SAN MARCOS, Calif. — On a Saturday afternoon inside The Sports Center, No. 2 Cal State East Bay remained the lone unbeaten team in NCAA Division II, grinding out a 70–63 win over Cal State San Marcos to push its perfect season forward. The day's signature moment arrived early, when Tyree Campbell buried a 3-pointer from the top of the arc less than three minutes into the first half, a shot that lifted him into the 1,000‑point club for his Pioneer career.
Campbell's milestone triple sparked the first major surge of the afternoon. Moments later, Ramsey Huff connected from deep as part of a 12–2 burst that gave the Pioneers a 10‑point cushion by the 16:42 mark. San Marcos fought back, trimming the lead to a single point late in the first half, but never overtook the Pioneers. East Bay steadied itself with timely stops and baskets, heading into halftime ahead 33–27 after holding CSUSM to just six made field goals before the break.
The Pioneers, now 26-0 overall, opened the second half with a slim lead, but Jalen Foy delivered the spark that broke the game open. His layup at the 17:20 mark set off a decisive run in which Cal State East Bay clamped down defensively, holding the Cougars without a field goal for nearly four minutes. In that stretch, the Pioneers rattled off 15 points to surge ahead 50–33, their largest lead of the game.
Cal State San Marcos pushed back again, slowly chipping into the margin until the deficit shrank to just four points with 4:39 remaining. But in the tense closing minutes, the unbeaten Pioneers executed with the calm of a veteran group—knocking down key shots, securing rebounds, and converting at the free‑throw line to stay multiple possessions ahead. The final horn sealed a 70–63 victory, the latest chapter in a remarkable season defined by composure and timely playmaking.
Campbell finished the day with 10 points, lifting his career total to 1,008—sixth in program history. He now joins an exclusive group of only six Pioneers ever to surpass the 1,000‑point mark, including Hall of Famers Mike Wood, Stan Cherry and Michael Dean, along with Mark Samuels and Will Freedman.
Huff led East Bay with 16 points, going 4‑for‑9 from the floor with all his makes coming from beyond the arc, while finishing a perfect 4‑for‑4 at the free‑throw line. Foy added 13 points, and Jaayden Bush chipped in 10 while also grabbing two steals. Campbell and Terence Haywood shared team‑high rebounding honors with five boards each, and Joshua Ijeh recorded his 41st block of the season, the top mark in the CCAA.
The Pioneers shot 44.0 percent from the field while holding CSUSM to just 34.0 percent. East Bay was edged on the glass 37–33 but made up for it with superior perimeter efficiency and timely second‑half scoring surges.
Cal State East Bay head coach Bryan Rooney praised his group afterward: "This was an excellent road trip against two quality opponents. A huge key for us all year has been our senior leadership and I was proud to see that continue."
On Campbell's milestone, Rooney added: "Tremendous accomplishment for Tyree! He is a great example of the combination of talent, work ethic, loyalty, passion and a team‑first mentality. Extremely thankful he is a Pioneer!"
Next up, the Pioneers return home to Pioneer Gymnasium to host Stanislaus State on Thursday, February 26, at 7:30 p.m. for the first of the final two regular season games on the schedule. In their last meeting, East Bay earned a 71–57 win on January 17 in Turlock.
