LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s women's basketball team simply shot itself out of a chance for a California Collegiate Athletic Association victory Saturday night in the Eagles Nest.
 
The Golden Eagles squandered an 18-point lead due mainly to poor free-throw shooting and a frigid second-half offensive showing in a disappointing 64-60 loss to Cal State Monterey Bay. The Golden Eagles were just 8-of-22 from the free-throw line and missed a golden opportunity to snap their current losing streak that now stands at five in a row.
 
The Golden Eagles built a 42-30 halftime lead with a 7-for-13 effort from behind the 3-point arc. In the second half, Cal State L.A. missed 15 of 16 from behind the arc and Cal State Monterey Bay surged back for the win.
 
Cal State L.A. (9-13, 8-10 CCAA) shot just 19.4 percent overall in the second half (7-of-36), while Cal State Monterey Bay was 13-of-35. The Otters also made their free throws, knocking down 6-of-7 in the second half and 17-of-18 for the game.
 
Samantha Lee had 13 points for the Golden Eagles on four 3-pointers – all in the first half – and one free throw. Geena Greene had 12 points and six rebounds, while Aiwekhoe Okungbowa had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
 
McKenna Hill had 21 points and nine rebounds to lead Cal State Monterey Bay (7-16, 5-13 CCAA), while Jenna Bandy had 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
Cal State L.A. had a 47-45 rebounding edge and committed only eight turnovers to just nine for Cal State Monterey Bay.
 
The Golden Eagles got off to a sizzling start and opened up their first double-digit lead, 25-14, after back-to-back 3-pointers by Lee and Ali Orlich. Three straight 3-pointers by Lee gave the Golden Eagles their biggest lead, 36-18, with 5:20 to go in the half.
 
The Golden Eagles, though, saw the lead sliced to 12 points by halftime, 42-30, and erased entirely in the second half.
 
The Otters scored the first 10 points of the second half to make it 42-40 and back-to-back 3-pointers by Bandy gave the Otters their first lead, 48-45, with 12 minutes to go.
 
Two straight layups by Greene put the Golden Eagles back ahead and a 3-pointer by Franeka Hall gave the Golden Eagles a 52-50 lead with 10 minutes to go.
 
Points were at a premium down the stretch as both sides struggled to score. A three-point play by Kaija Powell gave the Golden Eagles a 58-57 lead with 2:30 remaining, but Bandy responded with a three-point play to put Cal State Monterey Bay back in front, 60-58 with 1:35 to go. Neither team scored again until a pair of free throws by Hill made it 62-58 with five seconds left.
 
Hall scored on a layup with five seconds left to make it 62-60, but that was as close as the Golden Eagles would get.
 
Cal State L.A. will return to action on Friday with a game at Cal Poly Pomona.