Game ReplayLOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s women's basketball team completed a successful opening weekend of conference weekend with an impressive win over one of the California Collegiate Athletic Association's top programs.
The Golden Eagles built leads as large as 22 points and held on for a 73-66 victory over Chico State Saturday night in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (3-3, 2-0 CCAA) posted an overtime win on Friday over Cal State Stanislaus and emerged as one of five teams to complete the first weekend of conference play unscathed.
Kiah Knox had 15 points to lead three Golden Eagles in double figures.
Kiara Harewood had 14 points and 10 rebounds, giving her 25 rebounds in the two games this weekend.
Chiara DiMarco had 14 points and six assists.
Brooke Bowen had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Chico State (3-3, 0-2 CCAA). Hannah Womack and Tyler Prange had 10 points each.
Kaija Powell just missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds for the Golden Eagles.
Cal State L.A. shot 39.4 percent (26-of-66) while Chico State shot 39.0 percent (23-of-59). The Golden Eagles were 5-of-20 from behind the 3-point arc, while Chico State was 4-of-20. The Golden Eagles were 17-of-28 from the free-throw line, while the Wildcats were 15-of-20. Cal State L.A. had 17 turnovers to 20 for Chico State.
Cal State L.A. had a 47-41 rebounding advantage.
The Golden Eagles also took advantage of their strengths inside as their guards found Knox, Harewood and
Geena Greene (six points and three rebounds in eight minutes) for high-percentage shots.
Cal State L.A. took its biggest lead of the game at 62-40 after a 3-pointer by DiMarco with 8:38 remaining in the game. Chico State, though, chipped away steadily at the lead down the stretch, but never could quite get over the hump. The Wildcats pulled to within 69-63 with 1:12 left, but Knox scored inside to make it 71-63. A 3-pointer by Tyler Prange cut the deficit to just five points at 71-66, but by then only 17 seconds remained.
DiMarco hit two free throws for the Golden Eagles to put the game away.
Chico State scored the first three points of the game and held its last lead at 24-23. Three consecutive layups – two by Harewood and one by Knox – gave the Golden Eagles a 29-24 lead and they never looked back.
A pair of free throws by DiMarco gave the Golden Eagles their first double-digit lead at 37-27 and baskets by Greene and DiMarco made it 41-27 before the Golden Eagles settled for a 41-29 halftime lead.
Cal State L.A. then used a strong opening surge in the second half, ultimately opening up the 22-point lead after DiMarco's 3-pointer.
Cal State L.A. will return to action next Saturday with a home game against Cal State Dominguez Hills at 3 p.m.
