by by Craig Lifto, Sports Information Assistant
HAYWARD, Calif. — Cal State East Bay jumped out to a 40-13 halftime lead and ended up cruising to a 68-51 victory over Notre Dame de Namur in day one of the CCAA/PacWest Thanksgiving Shootout Friday at Pioneer Gymnasium. The win bumps the Pioneers record to 3-2, while the Argonauts fall to 0-6.
The Pioneers were down 3-2 in the first period when senior Shannon Bland drained a three-pointer to give the Pioneers the last go-ahead basket they would need. The Pioneers would go on a 12-0 run that started in the first period and ended when senior Laci Effenberger put in a layup to make it 19-6 with 8:56 remaining in the second period. The Pioneers would outscore the Argonauts 21-7 the rest of the second to go to the locker room with a large lead.
“We played a great second quarter on both ends of the floor that allowed us to move out to a comfortable lead,” said Head Coach Suzy Barcomb. “We shot the ball well and defended as a team, challenging Notre Dame de Namur’s shots.”
The Pioneers had a game-high 33-point lead at 50-17 when the Argonauts went on a 17-0 run to cut the lead to 50-34. It wasn’t until senior Tori Breshers hit a free throw to break the big Argonaut run with 1:51 left in the third period. The Pioneers were able to stop the Argonauts from making up any further ground and now get ready for Saturday’s contest against the Academy of Art.
“We brought very little energy in the second half and that unfortunately seems to be an issue for us over the last three games,” said Barcomb. “Credit Notre Dame de Namur, they continued to press and trap and take advantage of our careless passing and inconsistent offense.”
Effenberger led all scorers with 18 points on 7-12 shooting and 4-9 on three-pointers in 27 minutes. Breshers and senior Madison Craig (Navajo Nation) each had 10 points.
Bland had a team-high six rebounds in 32 minutes. Breshers, junior Ashleigh Anderson, and senior Bianca Littleton each grabbed five rebounds.
The Pioneers shot 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the field compared with the Argonauts 33.3 percent (16-for-48). The Pioneers were hot from downtown, hitting half their three-point attempts (9-for-18).
East Bay’s 28-12 scoring advantage in the paint advantage tells a good portion of why the team won by a comfortable margin. The Pioneers also turned 17 Argonaut turnovers into 19 points. The Argonauts converted 13 turnovers into 10 points.
“We will have our hands-full tomorrow against the highly potent offense of the Urban Knights,” said Barcomb.
The Academy of Art Urban Knights won going away, 88-68, over Cal State Monterey Bay in the first game of the Thanksgiving Shootout and now faces Cal State East Bay on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4:00 P.M. at Pioneer Gymnasium.
