by STOCKTON, Calif. — The Cal State East Bay women’s basketball team secured its second straight trip to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament championship game with a thrilling 79-77 overtime win over 19th-ranked UC San Diego on Friday night at Stockton Arena.
The Pioneers run their win streak to 13 games after avenging a two-point regular season loss to the Tritons, one of just four teams to defeat East Bay this season. With an overall record of 26-4, CSUEB will continue the best season in program history Saturday night against Cal State Dominguez Hills in the title game.
In an incredibly well-played and evenly-matched game, the Pioneers were outshot 51.7 percent to 44.6 percent and out-rebounded 30 to 26 by fellow regular season co-champion UCSD. But they forced the Tritons into 23 turnovers and came up with big defensive stops when they needed them.
“The score may not indicate that we actually had several key defensive plays to earn the win tonight,” said head coach Suzy Barcomb.
The contest was tight from the outset as the teams traded points in the first quarter. The Pioneers forced six turnovers in the opening period, and Tori Breshers scored half of East Bay’s points to pace the team to a 14-12 lead.
The Pioneers grabbed some momentum midway through the second quarter, as they went on a 7-0 run to take a 28-22 advantage and force a Triton timeout. UCSD closed the gap before halftime, but East Bay clung to a 32-29 lead through the first two periods.
Madison Craig (Navajo Nation) scored eight points in the first half, including a pair of three-pointers. Bianca Littleton also had a big half for the Pioneers with eight points on 4-for-4 shooting. Shannon Bland notched four assists and three steals before the break.
“Bianca’s spirit, energy, and effort were at an all time high tonight, and it lifted us when we were down,” Barcomb noted.
Both squads came out of halftime running, and the third quarter turned into a high-scoring back-and-forth affair. UCSD was red hot, going 9-for-10 from the field in the period, but the Pioneers kept themselves in the game by continuing to force turnovers. Laci Effenberger buried a pair of three-pointers in the third, extending her streak to 45 straight games with a made three. The Pioneers headed into the fourth trailing 52-50.
The teams put on an impressive shooting display in the fourth quarter, continuing to trade buckets. As the clock wound down, the Pioneers got possession of the ball trailing 72-71 with 34 seconds left. Ashleigh Anderson drew a foul under the basket and made one of two free throws to tie the game. The Pioneers then locked down on defense, and the Tritons couldn’t even get a shot off on the final possession.
After 40 minutes of regulation, the teams went to overtime tied 72-72. It was fitting that two squads which tied for the regular season CCAA title with matching 18-2 records and played a two-point game when they met in Hayward back in January would require extra time to decide a trip to the conference championship game.
Despite Breshers and Littleton fouling out in regulation, the Pioneers came out firing in overtime, scoring the first seven points of the period to grab the momentum. But the Tritons wouldn’t roll over that easily. Jamie Katuna, who led all scorers with 30 points in the game, got a steal and a layup to get UCSD on the board, and then Beth Mourier buried a three to bring the Tritons back within two at 79-77. UCSD had a final chance to tie or win the game with 17 seconds left, but Bland made a huge play to block Katuna’s shot in the lane. The rebound went to CCAA Player of the Year Farrah Shokoor, but her fadeaway shot came up short as the final buzzer sounded.
The Pioneers had five players score in double figures and racked up 19 assists. Craig turned in one of her best performances of the season with 16 points, going 4-for-9 from long distance.
Breshers scored 15, and Littleton poured in 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting. Effenberger posted 10 points and a game-high eight assists, while Bland filled up the scoresheet with 11 points, five assists, and six steals.
“Our guard play was outstanding tonight, every last one of them” Barcomb added. “We survived and advanced, and at this point that is all we care about. We are still working towards our goals.”
The Pioneers will look to capture the University’s first ever CCAA postseason championship tomorrow night against a talented CSUDH squad. It will be a re-match of last year’s title game, which the Toros won 76-57. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Stockton Arena. Watch the live stream at www.goccaa.org/watch.
