LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's men's basketball team earned a hard-fought victory on Thursday night and moved closer to the top of the California Collegiate Athletic Association lead in the process.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 14-point halftime lead and held off repeated challenges from San Francisco State to pick up an 81-72 victory in University Gym. Cal State LA (17-5, 12-4 CCAA) won its third straight game and remains in a three-way tie for second place in the conference with Chico State and Cal State San Bernardino. All three picked up a game on first-place Cal State Dominguez Hills and are now just one game back with six conference games remaining.

Isaiah Fields had a tremendous game for the Golden Eagles, pouring in a season-high 23 points to lead three Golden Eagles in double figures. He was 9-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range. He also had five rebounds. Corey Cofield had 13 points and four rebounds and Dominic Escobar had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Jailen Daniel-Dalton had 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Gators (14-10, 8-8 CCAA). John Baake had 14 points.

A'Jahni Levias had nine points and five assists for the Golden Eagles and Deuce Walker and Jaden Lazo had six points each. Walker also had four assists and two steals, while Lazo hit both of his 3-point attempts and had a pair of assists.

Cal State LA shot 47.3 percent for the game (26-of-55) and was 12-of-25 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles were 17-of-23 from the free-throw line. San Francisco State shot 40 percent for the game (24-of-60) and was 9-of-27 from 3-point range. The Gators were 15-of-23 from the free-throw line.

Cal State LA was out-rebounded, 44-30, but had an edge in turnovers once again, committing 17 and forcing 23 by the Gators.

The Golden Eagles fell behind early, 13-5, and still trailed 18-16, until 3-pointers by Fields and Lazo started a 13-0 run that put them ahead for good. Shane Bell followed with a layup, Fields hit another 3-pointer and Levias scored on a layup with an assist from Kris Krause to give the Golden Eagles a 29-19 lead. 

After the Gators stopped the run with a jumper by CJ Bellamy, the Golden Eagles embarked on an 8-0 run accomplished by a pair of 3-pointers by Escobar and a jumper by Cofield to make it 37-20. Cal State LA settled to a 42-28 lead at halftime.

The Gators opened the second half with a strong surge and pulled to within 43-38 with 16:30 to go, but a pair of free throws by Levias and a basket by Bell pushed the lead back to nine. After a layup by Daniel-Dalton made it 47-40, the Golden Eagles got the lead back to double digits at 52-40 after a pair of free throws by Walker and a 3-pointer by Fields. Layups by Levias and Krause and five straight points by Fields pushed the lead to 61-43 and the Golden Eagles led by double-digit margins until the Gators got to within six at 75-69 with 1:23 to go.

Okeke hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to eight and, after the Gators got to within five points after a 3-pointer by Parsa Hadjighasemi with 29 seconds left, the Golden Eagles put the game away with free throws by Cofield and Walker.

Cal State LA will return to action on Saturday afternoon with a home game against Cal State East Bay.