SEATTLE -- Cal State LA's women's basketball team completed an outstanding opening weekend with a big win over a perennial Great Northwest Athletic Conference power.

The Golden Eagles got clutch free throws down the stretch from Amaya Fuentes and Ariyah Smith and edged Western Washington, 79-78, on the final day of the CCAA/GNAC Challenge in Seattle Pacific's Brougham Pavilion. Cal State LA (2-0) stood tall during a tightly-contested fourth quarter that saw the Golden Eagles and Vikings battle to the end. There were a total of 21 lead changes in the game and neither team led by more than three points until the final seconds.

Fuentes erased a 73-70 deficit with a 3-pointer with 1:54 to go and she then hit four consecutive free throws, the last two giving the Golden Eagles a 77-75 lead with 34 seconds left. Smith grabbed a key defensive rebound with one second left and hit two free throws to put the game out of reach, 79-75. A last-second 3-pointer by the Vikings accounted for the final score.

Sofia Fidelus led the Golden Eagles in scoring for the second straight game. She hit 3-of-4 from 3-point range and finished with 17 points. Nevaeh Asiasi had a second tremendous game with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists. She hit all three of her 3-point tries. Fuentes had 14 points and three rebounds and was fantastic in the fourth quarter for a second straight game.

Former Golden Eagle Olivia Hodges had an outstanding game for Western Washington (3-2), scoring a career-high 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for her new team. Libby Stump had 16 points.

Mariah Blake had her best game with the Golden Eagles, scoring a career-high 13 points, while Ronyae Jackson had nine points and three rebounds.

Cal State LA shot 46 percent for the game (23-of-50) and was 10-of-20 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles were also sensational from th4e free-throw line, making 23-of-24 for the game, including 15-of-16 in the fourth quarter. Western Washington shot 40.3 percent for the game (29-of-72), but was just 1-of-13 from 3-point range. The Vikings were 19-of-24 from the free-throw line.

Western Washington had a 40-32 rebounding edge and had only eight turnovers to 15 for the Golden Eagles.

Blake hit a 3-pointer to give the Golden Eagles their biggest lead of the first quarter, 21-14 and they settled for a 21-18 lead at the end of the period. A jumper by Mary Cotton gave the Golden Eagles a 28-20 lead early in the second period and a layup by Asiasi gave them a 30-22 advantage. Western Washington, though, closed the period with a 17-4 run and took a 39-34 halftime lead.

The Golden Eagles trailed by as many as seven points in the third quarter, but took a 44-43 lead following a 3-pointer by Asiasi. A basket by Fidelus gave the Golden Eagles a 59-58 lead heading into the final quarter. The teams battled back and forth throughout the final quarter and Western Washington's 73-70 lead was the largest for either team until the final seconds. Fuentes' 3-pointer pulled the Golden Eagles even and her two free throws put them ahead, 75-73. A pair of free throws by Stump tied it again at 75-75, but two more free throws by Fuentes gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good.

Cal State LA will return to action on Tuesday with a road game at Azusa Pacific.at 5:30 p.m.