ANCHORAGE, AK -- Cal State LA's men's basketball team raced to a double-digit first-half lead and then turned things over to its defense down the stretch for a win in the opening game of the 2016 Seawolf Jamboree.

The Golden Eagles led by as many as 14 points in the first half and then came up big in the final three minutes of a 74-68 win over Alaska Fairbanks Friday night in Alaska Airlines Center. Cal State LA (2-1) picked up the win in the first of three games in Alaska over a four-day span.

Roderick Evans-Taylor scored a game-high 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists for the Golden Eagles. Jordan Wilson scored 12 points and Travis Hammonds had 11 points and four rebounds.

Brandon Davis had a team-high 16 points for Alaska (1-3), while Michael Kluting had 10 points.

Miles Ford had nine points and seven rebounds for the Golden Eagles, while Geoffrey Frid had six points and a game-high 14 rebounds and DeSean Scott had eight points.

Cal State LA shot 34.3 percent (23-of-67) and made 9-of-21 from 3-point range. Alaska shot 35.9 percent (23-of-64) and was 13-of-35 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles were 19-of-26 from the free-throw line, while the Nanooks were 9-of-11. Cal State LA had a 50-36 rebounding edge and committed 12 turnovers to 14 for the Nanooks.

The Golden Eagles started quickly and opened up a 13-2 lead. Wilson hit a 3-pointer to start the game, Frid hit a pair of free throws, Wilson hit another 3-pointer to make it 8-2, Frid scored on an offensive rebound to make it 10-2 and Ford hit a 3-pointer to make it 13-2. Evans-Taylor hit a 3-pointer to give Cal State LA a 16-4 lead and a 3-pointer by Wilson gave the Golden Eagles their biggest lead at 34-20. Cal State LA settled for a 42-36 halftime lead.

The Nanooks took their first lead of the game at 54-53 and the game was later tied at 61-61. Two free throws by Desean Scott and a basket by Evans-Taylor gave the Golden Eagles a 65-61 lead with 8:39 to go, but Alaska rallied and took its last lead, 67-66, after a 3-pointer by Davis with 3:21 to go.

Hammonds hit a pair of free throws to give the Golden Eagles a 68-67 lead, two free throws by Wilson made it 70-67 and two free throws by Ford made it 72-67. A dunk by Daylin Billingsley accounted for the final points in the final few seconds.

Cal State LA will face tournament host Alaska Anchorage on Saturday at 5 p.m.