SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team fell to Cal State San Marcos 78-65 in a CCAA matchup on Saturday afternoon at The Sports Center. Despite a valiant fourth-quarter effort, the Pioneers couldn't overcome a substantial first-half deficit against the Cougars.
 

The Cougars came out firing on all cylinders, establishing a commanding 25-10 lead after the first quarter. Cal State San Marcos' hot shooting continued in the second frame, extending their advantage to 49-23 at halftime. The Pioneers struggled to find their rhythm offensively, shooting just 28.0% from the field in the first half.

East Bay showed resilience in the third quarter, outscoring San Marcos 17-12 to chip away at the deficit. The Pioneers' defense tightened up, forcing several turnovers and limiting the Cougars' scoring opportunities.

The fourth quarter saw a spirited comeback attempt by Cal State East Bay. The Pioneers erupted for 25 points in the final frame, including a 12-2 run to close the game. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome as San Marcos held on for the victory.

• Brooke Donnelly led the Pioneers with 14 points, shooting 4-for-13 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
• Also reaching double figures in points for the Pioneers were Krista Sheaffer with 13 points and Taylor Eldredge with 10 points
• Eldredge also had a team-high four steals.
• Joia Armstrong grabbed a team-best seven rebounds.
• Cal State East Bay shot 37.9 percent from the field for the game, while Cal State San Marcos finished at 36.5 percent.
• The Cougars held a slight 41-37 edge on the boards.

Cal State East Bay head coach Jenny Thigpin following Saturday's game: 
"It is tough to win on the road when you get down early as we came out timid and did not play with consistent energy in the first half. We played hard in the second half which we can build off going into next week but it was a disappointing weekend for us as we need to play hard from start to finish as it is a must win for every time we step on the court to get into the postseason."
 

Cal State East Bay: 8-14, 6-10 CCAA
CSUSM: 5-16, 5-10 CCAA

With six CCAA games remaining in the regular season, the Pioneers sit two games back of sixth place in the conference standings, which represents the final spot to qualify for the CCAA Tournament. 
 

The Pioneers will look to bounce back as they return home to host Cal Poly Humboldt on Thursday, February 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California. East Bay will be seeking revenge after a narrow 63-61 loss to the Lumberjacks on December 7.