Box Score

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s men's basketball team tried something different Thursday against a Chico State team that had prided itself on comebacks from double-digit deficits in recent years.

 

The Golden Eagles fell behind by a large margin instead.

 

The Golden Eagles trailed early by as many as 12 points and then stormed back with an outstanding second-half performance to beat the Wildcats, 71-62, in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (7-2, 3-2 CCAA) trimmed the deficit to five points by halftime and then outscored Chico State, 43-29, in the second half.

 

Cal State L.A. dominated the glass and earned a 50-33 rebounding advantage, including a 14-5 edge in offensive rebounds. The Golden Eagles also took better care of the ball in the second half, committing only four turnovers in the final 20 minutes after giving the ball away eight times in the first half.

 

After falling behind 28-17 with five minutes left in the first half, Cal State L.A. outscored Chico State, 49-27, to take its biggest lead of the game, 66-55, with one minute to go.

 

The game turned on a powerful 13-1 run by the Golden Eagles that turned a 50-47 deficit with 7:41 to go into a 60-51 advantage with 2:46 remaining. That run essentially put the game away for Cal State L.A. and the Golden Eagles never led by less than five points the rest of the way.

 

David Norris had a tremendous game for the Golden Eagles, scoring 19 points and pulling down a season-high 20 rebounds. No other player in the game had more than eight rebounds.

 

Norris led four Golden Eagles in double figures. Chris Robinson had 12 points and eight rebounds, Franklin Session had 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals and Ryan Wetherell had 11 points.

 

Damario Sims had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jay Flores had 12 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

 

Cal State L.A., which had lost a 14-point lead over the final 5:53 of regulation in an overtime loss to the Wildcats in the Eagles Nest two years ago, made sure there would not be a repeat on Thursday. Once Cal State L.A. took the lead for good with seven minutes remaining, the Golden Eagles never looked back.

 

Chico State came out with more intensity than Cal State L.A. and used a 12-0 run to open up a 16-5 lead in the first five minutes of the contest. Flores, Sims, Rashad Parker and Roderick Hawkins all hit 3-pointers in the run.

 

Cal State L.A. trailed by 12 points twice, at 19-7 and 21-9, before finally matching Chico State's fire and eventually working itself back into the game. Session closed the half with five straight points to pull the Golden Eagles to within five points, 33-28.

 

It was a different Cal State L.A. team in the second half. A basket by Carl Hoffman gave the Golden Eagles their first lead of the second half at 36-35, but a 3-pointer by Chris Sharp gave the Wildcats a 42-38 edge with 11:41 to go.

 

Chico State still led by three points, 50-47, after a layup by Terence Pellum with 7:41 remaining, but Cal State L.A. then took over the game. A pair free throws by Robinson and a dunk by Norris gave the Golden Eagles a 51-50 lead and Cal State L.A. never trailed again.

 

A tip-in by Leland Jones, a free throw by Norris, a steal and dunk by Session and a layup by Wetherell completed an 11-0 run that gave the Golden Eagles a 58-50 lead.

 

Four free throws – two by Sharp and two by Flores – got the Wildcats to within 60-55 with 1:57 remaining, but the Golden Eagles put away any comeback hopes with a free throw by Session, a big 3-pointer by Norris and two free throws by Wetherell to make it 66-55 with less than a minute remaining.

 

Cal State L.A. will return to action with a home game against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday at 2:30 p.m.