SAN BERNARDINO -- Cal State LA's men's basketball team made sure the third time was not the charm for crosstown rival Cal State Dominguez Hills in a California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament semifinal on Friday night.

The Golden Eagles got a pair of driving layups from Shane Bell in the final 1:22 and a key defensive stop in the final seconds to edge the Toros, 75-73, in Coussoulis Arena and advance to the tournament championship game for the first time in program history. 

Cal State LA (23-7) posted its third straight victory this season over the conference co-champions and the second over Cal State Dominguez Hills (22-7) in eight days. The No. 3 seed Golden Eagles will now face top-seed and tournament host Cal State San Bernardino in the title game on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Bell finished with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists to lead five Golden Eagles in double figures. Eche Okeke also had 16 points, but was limited to just 18 minutes before eventually fouling out. 

Jeremy Dent-Smith had a game-high 29 points for the Toros before he also fouled out. Jacob Alamudun had 18 points and seven rebounds.

Dominic Escobar had a strong game for the Golden Eagles off the bench, scoring 14 points, while Corey Cofield had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists and A'Jahni Levias had 10 points and five assists.

Cal State LA shot 43.9 percent for the game (25-of-57) and was 6-of-19 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles were 19-of-27 from the free-throw line. Cal State Dominguez Hills shot 50 percent (23-of-46) and was 6-of-17 from 3-point range. The Toros were 21-of-29 from the free-throw line. Cal State LA was out-rebounded by just one, 31-30, and forced 21 turnovers by the Toros while committing only 13.

Cal State LA led by as many as 13 points in the first half before settling for a 41-32 halftime lead. Consecutive 3-pointers from Bell and Deuce Walker and three free throws in four tries by Okeke gave Cal State LA a 41-28 lead with 2:19 left in the opening half, but the Toros responded with the final four points of the half.

A jumper by Okeke gave the Golden Eagles their biggest lead of the game, 46-32, with 18:32 to go, but the Toros steadily chipped away and eventually took a 66-65 lead with three minutes to go after a layup by Andre Ball. A pair of free throws by Cofield gave the lead back to the Golden Eagles, but layups by Dent-Smith and Alamudin gave the Toros their final lead, 71-69, with 1:53 remaining.

Cofield hit a free throw to make it 71-70 and, after a Cal State Dominguez Hills turnover, Bell scored on a driving layup to give Cal State LA the lead. After an offensive foul and turnover by the Toros, Bell hit another layup to extend the lead to 74-71 with 26 seconds left. Escobar hit one of two free throws to keep the lead at 75-73 and a late defensive stop ended with a rebound by Levias and a big win for the Golden Eagles.