CHICO, Calif. — On Saturday afternoon at Art Acker Gymnasium, Cal State East Bay fell behind early and couldn't fully climb back, dropping a 65-55 decision to Chico State. The Pioneers cut the margin to single digits late, but an early double-digit deficit and a tough shooting night proved too much to overcome as East Bay absorbed its fourth straight setback while staying in the hunt for a CCAA tournament berth.
Chico State opened the first quarter on a 12-0 run before Krista Shaeffer connected from beyond the arc at the 5:35 mark to get East Bay on the board. The Pioneers scored 11 points in the period but trailed 20-11 after the first.
The Wildcats extended the lead again to start the second quarter with a 7-0 burst. Taylor Eldredge turned a steal into a fastbreak layup at 8:10 for East Bay's first points of the period, but Chico State continued to pull away, pushing the margin to 40-17 with 2:45 left in the half. Less than 20 seconds later, a steal by Aloha Akaka created a new chance that led to a Lucca Lowenberg 3-pointer at the 2:26 mark, sparking a 7-2 East Bay flurry. Akaka capped the half with a three-point play — a layup and free throw with eight seconds remaining — to trim the deficit to 42-24 at the break.
Akaka carried the momentum into the third quarter, scoring East Bay's first eight points of the second half. Even so, the Pioneers (8-10 CCAA) made only a small dent as Chico State maintained control and took a 57-41 lead into the fourth.
East Bay settled in during the fourth and kept chipping away, pulling within eight in the final 12 seconds. The late push wasn't enough as the Pioneers fell 65-55.
Hailey Estrada led the Pioneers with 14 points on 5-for-14 shooting, including two 3-pointers, and added two free throws. Akaka chipped in 13 points. Meredith Gilbertson paced the glass with a team-best 12 rebounds, and Eldredge led the defensive effort with four steals. East Bay shot 30.8 percent from the field to Chico State's 37.7 percent, and the Wildcats held a 47-39 edge on the boards.
Cal State East Bay head coach Jenny Thigpin said, "We didn't start the way we needed to and dug ourselves into a hole. On the road, defensive effort has to be a priority. We responded with better effort in the second half, and we'll take that momentum home as we play with urgency. It's crunch time."
Next up, Cal State East Bay travels to Seaside to face Cal State Monterey Bay on Thursday, February 19, at 5:30 p.m. at The Kelp Bed. With the Pioneers at 8-10 in CCAA play and just one game back of sixth place — the final qualifying spot for the CCAA Women's Basketball Tournament — the matchup carries added significance as East Bay looks to stay firmly in the postseason chase. The Pioneers won the previous meeting on January 24, 70-67.
