The No. 1 seed Cal State East Bay men's basketball team continued their historic season Saturday night, rallying in the second half to defeat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 76–67, in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball West Regional at Pioneer Gym.
East Bay used a dominant final six minutes to overcome a second half deficit to remain unbeaten, improving to 32–0 overall while advancing deeper into the national tournament.
Dominguez Hills came out strong early, trading baskets with the Pioneers throughout the opening minutes as the game featured multiple lead changes. East Bay got an early spark inside from Josh Ijeh, who scored on a tip-in and a layup during the first few possessions, while
Jaayden Bush helped orchestrate the offense. Despite the early push from the Pioneers, the Toros responded behind scoring from DaSean Stevens and Josiah Sanders to maintain a narrow edge.
The teams battled through a tightly contested first half that saw 13 lead changes and seven ties, with neither side able to create separation. East Bay stayed within striking distance thanks to trips to the free-throw line and strong rebounding from
Jalen Foy and Ijeh. Dominguez Hills ultimately carried a slim 38–36 lead into halftime.
East Bay opened the second half with a quick five-point surge and led by four at 44-40. DH had an answer, scoring the next nine to retake the lead before leading by seven with 6:31 remaining.
From there, the Pioneers turned up the defense and swung the game back in their favor. Defensively, East Bay held the Toros without a basket for the rest of the game while offensively they ripped off 16 straight points to turn a seven point deficit into a nine point lead.
The rally began when
Amare Campbell took over in the final four minutes. Trailing by six, Campbell drove for back-to-back layups and quickly cut the margin to two. After another defensive stop,
Tyree Campbell sank a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 65-65 with 2:55 remaining. On the very next possession,
Amare Campbell continued his dominant stretch, sprinting the floor for a fastbreak layup at the 2:25 mark to give East Bay its first lead of the final minutes at 67–65.
With the Toros suddenly on their heels, the Pioneers delivered the knockout blows.
Jaayden Bush buried a shot clock beating 3-pointer with 1:18 left, stretching the lead to five. Seconds later, Campbell again came up with a steal and finished another fastbreak layup at the one-minute mark, pushing the East Bay advantage to 72–65 and completing the stunning comeback.
Bush added another layup with 32 seconds remaining before
Ramsey Huff sealed the victory at the free-throw line, capping the 16–0 run and securing the 76–67 win for the Pioneers.
Amare Campbell was at the center of the decisive stretch, scoring nine of the 16 points during the run and leading all players with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He added eight rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in a strong all-around performance off the bench.
Tyree Campbell added 14 points and six rebounds, hitting two three-pointers and converting all four of his free throws. Bush contributed 11 points and three assists, while Foy filled the stat sheet with 10 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, providing key defensive energy throughout the night.
East Bay also controlled the glass, finishing with a 48–35 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive rebounds that created second-chance opportunities. The Pioneers also generated 18 fast-break points, using their pace and athleticism to wear down the Toros.
The Pioneers will take on No. 3 Point Loma on Monday night with a berth into the NCAA DII Championships on the line. Monday's Regional Final will tip at 7:00 pm.
