Box Score LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s women's basketball team saw a determined late comeback bid fall just short Sunday in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game in the Eagles Nest.
 
The Golden Eagles whittled a 19-point deficit with nine minutes to play down to one point, but that as close as they got in a disappointing 80-77 loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills. Cal State L.A. (5-2, 2-2 CCAA) saw its comeback bid stalled by a series of missed layups and the Golden Eagles were forced to settle for a season's split with the Toros. Cal State Dominguez Hills (2-6, 1-3 CCAA) captured its first conference win of the season.
 
Tessondra Williams had 20 points to lead the Golden Eagles in scoring once again. Paige Melville had 12 points and Alyssa Hanson and Bree Parsons had 10 points.
 
Monay Lee had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Cal State Dominguez Hills, which snapped a five-game losing streak to Cal State L.A. Denisha Lundy and Julia Poecksteiner had 17 points each and Breanne Garcia had 11 points. Joi Bertand had the defensive play of the game for the Toros, tipping a 3-point attempt by Williams in the final seconds. Lee grabbed the rebound and the Toros ran out the remaining time on the clock.
 
Kaija Powell had a strong game for the Golden Eagles and scored nine points while grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds.
 
Cal State L.A. shot 43.7 percent for the game (31-of-71), but made only five of 23 attempts from behind the 3-point arc (21.7 percent). Cal State Dominguez Hills shot 40.6 percent (26-of-64) and knocked down nine of its 21 attempts from 3-point range (42.9 percent). The Golden Eagles were 10-of-15 from the free-throw line, while the Toros were 19-of-29.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills had a big 52-36 rebounding edge and was able to overcome 19 turnovers.
 
Cal State L.A. allowed the first seven points of the game and trailed, 13-6, before finally stirring. Consecutive baskets by Melville, Powell and Hanson sliced the lead to one point and the Golden Eagles eventually took their first lead at 20-19 after a basket by Samantha Hansen. That started a 10-0 run that included a layup by Melville and two straight 3-pointers by Williams and gave the Golden Eagles their biggest lead at 28-19.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills, though, used a late 16-0 run to erase a 36-28 deficit and take a 42-36 lead. Three points by Cal State L.A.'s Chiara DiMarco made it 42-39 at halftime.
 
The Toros then scored the first 10 points of the second half to take a 52-39 lead. The lead grew to 19 points, 70-51, with 9:20 remaining following a 3-pointer by Lundy.
 
Cal State L.A. still trailed by 11 points, 76-65, with 3:10 to go until making one final push. A layup by Powell off an assist by Kelli Lewis, a pair of free throws by Parsons and back-to-back 3-pointers by Melville and DiMarco made it 76-75 with 49 seconds left, but Lee hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back to three points, 78-75. Williams scored on a quick layup, but Lundy hit two more free throws with 18 seconds left for the final points of the game.
 
Cal State L.A. will return to action on Wednesday with a game at NCAA Division I Nevada.