The Golden Eagles shot just 27 percent and lost to Northwest Nazarene, 66-35, Friday in the CCAA/GNAC Classic in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (4-3) managed only 20 points in the first half and then scored just 15 points in the second half in its lowest scoring output of the season. Cal Poly Pomona beat Western Oregon, 79-61, in the opener.
Cal State L.A., which had a program-record 13 made 3-pointers in a game earlier this season, missed all 13 attempts from behind the arc on Friday. The Golden Eagles were also out-rebounded, 45-31.
Both teams had a lot of turnovers – 24 for Cal State L.A. and 23 for Northwest Nazarene (5-3). The Crusaders, though, hit eight 3-pointers and also had 16 offensive rebounds.
Lacy Ramon had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists for the Golden Eagles, while
Shatori Dearman had eight points and six rebounds.
Alla Dzhidzhiyeshvili and Chelsie Luke had 10 points each for Northwest Nazarene. Heather Adams, Katharina Schulte to Buhne and Briaunna King had nine points each for the Crusaders.
The Golden Eagles were never able to shake their offensive difficulties. Cal State L.A. trailed by just one point, 8-7, after six minutes of play and got a pair of free throws from
Angeline Jefferson to trail by just five points, 23-18, with seven minutes to go in the first half.
Neither team could score over the next two minutes before Adams hit a 3-pointer to start a 9-0 Northwest Nazarene run. A pair of late free throws by
Erika Ruiz pulled the Golden Eagles back to within 12 points, 32-20, at halftime.
A basket by
Alisha Belt early in the second half got the Golden Eagles to within 11 points, 34-23, with 17:23 to go, but Cal State L.A. gave up the next seven points and trailed by large margins the rest of the way.
In the first game of the tournament, Cal Poly Pomona got 30 points and seven rebounds from Reyana Colson in a 79-61 win over Western Oregon. The Broncos led by seven points, 32-25, at halftime and stretched its margin to double-digits in the second period.
Megan Ford added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Broncos (4-1), while La'kenya Simon West had 10 points.
Rylee Peterson had 13 points to lead the Wolves (4-5), while Diana Topalovic had 10 points.
Cal Poly Pomona shot 48 percent and enjoyed a 33-27 rebounding edge. The Broncos also forced 25 turnovers while committing only 12 and made 25-of-33 free-throw attempts. Western Oregon shot 44.2 percent and made 17-of-24 from the free-throw line.
The two-day tourney will conclude on Saturday with Cal Poly Pomona facing Northwest Nazarene at noon and Cal State L.A. facing Western Oregon at 2:30 p.m.
