HAYWARD, Calif. — Playing at home Thursday evening at Pioneer Gymnasium, Cal State East Bay came up against a sharp-shooting and strong defensive Cal State LA squad and fell 101-57 in CCAA action. An early surge by the Golden Eagles, fueled by turnovers, set the tone, and despite stretches of poised offense from the Pioneers, the visitors maintained control throughout.
Cal State LA opened the night with a burst, racing to a 14-3 lead in the first four minutes as it capitalized on early miscues. Once the Pioneers settled in, the game evened out and East Bay began finding scoring opportunities, trimming into the deficit with steadier ball movement and rebounds at both ends. Still, the Golden Eagles carried a 31-22 advantage into the second quarter.
Nivea Campbell opened the second quarter with a basket for East Bay, and the Pioneers continued to answer scores to stay within reach midway through the period. That back-and-forth stretch kept the home crowd engaged, but Cal State LA closed the half on a strong run, stretching its lead to 59-35 by intermission.
Out of the break, the Golden Eagles asserted themselves again, outscoring East Bay 23-10 in the third quarter while converting inside and on transition chances. The Pioneers continued to compete on the glass and look for looks in rhythm, but could not generate the sustained scoring run needed to slow the momentum.
In the fourth quarter, East Bay battled defensively and searched for a spark, yet Cal State LA was able to control the pace and see the game through, pulling away for the 101-57 final.
Krista Sheaffer led the Pioneers in scoring with nine points and also paced the team on the boards with nine rebounds. Sanaa Dennis-Burch anchored key defensive moments, finishing with one block and one steal.
Cal State LA held a slight edge in rebounding, 50-49, and shot 45.7 percent from the field. East Bay finished the night at 35.3 percent shooting while continuing to compete in the paint and on the glass.
Cal State East Bay head coach Jenny Thigpin said, "LA is a very good team, and our slow start put us in a hole. We have to be better about focusing on us and competing for 40 minutes against opponents like that. We'll learn from it, make adjustments, and get ready for the next one."
Despite the loss, East Bay is tied for fifth place in the CCAA standings, as the top six teams qualify for the CCAA Tournament. Seven games remain on the regular season schedule.
The Pioneers (9-12, 8-7 CCAA) will be back on the floor Saturday when they host Cal State Dominguez Hills in another CCAA matchup. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward. East Bay won the last meeting between the teams, 75-65, on Dec. 19.
