SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Opening up the 2024-2025 basketball season, the Golden Eagles took on the Cal State San Bernardino Yotes in an exciting match up that resulted in coach Christine Collins-Kiernan's 100th win!

Starting out the gates, both teams went back and forth, trading bucket for bucket. Basketball is a game of runs, but there were no runs to be made in the first half. After the first quarter, CUI led by two points, 16-14. The Yotes and the Golden Eagles battled it out for the rest of the second quarter and ended in a tie 40-40 to end the first half.

Opening up the second half, CUI made some critical adjustments to help gain the advantage versus the Yotes. The Golden Eagles dominated the start of the third quarter, going on a 19-8 run fueled by drive and kick threes. The third quarter will be remembered by the Yotes as the former NBA coach and analyst Mark Jackson said, "Hand down, man down," as the Golden Eagles rained down six of the game's total of eight threes.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Golden Eagles held a comfortable lead by 13 points, 68-55. The Yotes made a couple more runs, but ultimately, CUI won their season opener against the Yotes 83-75.

Four out of the five Golden Eagles starters had double-digit scoring. All starter's stats include red-shirt Freshmen making her starting debut and leading all scorers. Maggie Teven had 20 points on 7-13 from the field with five rebounds; Camryn Kiernan scored 17 points, on 50% shooting from three, going 6-7 from the FT line; Izzy Navarro who scored 16 points, stealing four passes from the Yotes shooting a perfect 9-9 from the FT line; Hannah Vela scoring 10 points on 2-3 from three-point land assisting three other Golden Eagles.

"We played today as I always dreamed a team I coached would play, Iike a family, with trust, and relentlessly competitive," said CUI head coach Christine Collins-Kiernan. "They showed up for each other and stayed in the fight. Starting off a season with a victory is always special, how we won today with joy and everyone all in was everything."

Next up is a Saturday contest against Saint Martin's at 1 p.m. That will be hosted by Cal State San Bernardino once again to close out opening weekend.

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