2024-25 Cal State LA Men's Basketball - Season Summary

LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's men's basketball team still had some late-season heroics left in a 2024-25 season highlighted by another conference tournament trip and a pair of 1,000-point career milestones reached by two of the program's elite four-year players.

The Golden Eagles did an admirable job of following up their record-breaking 2023-24 season that saw them win their first-ever California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament title and set a new single-season mark for wins with 24. Cal State LA overcame a slow start to the 2024-25 season that included a 2-4 record in non-conference games against some of the West Region's top teams and battled down the stretch to secure a sixth-place finish in the conference with a 10-12 record.

The sixth and final tournament bid came down to a must-win showdown at Cal State East Bay in the next-to-last game of the season in Hayward. The two combatants entered the game tied and the Golden Eagles could clinch a spot with a second straight win against the Pioneers.

Cal State LA had won the first meeting, 87-81, in an excellent showing in University Gym. The Golden Eagles shot a sizzling 62.2 percent and led for nearly the entire game. Cal State LA shot 68 percent in the opening half while building a 48-40 halftime lead and led by as many as 15 points in the second half before holding on down the stretch.

The rematch five weeks later was a lot different.

In the second meeting, Cal State LA struggled from the get-go, managing only 19 first-half points, while falling behind 32-19, at the break. The Golden Eagles managed to stay afloat thanks to Shane Bell, who scored 10 of his 17 points in the first half while the rest of the team struggled.

Things got worse before they got better and the Golden Eagles trailed by 17 points with 19 minutes to play.

Then Corey Cofield II happened.

In a stunning turnaround, Cofield II scored 26 of his career-high 30 points to lead Cal State LA on a comeback for the ages. With Cofield II willing his team on, the Golden Eagles went on an incredible 43-18 run that turned a 36-19 deficit into a 62-54 lead. Cal State LA held on for a 68-65 win and punched their way back into the CCAA Tournament for a second straight season.

It wasn't an easy season for the Golden Eagles, who had to overcome an inordinate amount of obstacles along the way. The team's resilience and dedication, though, enabled them to reach the tourney.

There was no better example of the team's resilience than a crucial 86-78 win over Cal State San Bernardino on Feb. 8. Down a pair of starters due to injury and illness, the Golden Eagles riddled Cal State San Bernardino's defense with a 56 percent shooting performance and led from start to finish. Dominic Escobar had 24 points and Cofield II had 23 to lead the way.

Cal State LA also had a pair of significant career achievements during the season. Bell and Escobar, who have been such a big part of Cal State LA's resurgence over the past five years, both hit the 1,000-point mark, etching their names into the program history books.

Bell got to 1,000 points with a layup late in a game at Chico State on Jan. 25. He had a breakout season in 2022-23 and earned All-CCAA and All-West Region honors in 2023-24. He also earned second-team All-CCAA honors in 2024-25 and finished his career with 1,155 points.

Then, in an important 83-79 win at Stanislaus State on Feb. 15, Escobar joined him in the 1,000-point club. Escobar's 1,000th point came courtesy of a clutch free throw with 26 seconds remaining and he made two more free throws with 11 seconds left to secure the victory.

Escobar also had a breakout season as a sophomore and he earned second-team All-CCAA honors as a junior. He earned All-CCAA honorable mention for a second time in 2024-25. He finished his Cal State LA career with 1,058 points.

It was a challenging season for the Golden Eagles, who didn't enjoy the same early-season success they had in 2024-25 when they won five of six games against non-CCAA competition and helped build a resume that netted them the No. 1 seed in the West Region.

Although they beat Fresno Pacific, 86-59, and exacted a bit of revenge on Azusa Pacific in a 70-49 road win over the team that had beaten them in a first-round NCAA battle in University Gym in 2023-24, the Golden Eagles dropped contests to Concordia, Biola, Vanguard, and Northwest Nazarene and never could quite get over the hump during a competitive conference schedule.

Cal State LA had impressive wins over tournament qualifiers Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona, but the Golden Eagles were 0-6 against the other tourney teams - Cal State Dominguez Hills, Chico State and Cal Poly Humboldt. The Golden Eagles had trouble maintaining a full squad with a series of injuries and illness, but they persevered and kept themselves in the mix for a tournament spot all year.

They were led by Cofield II, who was unstoppable down the stretch. He scored 20 or more points in the final seven games of the season and eight of the last nine. He led the team in scoring with a 19.7 points per game average and also in rebounding with 6.9 per game. He finished second in the conference in scoring and earned first-team All-CCAA and second-team All-West Region honors.

Bell was second on the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game and he led the team and was fourth in the CCAA with 4.1 assists per game. He was also second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio.

Escobar was third on the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game, while newcomer Rafael Gay averaged 9.8 points per game.

Jaden Lazo, who began his Cal State LA career as a walk-on in the same recruiting class as Bell and Escobar, wrapped up his amazing journey by being the only player to start all 29 games for the Golden Eagles last season.

Cal State LA also got strong contributions from freshman Devin Ringer, who averaged 6.0 points per game and made three starts, and redshirt freshman Connor Scales, who averaged 4.3 points per game and appeared in 28 of the team's 29 games.

Cal State LA Men's Basketball
2024-25 Overall Record: 12-17. CCAA Record: 10-12 (6th)
D2 CCA All-Region: Corey Cofield II (2nd team)
All-CCAA: Corey Cofield II (1st team), Shane Bell (2nd team), Dominic Escobar (honorable mention) 
CCAA Winter Academic Honor Roll: Robin Kniss, Jaden Lazo, Michael Pearson Jr., Jordan Rosales, Connor Scales, Martin Zarzuela
CCAA 2024-25 All-Academic Team: Robin Kniss, Michael Pearson Jr., Damarion Pouncil, Connor Scales, Jordan Rosales
2024-25 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award: Robin Kniss, Connor Scales, Jordan Rosales, Martin Zarzuela