Box Score

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s women's basketball team rallied from a large first-half deficit, grabbed the lead down the stretch and then watched Cal State San Bernardino grab the game at the end.

 

The Golden Eagles had their hearts broken when a 3-pointer by Cal State San Bernardino's Krystal Urzua hit nothing but net with 3.3 seconds remaining to lift the Coyotes to a 60-59 California Collegiate Athletic Association victory.

 

The Golden Eagles were only able to get off a desperation 3-point attempt by Shatori Dearman from well behind the arc as the horn sounded.

 

It was a tough defeat for the Golden Eagles (4-21, 2-18 CCAA), who trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half, but used a strong second half to take a 59-55 lead with 1:30 left. Urzua, though, scored the final five points of the game, two on a jumper with 1:15 left and the other three on the game-winner that came off a pass from Lisa Takata.

 

Cal State L.A., after shooting just 23.3 percent in the first half, came alive in the second period and made 15-of-28 field-goal attempts (53.6 percent). The Golden Eagles also played solid defense and limited Cal State San Bernardino (13-12, 9-11 CCAA) to just 29.7 percent shooting. The Coyotes were just 1-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc in the second half until Urzua's game-winner.

 

Dearman had a spectacular game for the Golden Eagles, pouring in a season-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds. She made 9-of-13 from the floor and two of three free-throw tries. Jazzi Johnson had a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double and Jordan Kuzma added 11 points and six rebounds.

 

Urzua had a team-high 18 points for the Coyotes, while Kymberly Ooten had 10 points and 14 rebounds and Amanda Ragains had 10 points and five rebounds.

 

The ending was in stark contrast to the team's final meeting last season when the Golden Eagles were the ones who hit a late 3-pointer to post a 60-57 win in San Bernardino.

 

The Coyotes scored the first nine points of the game and quickly built a 25-8 lead just 12 minutes into the game. The Golden Eagles surged back and trimmed the deficit to eight points, 27-19, before a late 3-pointer by Morgan Pryor gave the Coyotes a 30-19 halftime lead.

 

Cal State L.A. still trailed by nine points, 49-40, with nine minutes left before going on a 12-0 run to take its first lead. Kuzma started the run with a basket, Johnson converted a three-point play and then made another basket, Dearman converted a three-point play to tie it and scored again with six minutes left to give the Golden Eagles a 53-51 lead.

 

After a basket by Ooten tied it, the Golden Eagles got baskets from Johnson and Kuzma to take a 57-53 lead. Emily Vore hit a pair of free throws to make it 57-55 before another basket by Dearman made it 59-55 with 1:30 left.

 

That set the stage for Urzua's late heroics.

 

Cal State L.A. will return to action next Thursday with a home game against Cal State Stanislaus.