HAYWARD, Calif. - After dropping the 2024-25 season opener on Friday, the Cal State East Bay men's basketball team answered with a hard-fought 76-67 victory over Fresno Pacific on Saturday evening at Pioneer Gymnasium in the Pioneer Conference Challenge, evening their record at 1-1 for the season.
 

 
Despite the Sunbirds' quick early lead, the Pioneers finished strong in the first half, building a commanding 43-31 lead by halftime. Their hot shooting from beyond the arc was a key factor, as they connected on 7 of 11 3-pointers in the opening period.

However, Fresno Pacific refused to go away quietly, outscoring Cal State East Bay 36-33 in the second half and cutting the lead to single digits multiple times. Despite a strong push from the Sunbirds in the second half, Cal State East Bay maintained its composure down the stretch. FPU cut the lead to just five points with 22 seconds remaining, but clutch free-throw shooting from Tyree Campbell and Payden White in the final moments sealed the win for the Pioneers.
 

• Cal State East Bay's offense was firing on all cylinders, shooting an impressive 50 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from 3-point range for the game.
• The Pioneers' defense played a crucial role in the victory, forcing 15 turnovers and converting them into 13 points. They also dominated the glass, outrebounding Fresno Pacific 39-30.
• The Pioneers' balanced attack saw three players score in double figures, led by Beril Kabamba, who finished with 18 points, going 6-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-7 from the free throw line. Teiano Hardee added 13 points, and Campbell scored 10. 
• Kabamba also had a team-high eight rebounds in the win. 
• Defensively, White had three steals. 
• For FPU, Seth Brown led the Sunbirds in scoring with 16 points. 

Cal State East Bay head coach Bryan Rooney following Saturday's victory:
"Very proud of our guys tonight to gut out a hard fought win. I thought the leadership and aggressiveness of our two seniors [Teiano Hardee] and [Beril Kabamba], were huge keys tonight."
 

Cal State East Bay: 1-1
Fresno Pacific: 0-2
 

Cal State East Bay will look to build on this momentum as they hit the road for their next game. The Pioneers will face Dominican (Calif.) on Sunday, November 17, at the Conlan Center in San Rafael, California for a 3:30 p.m. tipoff.