyman and Connor Sheridan. Reddish and Honeyman each connected from long range, while Sheridan provided a pair of baskets to help the Pioneers extend their advantage. East Bay closed the opening half on a 9-0 run, highlighted by a three-pointer and fast-break dunk from Long, to take a 42-25 lead into halftime.
The Pioneers carried their momentum into the second half, extending their lead to 50-29 following a pair of free throws from Reddish with 16:36 remaining. Jessup responded with a scoring stretch to cut East Bay's advantage to 12 points at 54-42 with 12:43 remaining. However, the Pioneers maintained control, using contributions from Bush, Reddish and Honeyman to keep the Warriors from closing the gap further.
Honeyman connected on a three-pointer with 8:37 remaining to extend East Bay's lead to 62-44. The Pioneers continued to build their advantage, with Reddish converting two free throws before Honeyman knocked down another three-pointer to make it 67-46 with 5:52 remaining.
The Pioneers continued to pull away down the stretch, with Takai Emerson-Hardy adding a fast-break layup and Jordan Espinoza contributing a basket in the closing minutes. East Bay maintained control to secure the 78-59 victory.
Reddish led East Bay with a team-high 16 points, converting nine of his 10 free-throw attempts while adding seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
Honeyman followed with 15 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including three three-pointers. He also contributed four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Bush finished with 13 points, connecting on three three-pointers while adding four steals, three rebounds and two assists. Long provided an efficient performance off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while contributing three assists.
Emerson-Hardy added seven points and five rebounds, while Sheridan and Jaden Woodward each contributed four points.
As a team, East Bay shot 46 percent from the field, connecting on 23 of its 50 attempts. The Pioneers made 10 three-pointers on 22 attempts for a 45.5 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc. East Bay also recorded 12 steals, 14 assists and 25 fast-break points while forcing 21 Jessup turnovers.
The victory improved East Bay to 4-0 on the season, as the Pioneers continued their strong start to the 2026-27 campaign with their second win in as many days.
