HAYWARD, Calif. — On a gritty Thursday evening inside Pioneer Gymnasium, Cal State East Bay found its defensive edge when it mattered most, rallying past Stanislaus State for a 56-48 victory that kept the Pioneers' postseason aspirations intact. Behind timely scoring surges, a strong fourth‑quarter push and efficient perimeter shooting, East Bay secured a vital late‑season win with CCAA standings tightening around the final postseason spots.
The Pioneers (11-16, 10-11 CCAA) traded scores with the Warriors early in the first quarter before Lucca Lowenberg buried consecutive 3-pointers to create a 10-6 lead. But after her second make at the 5:30 mark, Stanislaus State responded with a 12‑0 run to close the quarter, sending East Bay into the second trailing 18-10.
The offensive drought continued into the second quarter, as the Pioneers went more than five minutes without a field goal and fell behind 23-13. A putback from Nivea Campbell finally broke through and ignited a 7‑0 run to end the half. Combined with strong defensive stops and physical rebounding, the surge cut the deficit to 23-20 at halftime.
Aloha Akaka opened the third quarter with a jumper, and shortly after, Lailah Carey's 3-pointer gave East Bay a 25-23 advantage—its first lead since midway through the opening frame. After the Warriors tied the game at 25-25, both defenses clamped down and forced a series of empty possessions. The Pioneers gained control late, capped by a floating baseline jumper from Taylor Eldredge at the buzzer to take a 34-31 lead into the fourth quarter.
Lowenberg struck again just six seconds into the fourth, hitting her fourth 3-pointer of the night for a 37-31 lead. Akaka followed with a driving layup to extend the advantage to nine, setting the tone for a strong defensive stretch as East Bay maintained control. Although Stanislaus State trimmed the margin to five in the closing minutes, the Pioneers responded with key baskets from Akaka and Eldredge, followed by clutch free throws from Meredith Gilbertson and Eldredge to secure the eight‑point victory.
The win came on a night when Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Monterey Bay both lost, creating a three‑way tie for sixth place in the CCAA—each team entering Saturday with a 10-11 conference record.
Lowenberg led the Pioneers with 17 points on 5-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc along with two made free throws. Akaka added 13 points, while Gilbertson matched her season high with 15 rebounds in a game that saw East Bay outrebound Stanislaus State 46-43. Eldredge added a block and two steals as the Pioneers held the Warriors to 30.2 percent shooting, while East Bay finished at 31.7 percent from the field.
Cal State East Bay head coach Jenny Thigpin said, "It wasn't the prettiest game and we struggled to score the basketball but our effort on the defensive end kept us in the game. In the second half we played well down the stretch and were able to pick up a win."
Cal State East Bay closes the 2025-26 regular season on Saturday at Pioneer Gymnasium, hosting UC Merced at 5:30 p.m. The Pioneers won the previous meeting on January 15 by a 90-89 score in a comeback effort. Saturday will also be Senior Night honoring the Pioneers appearing in their final home game at Cal State East Bay.
