HAYWARD, Calif. – For the sixth time in the 2023-24 season for the Cal State East Bay women's basketball team played into overtime. On Senior Night, the Pioneers came back to force overtime and prevailed with a 91-86 win.
 

Cal State East Bay fell behind by eight points through the opening quarter, as SF State led 24-16 through the first frame.
 
The lead for the Gators grew to as much as 14 points in the second quarter, but the Pioneers made a 12-4 run late in the half, as SF State only led 44-38 at halftime.
 
SF State maintained a lead for the third quarter, ahead 65-58 heading into the final quarter.
 
The lead for the Gators was kept until the 1:48 mark when a layup by Taylor Linzie tied the game at 76-76 that was set up initially by a steal from Brooke Donnelly. Payton Sterk assisted on the game-tying score.
 
The Gators took the lead back on a 3-pointer from Alexsandra Alvarado, but a layup by Kayla Rosemon on the next possession, followed by a steal from Abigail Cooper, led to a layup by Linzie with 52 seconds remaining, as Cal State East Bay took its first lead of the game, 80-79.
 
Alvarado was fouled with 34 seconds remaining in regulation and made one free throw to even the game at 80-80. Each team had opportunities to take the lead, but neither capitalized, as the comeback forced overtime.
 
In the extra session, each team traded a layup and a 3-pointer as the battle reached 85-85 after the 3-pointer from Cooper at the 2:23 mark of overtime. Samaria Velasquez was fouled at the 1:44 mark and made a free throw to give SF State an 86-85 lead.
 
With 1:15 left in overtime, Linzie made a layup to give the lead back to the Pioneers, then defensively, the Pioneers made back-to-back defensive stands that were each followed up by a pair of free throws from Donnelly, helping the Pioneers pull away for the 91-86 win, completing a Senior Night comeback. 
 

• In the final game of her Pioneer career, Linzie finished with a double-double after scoring a career-high 19 points and gathering 14 rebounds. She went 7-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-10 from the free throw line.
• With her 14 rebounds, Linzie surpassed 600 rebounds for her career, finishing fifth all-time in Pioneer history with 612 total.
• Also scoring in double figures for CSUEB were Sterk with 17 points, Jaela Richardson and Donnelly with 15 each and Rosemon with 11.
• Defensively, Richardson had two blocks and a steal.
• Thursday's game was the final home game inside Pioneer Gymnasium for Cooper, Linzie and Richardson. 
• Leading the Gators in scoring with 42 points was Alvarado, which matched a season high among any single game scorer in the CCAA this season.
• SF State's field goal percentage was 43.3 percent to 40 percent for the Pioneers.
• CSUEB's rebounding advantage was more than double that of the Gators, 62-30. 
• Of the six overtime games in the 2023-24 season, the Pioneers went 4-2. 

Cal State East Bay head coach Jenny Thigpin following Thursday's win in the season finale:
"It was a great way to end the season as we showed a lot of character and fought until the final horn. We showed a lot of heart and it was a positive way to send out our seniors with a victory."
 

Cal State East Bay: 11-17, 9-13 CCAA
SF State: 5-22, 4-18 CCAA
 
The 2023-24 season was the second for Cal State East Bay women's basketball under the direction of head coach Jenny Thigpin.