Box Score LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s men's basketball team used a bit of role reversal to post an important California Collegiate Athletic Association victory Friday night over San Francisco State.
 
The Golden Eagles roared back from a 10-point halftime deficit and come up big down the stretch in a hard-fought 62-58 victory over the Gators in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (13-8, 10-7 CCAA) took the lead for good on a driving layup by Quinton Watkins with three minutes remaining and then got a back-breaking 3-pointer from Watkins in the final minute that put the Golden Eagles ahead by six points, 59-53. Willie Trimble put the game out of reach with three free throws in the final 17 seconds.
 
The game was a complete reversal of the teams' first meeting in San Francisco when the Gators rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to win. This time, the Golden Eagles were the ones mounting the impressive second-half comeback.
 
Trimble ended with a game-high 16 points, all in the second half. He knocked down three big 3-pointers and made five of his six free-throw attempts. Watkins also had a strong game with 13 points.
 
William Overton, Jr. had a team-high 13 points for San Francisco State (13-8, 11-6 CCAA). James Albright had 12 points and Winston Demmin had 11 points.
 
Julian Camper and James Tillman had nine points each for the Golden Eagles. Solomon Singer had a 11 rebounds to go along with six points.
 
Cal State L.A. didn't have a great shooting night against a tough San Francisco State defense and made just 33.9 percent of its shots (19-of-56). The Golden Eagles, though, had another stout defensive showing and limited San Francisco State to just 38.6 percent shooting (22-of-57), including just 32 percent in the second half (8-of-25).
 
The Golden Eagles were efficient from the free-throw line after a slow start, making 20-of-28 attempts (71.4 percent), including 13-of-17 in the second half (76.5 percent). San Francisco State was just 9-of-14 from the line.
 
Cal State L.A. had a 40-36 rebounding edge and had just 13 turnovers to 15 for the Gators.
 
San Francisco State scored the first six points of the game and led nearly the entire first period. The Gators led by as many as 13 points in the first period, 31-18, after a layup by Albright with 1:19 to go in the half.
 
A three-point play by Watkins, though, sliced the margin to 10 points, 31-21, at halftime.
 
The Gators opened up a 34-21 lead with 18:50 remaining, but the Golden Eagles went on a 12-0 run to get back into the contest. Joshua Munzon hit a pair of free throws following a technical foul on the Gators to start the run. Singer scored on an offensive rebound, Watkins scored after an offensive rebound and Trimble scored on a short jumper after a steal by Singer to make it 34-29. Trimble then knocked down a 3-pointer and Watkins made a free throw to complete the run.
 
A layup by Tillman tied it at 40-40 with 10 minutes to play and the game was close the rest of the way. Cal State L.A. took its first lead, 43-41, after a 3-pointer by Trimble, but Albright hit a 3-pointer to put the Gators back ahead, 44-43.
 
San Francisco State opened up a 51-48 lead after a free throw by Calvin Otiono with five minutes to go, but an offensive rebound basket by Camper and a layup by Watkins after a steal by Trimble put the Golden Eagles ahead for good, 52-51. A pair of free throws by Tillman extended the lead to 54-51 before a long two-point jumper by Albright made it 54-53 with 2:11 to go.
 
Trimble knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 56-53 and, after a San Francisco State turnover, Watkins buried a 3-pointer to make it 59-53.
 
Albright counted with a 3-pointer with 19 seconds remaining, but Trimble was fouled and made two free throws to extend the lead to 61-56. Overton scored on an offensive rebound with five seconds to play, but Trimble was fouled and hit one free throw to put the game away.
 
Cal State L.A. will return to action on Saturday night with a home game against Sonoma State. It will be Senior Night in the Eagles Nest and the Golden Eagles will honor their three seniors in pre-game ceremonies.