HAYWARD, Calif. - The 2024-25 season opened up for Cal State East Bay men's basketball on Friday as the Pioneers hosted the Pioneer Conference Challenge inside Pioneer Gymnasium. East Bay lost to (RV) Point Loma, 83-66. 
 

Point Loma established control early, building a 15-point lead by the intermission. The Sea Lions maintained their advantage in the second half, outscoring the Pioneers 36-34 in the final 20 minutes.

The Pioneers showed resilience in the second half, matching Point Loma's scoring output more closely. However, they were unable to significantly cut into the deficit established in the first half as the Sea Lions finished with an 83-66 win.
 

• Cal State East Bay's bench provided a bright spot, outscoring Point Loma's reserves 27-26.
• The Pioneers also held their own in the paint, matching the Sea Lions with 32 points inside.
• Andrew Camacho led Cal State East Bay with 11 points off the bench.
• Beril Kabamba contributed a team-high 12 points, going 4-for-10 from the floor and 3-for-6 from the free throw line. 
• Leading the Pioneers in rebounds was Teiano Hardee with five. 
• Max McCall had a team-high six assists. 
• Defensively, Blessing Nwotite had five steals. 
• Zack Paulsen from PLNU led all scorers with 15 points. 
• Cal State East Bay's offense showed flashes of potential but couldn't match Point Loma's efficiency. The Pioneers shot just 35.5 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three-point range, compared to the Sea Lions' 49.2 percent overall shooting and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Cal State East Bay: 0-1
(RV) Point Loma: 1-0
 

Friday's game marked the first day of the Pioneer Conference Challenge. Cal State East Bay will look to bounce back in the tournament on Saturday at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California in a matchup against Fresno Pacific. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.