Game Replay

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s women's basketball team had its chances, but came up short in the finale of its Thanksgiving Classic.
 
The Golden Eagles battled evenly with California Baptist before the Lancers pulled away at the end of a 70-65 victory in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (1-3) built a 53-49 lead with 5:40 to go, but got four straight points from Kamille Diaz broke a 59-59 tie with less than three minutes to play and gave the Lancers the lead for good. In the early game, Cal State Dominguez Hills rallied for a 60-56 win over Point Loma.

The nightcap was a battle right to the end. The highly-competitive game featured 12 lead changes and nine ties and neither team was able to build leads larger than eight points.
 
Kaija Powell had another strong game for the Golden Eagles and had a team-high 19 points and five assists, while Bree Parsons had a season-high 17 points to go along with four rebounds.
 
Courtney Nelson had a game-high 20 points to lead California Baptist (6-1), while Darsha Burnside had 17 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.
 
Cal State L.A. shot just 31.8 percent (21-of-66), while California Baptist shot 48.9 percent (23-of-47). The Golden Eagles were 8-of-27 from behind the 3-point arc (29.6 percent), while the Lancers were 4-of-17 (23.5 percent). The Golden Eagles were 15-of-20 from the free-throw line, while the Lancers were 20-of-28.
 
California Baptist had a 42-36 rebounding edge, while the Golden Eagles forced 20 turnovers and committed only 13. Kiah Knox had a game-high four steals for the Golden Eagles, while Franeka Hall added three.
 
Cal State L.A. started well and opened up a 15-11 lead midway through the first half after a layup by Powell, but California Baptist surged to an eight-point edge, 30-22, before five straight points by Parsons – two on free throws and three more on a 3-pointer – cut the margin to 30-27 at halftime.
 
California Baptist led by as many as seven points early in the second half, but Cal State L.A. got a steal by Hall and a layup by Geena Greene, a 3-pointer by Powell, a free throw by Knox and a layup by Greene to take a 40-39 lead with 13:14 to go.
 
A 3-pointer by Parsons gave the Golden Eagles a 50-47 lead with 8:48 remaining and a jumper by Parsons and a free throw by Knox made it 53-49 with 5:40 to go. A layup by Powell gave the Golden Eagles their final lead of the game, 59-58, with 3:25 to go, but California Baptist went on an 8-2 run to take a 66-61 edge with 57 seconds to go.
 
Knox hit a free throw to make it 66-62, but California Baptist hit four straight free throws down the stretch to extend its lead. A 3-pointer by Cal State L.A.'s Samantha Lee accounted for the final points of the game.
 
Cal State L.A. will return to action next Friday at home with its California Collegiate Athletic Association opener against Cal State Stanislaus at 5:30 p.m.