Box Score LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s men's basketball team had a bad start, a bad finish and wound up with a bad result in its California Collegiate Athletic Association game against Cal State East Bay.
 
The Golden Eagles shot just 32 percent and missed 16 of their 24 free-throw attempts in a disappointing 54-45 loss to the Pioneers Friday in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (5-4, 2-3 CCAA) trailed for the entire game and, after getting itself in position to make a big comeback, faltered down the stretch.
 
The Golden Eagles pulled to within one point at 44-43 with 2:24 remaining, but had three turnovers in their next four possessions while Cal State East Bay (4-5, 3-2 CCAA) hit eight straight free throws down the stretch to pull away at the end.
 
The Golden Eagles shot 18-of-57 overall (31.6 percent) and were a frigid 1-of-16 from behind the 3-point arc. Cal State East Bay wasn't much better at 17-of-52 overall (32.7 percent), but the Pioneers knocked down five of their 15 attempts from behind the arc and were 15-of-22 from the free-throw line.
 
Cal State L.A. had a 48-38 rebounding edge, but also committed 22 turnovers to 18 for Cal State East Bay.
 
James Tillman had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Eagles, while Joshua Munzon had 11 points and four rebounds. Jordan Richard had 10 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.
 
Jason Smith had a game-high 21 points to lead Cal State East Bay, which also got eight points from Jacari Whitfield and six points and a game-high 14 rebounds from Nick Marshall. He also had four blocks and four steals.
 
Solomon Singer finished with seven points and four rebounds for Cal State L.A.
 
The Golden Eagles dug themselves an early hole and never could recover. The Pioneers scored the first four points of the game and led the rest of the way. A 3-pointer by Smith gave the Pioneers their first 10-point lead of the game at 14-4. The Golden Eagles got to within 18-12 after a 3-pointer by Munzon, but Cal State East Bay built a 14-point lead before a basket by Tillman made it 28-16 at halftime.
 
Cal State East Bay took its biggest lead at 38-23 with 14:59 to play and kept the Golden Eagles at bay until a late surge. Cal State L.A. still trailed by 10 points, 44-34, with 8:16 to go, but scored nine straight points to pull to within one, 44-43, with 4:56 remaining. An offensive rebound and layup by Richard, a free throw by Singer, a tip-in by Richard, two more free throws by Singer and a layup by Tillman got the Golden Eagles to within a single point with 2:24 to go.
 
The Golden Eagles, though, managed only a layup by Willie Trimble in the waning seconds while Cal State East Bay closed the game with a 10-2 run.

Cal State L.A. will return to action on Saturday with a home game against Cal State Monterey Bay.