Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO -- Cal State L.A.'s women's basketball team got some much-needed late heroics from newcomer Lorin Hammer in its 2010-11 season opener.

Hammer tossed in a shot from well behind the halfcourt line to end the first half and hit a fallaway 15-foot jumper with 1.4 seconds remaining in regulation and helped the Golden Eagles pull out a 73-69 win over Academy of Art Sunday in San Francisco.

Cal State L.A. erased a seven-point deficit in the second half and scored the first seven points of overtime to put the game away.

The win was an exciting one for new head coach Janell Jones in her first game on the sidelines for Cal State L.A.

Cal State L.A.'s Lacy Ramon had 24 points and six rebounds to lead three Golden Eagles in double figures. Hammer finished with 19 points and six rebounds and Alisha Belt had 18 points.

Academy of Art (0-1) got 18 points from Devin London to lead four players in double figures. Verity Peets had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Nicole DeRosier had 11 points and five rebounds and Madeline Martin had 11 points and four assists.

Cal State L.A. shot 47.3 percent from the field and held Academy of Art to just 37.3 percent shooting. Cal State L.A. was on the short end of the rebounding count, 40-33. The Golden Eagles committed 29 turnovers, but forced Academy of Art into 32 turnovers.

The Golden Eagles led early, 11-6, but Academy of Art forged into the lead and and took a 27-20 lead with 2:17 to go in the half. Baskets by Hammer and Shatori Dearman cut it to 27-24 before Hammer made her miraculous shot from almost three-quarters of the court away to tie it at the halftime buzzer.

Academy of Art built leads as large as seven points in the second half, the final time at 48-41 with 9:52 remaining. The Golden Eagles fought back and finally tied the game at 53-53 after a basket by Hammer with 4:53 to go. A steal by Brionna Baker led to a basket by Belt to tie it again at 55-55, but Academy of Art went on a quick 6-2 run to open up a 61-57 lead with 54 seconds left.

Two free throws by Belt cut the deficit to 61-59 and an Academy of Art turnover gave the Golden Eagles possession with 21 seconds to go. After a timeout, Hammer hit her game-tying fallaway jumper to send the game into overtime.

The Golden Eagles scored the first seven points of overtime and never looked back. A 3-pointer by Ramon, a layup by Belt off an assist from Ramon and a pair of free throws by Ramon made it 68-61 with three minutes to go. After Academy of Art cut the deficit to four points, a jumper by Stacie Whitley boosted the advantage back to six points with 1:11 to go and the Golden Eagles led by at least three points the rest of the way.

Cal State L.A. will return to action on Saturday with its home opener against San Diego Christian at 2 p.m. in the Eagles Nest.