Box Score HAYWARD – Lack of execution and a couple scoring dry spells combined to make a tough Saturday night for Humboldt State on the road basketball court.
 
Playing in their first back-to-back road trip in two months, the Lumberjacks could not find the winning combination for a weekend sweep. 
 
Instead, Cal State East Bay continued its winning ways by leading for all but one minute. The Pioneers took an eight-point lead into intermission, before using a 15-2 run in the second five minutes of the second stanza to power their way to a 61-44 win.
 
"If you score 44 points against anyone, it is tough to be successful," explained HSU head coach Joddie Gleason. "We had a hard time making decisions and executing and didn't make shots."
 
The home Cal State East Bay defense held HSU to its lowest output of the year of 44 points. The Jacks' previous low was 63 points in a loss to UC San Diego. 
 
A big reason for the Pioneers' defensive success was holding the visitors' top three guards – Kersey Wilcox, Jae Shin and Dani Gaumer – to three points apiece. The HSU guard trio pumped in 46 combined points during the Friday night victory against Cal St. Monterey Bay.
 
"East Bay's defense did a good job stopping Kersey's dribble penetration, and we have to hit a few shots to open things up when they are in the matchup zone," added Gleason. "We prepared well, but the team just didn't execute tonight."
 
The Pioneers held the Jacks to only eight of 24 from the floor with misfires on all five 3-point attempts in the second half and only three buckets over the final 10 minutes.  East Bay also grabbed 37 rebounds to only 28 for HSU.
 
For the first time on the year, senior Elle Anderson led the Jacks with 10 points on five of six shooting and as the lone double figurer scorer. The center added five rebounds and three assists.
 
Megan Shields and Kelly Kime put in seven points each to go with a combined nine caroms.
 
Sumayyah Wiggins contributed six points and five rebounds and Jessica Johnson had four points off the bench. Wilcox, Shin and Gaumer finished three of 21 shooting for three points apiece.
 
After defeating Cal Poly Pomona Friday night, Cal State East Bay (8-5) now sits atop of California Collegiate Athletic Association standings at 5-1 with the win over HSU (5-5/2-4 CCAA).

Brianna Terrance led all scorers with 17 points for the Pioneers. Center Danielle Peacon chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double.
 
In the first half, HSU would hold the lead two times for a total of 30 seconds. Gaumer drained a top-of-the-key 3-pointer to make it 3-2 at 18:22.  Cal State East Bay hit its next shot 15 ticks later to regain the advantage.
 
The second and last Jacks lead came almost exactly seven minutes later.  With 11:25 on the clock, Kime hit a right corner triple for a 13-12 score. The Pioneers regained the lead 15 second later again and scored the next eight points to make it 20-13.
 
After trailing, 32-24, at half, HSU received back-to-back layups inside from Kime and Anderson. The buckets cut the score to 39-32 at 15:11 remaining. 
 
Cal State East Bay answered with the next 11 tallies and 15 of the next 17 points with HSU's only points coming on an Anderson running jumper on an inbounds play to make it 52-34 with 10:40 on the clock.
 
Wiggins hit two of her three baskets for a 52-38 contest before the home team iced the game with nine points in a row.
 
HSU takes away a split of the weekend trip to the Bay Area after winning Friday night at Cal State Monterey Bay.
 
"It was a huge win at Monterey Bay, but we have to play better and have more people contribute," concluded Gleason.
 
HSU will return to action with a pair of games in Lumberjack Arena starting Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. against Sonoma State.