Strong Second Half Puts Pioneer Women's Basketball in Win Column on Thursday
HAYWARD, Calif. — The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team pulled away in the second half to defeat Cal State San Marcos 67-56 in a CCAA matchup Thursday evening at Pioneer Gymnasium.
|
|
GAME SUMMARY |
The Pioneers overcame a slow start, trailing 14-13 after the first quarter, before taking control with a pivotal second-quarter run. A 3-pointer by Taylor Eldredge sparked an 11-0 surge that helped East Bay establish a 28-25 halftime lead.
The third quarter proved decisive for the Pioneers, who outscored the Cougars 25-17 in the period. Ariyah Smith's 3-pointer ignited a 13-0 run that put East Bay firmly in command, extending their advantage to 53-42 heading into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, each team scored 14 points with 10 of East Bay's 14 from Smith. The Pioneers finished with a 67-56 win to start the 2025 segment of the season's schedule.
|
|
NOTABLE STATS |
- Smith led all scorers with a season-high 23 points, shooting an efficient 8-for-14 from the floor, including four 3-pointers. The freshman guard also contributed five assists and five steals in a stellar all-around performance.
- Joia Armstrong chipped in 10 points in her Pioneer debut.
- Gwendilyn Aasland had a team-high 9 rebounds and a pair of blocks.
- Cal State East Bay shot 45.1 percent from the field compared to Cal State San Marcos' 32.8 percent.
- The Pioneers also held a slight edge in rebounding, 40-36.
|
|
POSTGAME QUOTE |
Cal State East Bay head coach Jenny Thigpin following Thursday's win:
"It was a great team win for us and we showed growth by finishing the game tonight. It's a great way to start the new year off and hopefully we can gain some momentum moving forward into our next game."
|
|
RECORDS |
Cal State East Bay: 4-7, 2-3 CCAA
Cal State San Marcos: 0-10, 0-4 CCAA
|
|
UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
Cal State East Bay will look to build on its victory when they host Sonoma State in another CCAA contest on Saturday, January 4, 2025. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California.
Latest Women's Basketball
- Cal State East Bay Athletics and Gameday Logistics Secure Working PartnershipHAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay Athletics announces a new partnership with Gameday Logistics for management of team travel arrangements starting with the 2025-26 athletic year. The partnership agreement is in effect for the next three years.
- Eldredge and Smith Named All-CCAA Honorable MentionALISO VIEJO, Calif. - The 2024-25 All-CCAA Women's Basketball Season Awards were announced on Tuesday afternoon. From Cal State East Bay, two Pioneers were named All-CCAA Honorable Mention - Taylor Eldredge and Ariyah Smith.
- Pioneer Women's Basketball Finishes Season on Senior Night
- Pioneer Women's Basketball Drops Thursday's Game vs. CSULAHAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team fell to Cal State LA 75-62 in a CCAA matchup Thursday evening at Pioneer Gymnasium.
- Pioneer Women's Basketball Falls in Final Road Game of the Season to No. 20 Cal Poly PomonaPOMONA, Calif. - paste here
- Despite Comeback Effort, Pioneer Women's Basketball Falls Short to CSUSB on ThursdaySAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team battled hard with a comeback push, but ultimately fell short against Cal State San Bernardino, losing 78-67 in CCAA action on Thursday evening at Coussoulis Arena.
