LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's men's basketball team had a rough outing Thursday night against Cal State San Bernardino and that's probably putting it mildly.
The Golden Eagles went ice cold after a promising start and fell to the Coyotes, 71-40, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game in University Gym. Cal State LA (10-7, 6-5 CCAA) held a 22-17 lead with about nine minutes left in the first half and then scored only 18 points over the final 29 minutes.
It was hardly the outcome the Golden Eagles were hoping for after their tremendous comeback victory at Chico State on Saturday. In that game, the Golden Eagles erased a 22-point deficit in the final 14 minutes of regulation and won in overtime, 92-90.
On Thursday, the Golden Eagles started well, but the Coyotes (11-6, 7-4 CCAA) closed out the first half with a 23-7 run to take a 40-29 halftime lead and then held Cal State LA to only three baskets in the second half while enjoying a 31-11 advantage over the final 20 minutes.
Ja'Sean Lewis had a double-double for the Golden Eagles with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, but he was the only player to reach double digits.
Naradain James had a game-high 28 points for the Coyotes and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Malik Rhodes had 17 points and Justice Green had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Kenneth Cyprian had six points and three assists for the Golden Eagles, while
Shacquille Dawkins had five points.
Cal State LA shot just 21.0 percent for the game (13-of-62), 18.8 percent from 3-point range (6-of-32) and 38.1 percent from the free-throw line (8-of-21). Cal State San Bernardino shot 41.1 percent (23-of-56) overall, 35.7 percent from 3-point range (5-of-14) and 87 percent from the free-throw line (20-of-23).
Cal State LA was out-rebounded, 53-34 and committed 18 turnovers to 21 for the Coyotes.
The 40 points were a season-low for the Golden Eagles, whose previous low was 61 points and that came in a 61-56 win over UC San Diego.
The game started with promise for the Golden Eagles, who took a 12-9 lead after back-to-back 3-pointers from Lewis and Dawkins and then took their biggest lead at 22-17 after a pair of free throws from Cyprian and a layup by
Anthony Fitzpatrick. The Coyotes, though, rattled off a 13-0 run to take a 30-22 lead and, after
Devin Means hit a free throw and Cyprian hit a 3-pointer, went on another 10-0 run to take a 40-26 lead. A 3-pointer late in the first half by
Bailey Kikuchi made it 40-29 at halftime.
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The Golden Eagles, though, saw things get worse in the second half. Cal State San Bernardino scored the first nine points to take a 49-29 lead before Lewis stopped the run with a 3-pointer with 13:35 left in the game. Cal State LA never got closer than 17 points the rest of the way and finished the second half 3-of-29 from the floor, including 1-of-16 from 3-point range.
Cal State LA will return to action on Saturday with a home game against Cal Poly Pomona at 3 p.m.
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