HAYWARD, Calif. — Playing at Pioneer Gymnasium on Saturday evening, Cal State East Bay fell to Cal State Dominguez Hills, 93-76, in a CCAA matchup that kept both teams locked in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference standings. The Toros used late first-half separation and sustained momentum into the fourth quarter to pull away, despite a determined third-quarter push by the Pioneers.
Cal State East Bay opened the night with energy, trading baskets throughout a back-and-forth first quarter. The score was tied at 16-16 before Cal State Dominguez Hills closed the opening 10 minutes on a short run to take a 20-16 edge.
The Toros continued to build their advantage in the second quarter. With just over four minutes remaining before halftime, Cal State Dominguez Hills held a slim 33-30 lead, but a closing surge stretched that margin to 12 by the break, sending the Pioneers into halftime trailing 45-33.
Coming out of the locker room, Cal State East Bay (9-14, 8-8 CCAA) showed renewed urgency in the third quarter. Lucca Lowenberg knocked down a 3-pointer from beyond the arc less than a minute into the half, and Meredith Gilbertson followed with a layup shortly thereafter. After the Toros answered with five points of their own, Gilbertson scored again inside, sparking a stretch in which the Pioneers capitalized on turnovers to score the next seven points. Krista Sheaffer capped the run with a pair of free throws at the 5:20 mark, trimming the deficit to 50-47.
Cal State Dominguez Hills never relinquished the lead, but the margin stayed within single digits for much of the period. With 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Aloha Akaka connected on a jumper to pull East Bay within 66-61. The Toros, however, answered immediately as Camryn Washington converted a driving layup at the buzzer, pushing the lead back to 68-61 heading into the fourth.
Cal State Dominguez Hills carried the momentum into the fourth with a burst that sent the lead back into double figures, where it stayed for most of the period. East Bay was unable to string together a sustained run, and the Toros closed out the contest for the 93-76 win.
Akaka and Sheaffer led the Pioneers with 14 points apiece. Akaka went 7-for-15 from the field and added six steals, the most by a Cal State East Bay player in a single game this season. Sheaffer was efficient offensively, shooting 5-for-7 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Gilbertson recorded her third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Sierra Morris also finished with 12 points.
Cal State Dominguez Hills held a 45-41 edge on the glass and shot 53.6 percent from the field, while East Bay finished at 37.8 percent shooting.
"It wasn't our best showing as we lacked effort, intensity, and did not play with the energy we needed in order for us to win on our home court," head coach Jenny Thigpin said. "It is a very disappointing weekend for us but we will get back to work and look to get better this week in practice."
Cal State East Bay returns to the road for its next contest, traveling north to face Cal Poly Humboldt on Thursday, Feb. 12. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Lumberjack Arena in Arcata, California. The teams last met on Jan. 10 in Hayward, where Cal Poly Humboldt earned a 93-68 victory.
