LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s men's basketball team had its offense in fine gear in its final non-conference game of the season.

 

Five Golden Eagles reached double figures in scoring and the Golden Eagles hit a season high in points in a 96-55 win over Academy of Art Friday in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (5-4) won its fourth straight game and moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season.

 

Chris Fields led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds and Dwayne Jones had a season-high 17 points. Donte Bell had 13 points, Chris Mark had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Artis Gant had 10 points and six assists.

 

Weleh Dennis had a team-high 13 points for Academy of Art (0-13). Josiah Jungsten had 11 points, while Phillip Samuel and Hunter Hayden had nine points each.

 

Cal State L.A. shot 46.9 percent for the game and made 52.5 percent of its shots in the second half. Academy of Art shot 35 percent for the game.

 

The Golden Eagles shot just 41.5 percent in the first half, yet still opened up a 46-26 halftime lead. Cal State L.A. enjoyed a hefty 53-32 rebounding edge and had 22 offensive rebounds. The Golden Eagles committed 12 turnovers and forced 22.

 

The Golden Eagles trailed only once, at 3-2, after a 3-pointer by Samuel. Cal State L.A. responded with a 15-0 run to take a 17-3 advantage just five minutes into the contest. A layup by Leland Jones, 3-pointer by Fields, baskets by Mark and Bell, a tip-in by Bell , a layup by Gant and a tip-in by Jones gave the Golden Eagles an early 14-point lead.

 

Academy of Art then made its best run of the game and sliced the lead to five points, 23-18, after a 3-pointer by J.R. Cassita with 9:12 to go in the half. The Urban Knights still trailed by just five points at 26-21 before the Golden Eagles went on a game-breaking 13-0 run to take a 39-21 lead. Fields started the run with a pair of free throws and Gant finished it with a 3-pointer.

 

A 3-pointer by Demetrius Hazel gave the Golden Eagles their biggest lead of the first half, 46-23.

The Urban Knights got a 3-pointer by Dennis and a layup by Lorenzo Dobson to get the deficit down to 21 points, 52-31, early in the second half, but the Golden Eagles scored the next eight points to open up a 61-31 lead. A 3-pointer by Fields and a tremendous drive and dunk by Tyler Polo finished the run. Polo added another spectacular dunk later in the half to give Cal State L.A. a 67-35 lead.

 

Cal State L.A.'s biggest lead of the game came after a jumper by E.J. Cheatham made it 96-52 with 2:12 to go.

 

The Golden Eagles will now resume California Collegiate Athletic Association action with a game against Cal State Dominguez Hills next Wednesday at 3 p.m.