CARSON -- Cal State LA's women's basketball team tried for some more fourth-quarter magic, only this time Cal State Dominguez Hills hung on for the win.
The Golden Eagles, who posted a thrilling 98-92 overtime victory over the Toros 11 days ago in the Eagles Nest, sliced a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit down to five points, but the Toros hit their free-throws down the stretch to win, 78-70, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game in the Torodome. Cal State LA (8-14, 6-10 CCAA) had its four-game winning streak snapped by Cal State Dominguez Hills (17-7, 15-1 CCAA), whose only conference loss this season has come against the Golden Eagles.
Franeka Hall, who had a career-high 31 points while leading the Golden Eagles to the win over the Toros in the first meeting, had 17 points on Saturday to lead four Golden Eagles in double figures. She also had five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Rikke Fabricius had 16 points,
Bree Parsons had 14 points and
Christine Delapina had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Imari Brown had a huge game for the Toros, scoring 34 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Breanne Garcia had 21 points.
The defenses were much stronger in this game as Cal State Dominguez Hills shot 40.7 percent and Cal State LA shot just 34.4 percent. The Golden Eagles were 21-of-61 from the floor and made just 3-of-16 from 3-point range. The Toros were 22-of-54 and just 6-of-22 from 3-point range. Cal State LA was 25-of-31 from the free-throw line, while Cal State Dominguez Hills was 28-of-34.
Cal State LA forced 26 turnovers while committing 17, but the Golden Eagles did not fare well on the boards and were out-rebounded, 46-33.
The Golden Eagles started quickly and built up first-quarter leads as large as 12 points. Two free throws by Fabricius, a layup by Hall and a layup by Fabricius gave the Golden Eagles a 17-5 lead late in the first quarter. Cal State LA settled for a 17-9 lead after one quarter.
The Toros, though, opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run to take their first lead. The Toros outscored the Golden Eagles, 19-6, in the second period to take a 28-23 halftime lead.
Cal State Dominguez Hills opened up a 52-41 lead after three quarters and led by 15 points, 60-45, with 7:44 to go before Cal State LA began chipping away at the deficit. The Golden Eagles still trailed by 13 points before a pair of free throws by Delapina, a layup by
Geena Greene, a layup by Hall and another layup by Greene sliced the deficit to 66-59 with 3:30 remaining. Two free throws by Parsons made it 70-63 with two minutes to play and a 3-pointer by Hall and a layup by Parsons made it 73-68 with 53 seconds left.
Cal State LA got a layup by Hall with 20 seconds left to make it 74-70, but the Toros made four free throws in the waning seconds to stretch its margin of victory.
Cal State LA will return to action on Friday with a road game at Cal State Monterey Bay.
