LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s men's basketball team closed out its 2014-15 season with a cold offensive showing.
The Golden Eagles managed only 24 points in each half and dropped a 58-48 decision to Sonoma State Saturday night in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game in the Eagles Nest. Cal State L.A. (10-16, 8-14 CCAA) shot just 33.9 percent for the game and slipped to 10
th place in the conference with the loss.
Sonoma State (12-14, 9-13 CCAA) got consecutive 3-pointers from Mike Harris, James Davis and JJ Mina to break a 43-43 tie and the Golden Eagles never recovered.
The Seawolves finished in a three-way tie for seventh in the conference with Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State, one game ahead of the Golden Eagles.
David Hall had 13 points and five rebounds for the Golden Eagles, while
Chris Martin had 11 points.
Joel Brokenbrough had 10 points and six rebounds.
Harris had a game-high 14 points for Sonoma State, while Mina had 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Davis also had 11 points.
Cal State L.A. was just 19-of-56 from the floor, including 5-of-18 from 3-point range. Sonoma State was only 17-of-44, including 6-of-21 from 3-point range. The difference came at the free-throw line, where Sonoma State was 18-of-23 and Cal State L.A. was just 5-of-11.
Cal State L.A. was out-rebounded, 38-31. The Golden Eagles committed just nine turnovers to 13 for the Seawolves.
The Golden Eagles trailed by as many as eight points in the first half before pulling to within one point, 25-24, after a layup by
Andre McPhail. A pair of free throws by Mina gave the Seawolves a 27-24 halftime lead.
Hall gave the Golden Eagles a one-point lead in the second half three times, once after a jumper to make it 32-31, the second time on a 3-pointer that made it 35-34 and the third time on a 3-pointer that made it 38-37 with 10:53 to go.
A jumper by Martin in the lane gave the Golden Eagles a 40-39 lead with 8:49 to go and a basket by Brokenbrough gave Cal State L.A. its final lead, 43-42, with 5:21 to go.
The Seawolves, though, then scored 10 straight points on a free throw by David Ahern to tie it and then the consecutive 3-pointers by Harris, Davis and Mina to take a 52-43. Martin stopped the run stopped the run with a basket in the lane to make it 52-45 with 2:46 remaining and a free throw by Brokenbrough made it 52-46 with 2:05 to go, but that's as close as the Golden Eagles would get.
Cal State L.A. honored its three seniors –
David Hall,
Aaron Alston and
Xavier Jones – in pregame ceremonies.