LAKELAND, Fla. – The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 season in dramatic fashion Saturday afternoon, defeating Oklahoma Baptist 69-67 on a game-winning jumper from Jaayden Bush with three seconds remaining at Jenkins Field House. In a rematch of last season's NCAA Division II Elite Eight matchup, the Pioneers came away with the victory over the team that ended their postseason run a year ago.
East Bay came out strong in the opening half, using an early offensive surge to establish control. After Oklahoma Baptist briefly took a 3-2 lead, the Pioneers responded with eight consecutive points, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers from NaVaughn Long, to take a 10-3 advantage.
The Pioneers continued to build their lead, with Bush connecting from beyond the arc and Aaron Reddish adding a fast-break dunk to extend East Bay's advantage to 20-5 with 12:21 remaining in the half.
Oklahoma Baptist gradually worked its way back into the contest, cutting into the deficit over the final minutes of the period. The Bison pulled within one point just before halftime, but East Bay maintained a 32-31 advantage heading into the break.
The second half featured another strong start from the Pioneers, who extended their lead to 42-36 following a three-pointer from Reddish. Terence Haywood added a three-pointer of his own, while Mason Honeyman and Takai Emerson-Hardy provided contributions off the bench to help East Bay maintain its advantage.
East Bay continued to maintain its advantage throughout much of the second half, extending its lead to 11 points following a layup from Bush with 7:09 remaining. However, Oklahoma Baptist responded with a late rally, using timely baskets from Austin Coner to cut into the deficit and set up a dramatic finish.
With East Bay leading 65-63, Coner connected on a three-pointer with 1:36 remaining to give Oklahoma Baptist a 66-65 advantage. Bush answered with a layup just 12 seconds later to put the Pioneers back in front, 67-66.
The Bison tied the game at 67-67 on a free throw from JC Curry with 27 seconds remaining, setting up one final opportunity for East Bay.
Bush delivered in the closing seconds, knocking down a jumper with three seconds left to give the Pioneers a 69-67 lead. Oklahoma Baptist was unable to get off a final shot, allowing East Bay to secure the season-opening victory.
Bush led all East Bay scorers with 24 points, shooting 9-for-16 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range. He also recorded a game-high five steals, four rebounds and two assists.
Reddish followed with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Haywood added 10 points on an efficient 4-for-5 shooting performance. Long provided eight points and five rebounds off the bench, connecting on two three-pointers, while Jordan Espinoza contributed seven points and two steals.
As a team, East Bay shot 43.9 percent from the field and connected on seven three-pointers. The Pioneers forced 19 Oklahoma Baptist turnovers, recorded 15 steals and converted those opportunities into 19 points off turnovers.
The victory gave East Bay a 1-0 start to the 2026-27 season, highlighted by Bush's game-winning jumper and the Pioneers' defensive effort. After seeing their postseason run end against Oklahoma Baptist in last season's Elite Eight, East Bay opened its new campaign with a victory over the Bison.
