Box Score
HAYWARD -- Cal State L.A.'s men's basketball team salvaged a split of this week's California Collegiate Athletic Association road games, but the Golden Eagles had a real battle on their hands Saturday.
The Golden Eagles trailed for much of the game and needed some clutch plays down the stretch to hold off Cal State East Bay, 67-63, Saturday in Pioneer Gym. Cal State L.A. (11-3, 7-3 CCAA) won for the fifth time in its last six contests.
David Norris and
Franklin Session both had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Golden Eagles, while
Carl Hoffman had 12 points and
Chris Robinson had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Roshun Wynne had a game-high19 points for the Pioneers (2-12, 0-10 CCAA), while George Toyama had 14 points.
Cal State L.A. shot 50 percent for the game, knocking down 23 of its 46 field-goal attempts. Cal State East Bay made 38.9 percent. The Golden Eagles struggled from behind the 3-point arc, making only four of 16 attempts, while the Pioneers were 7-of-20.
Cal State L.A. enjoyed a 40-23 rebounding edg, but also committed 15 turnovers to only 11 for the Pioneers. The Golden Eagles were 17-of-27 from the free-throw line, while the Pioneers were 14-of-17.
The game wasn't decided until the final seconds. Hoffman put the Golden Eagles ahead for good at 61-60 with 2:03 to go and
Bussey Ellis hit a pair of free throws to make it 63-60 with 48 seconds remaining. Session then made a steal and a slam dunk to put the Golden Eagles ahead, 65-60 with just 12 seconds remaining.
Toyama, though, converted on a three-point play to slice it to 65-63 and, after Ellis made one free throw with six seconds left to make it 66-63, the Pioneers misfired on a 3-pointer and Session made a final free throw to end it.
The Golden Eagles were in for a battle the entire evening. Cal State L.A. took an early five-point lead at 13-8 after a 3-pointer by Robinson, but the Pioneers surged back and took a six-point edge at 23-17 following a 3-pointer by Toyama. The Golden Eagles still trailed by six points, 28-22, before closing the half on a 6-0 run on a three-point play by Session, a free throw by
Trevor Hopkins and a basket by Hoffman.
The Golden Eagles trailed by as many as seven points in the second half, 52-45, with 9:11 to go. Cal State L.A., though, went on a 10-2 run and took a 55-54 lead on a basket by Valentine Ike with 6:17 remaining. Cal State East Bay took its final lead at 60-59 with three minutes left, but Hoffman's basket off an assist by Robinson put the Golden Eagles ahead for good, 61-60, with two minutes remaining.
Cal State L.A. will return to action next Friday with a home game against Humboldt State.
