Hayward, Calif. – Cal State East Bay men's basketball are still perfect!  The Pioneers incredible season continued on Monday behind a dominant second-half performance in a 73-58 win over Point Loma in the NCAA Division II West Regional Championship.  East Bay improved to 33-0 on the season and punched their ticket the NCAA DII Elite Eight in Pittsburgh next week. 
 
The Pioneers set the tone early, getting off to a quick start with Jaayden Bush scoring the game's first points on a strong finish inside before adding a mid-range jumper to keep them in front in the opening minutes. The first half, however, was tightly contested, with Point Loma responding with a 9-0 run midway through the period to take an 11-6 lead. The Sea Lions extended their advantage to as many as eight following a three-pointer from Caden Harris, putting East Bay in an early hole.
 
The Pioneers responded with composure. A transition three from Ramsey Huff off a steal by Tyree Campbell sparked momentum, and Amare Campbell added a bucket inside to help chip away at the deficit. East Bay continued to battle, with Jalen Foy converting a putback and Matt Williams knocking down a key three-pointer to bring the Pioneers within one. Late in the half, Tyree Campbell delivered a three-pointer to give East Bay a 30-28 lead, but Point Loma answered just before the break to take a narrow 31-30 advantage into halftime.
 
The second half however belonged to the Pioneers.  After briefly falling behind 33-32, East Bay seized control with a decisive run fueled by defense and transition play. Tyree Campbell sparked the surge with a three-pointer, then found Amare Campbell for a fastbreak layup following a steal. Moments later, another three from Campbell pushed the lead to 42-35, capping a 10-2 burst that swung momentum firmly in East Bay's favor.
 
From there, the Pioneers never looked back. Takai Emerson-Hardy provided a spark off the bench with a strong finish inside, while Payden White added a mid-range jumper to keep the lead steady. Point Loma briefly cut the deficit to one, but East Bay answered again as Jalen Foy knocked down a three-pointer to extend the lead back to four
.
With under five minutes to play, East Bay delivered the knockout punch. A steal by Matt Williams led to a fastbreak jumper from Amare Campbell, and moments later, Tyree Campbell scored in the paint to push the lead to seven. The Pioneers' defense tightened down the stretch, forcing multiple turnovers and contested shots, while Josh Ijeh threw down a fastbreak dunk off a feed from Amare Campbell to ignite the home crowd.
 
East Bay closed the game at the free throw line, with Foy, Amare Campbell, and Bush all converting key attempts before Bush punctuated the victory with a breakaway dunk in the final minute. The Pioneers outscored Point Loma 43-27 in the second half. 
 
Tyree Campbell led the way and was named West Regional Most Outstanding Player after leading all players with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, while adding six rebounds and three steals. Amare Campbell was named to the All-Tournament Team and provided a strong all-around effort with 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists.  He was joined by Bush who added 11 points, six rebounds, three steals, and two assists.  Foy also tacked on 11 points and pullied down five rebounds.
 
With the win, Cal State East Bay became the first team to claim a spot in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Pittsburgh starting next Thursday, March 25^th.