CARSON -- Cal State LA's women's basketball team completed an impressive start to its 2024-25 season with a big overtime win over perennial power Western Washingon on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles went 2-0 in the season-opening CCAA/GNAC Classic with a hard-fought 63-55 overtime victory in the Torodome. The result was the opposite of the meeting between the two teams that ended in an overtime win for Western Washington in Bellingham, Wash. 

Cal State LA came alive in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter to get to the overtime period. The Golden Eagles trailed 52-46 with three minutes to go, but two clutch baskets by Lily Buggs and two free throws from Nevaeh Asiasi to tie it. 

The Golden Eagles then outscored the Vikings, 11-3, in the overtime period to win it.

Buggs led four Golden Eagles in double figures with a game-high 21 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Asiasi had 14 points.

Alyson Deaver had 16 points for the Vikings (0-2), while Demi Dykstra had 15 points.

Gabriella Rones had 11 points for the Golden Eagles, including nine on three 3-pointers, while Olivia Hodges had 10 points and five rebounds.

Cal State LA shot 37.3 percent for the game (22-of-59) and was 6-of-24 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles were 13-off-17 from the free-throw line. Western Washington shot 31.8 percent for the game (21-of-66) and was 8-of-26 from 3-point range. The Vikings were 5-of-11 from the free-throw line.

The Golden Eagles were 4-of-7 in the overtime period and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Cal State LA had a 41-40 rebounding edge and committed 16 turnovers to 17 for Western Washington.

The Golden Eagles trailed by four points after one quarter, but scored the first seven points of the second quarter on a pair of free throws from Hodges, a go-ahead 3-pointer by Rones and two free throws from Kyara Walter to take a 22-19 lead. The Vikings took a 28-27 lead, but the Golden Eagles got baskets from Asiasi and Buggs and a 3-pointer from Rones to take a 34-30 halftime lead.

Six straight points from Buggs gave the Golden Eagles a 42-35 lead, but the Vikings surged back to tie it at the end of the third quarter, 44-44.

Cal State LA was ice cold to start the fourth quarter and fell behind, 52-46, before scoring the final six points to send the game into overtime.

Rones and Hodges combined for the first four points of overtime and the Golden Eagles led the rest of the way. Cal State LA scored the last seven points of the game.

Cal State LA will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 20 against Concordia at 5 p.m. in University Gym.