LOS ANGELES -- After making program history in a number of ways during a remarkable 2025-26 season, Cal State LA's women's basketball team is seeking an even bigger prize on Friday at Central Washington.

Cal State LA (24-6) has already set a new program record for wins in a season, conference wins (18) and recorded the longest winning streak (15).. The Golden Eagles just claimed their first-ever California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament title with an eye-opening three-game stretch that saw them outscore their opponents by 82 points. Nevaeh Asiasi became the first player to earn CCAA Player of the Year honors and backed that up by earning CCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player honors, also a first for the program.

Now, the Golden Eagles are setting their sights on a first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Cal State LA, as the No. 5 seed, will face No. 4 seed Vanguard (24-5) in a first-round game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Central Washington. The Golden Eagles-Lions game will be the fourth of four quarterfinals to be played on Friday in Central Washington's Nicholson Arena.

Cal State LA is making its third NCAA playoff appearance in the past four years and the fifth overall. The previous four appearances resulted in first-round defeats, a 66-60 loss to Azusa Pacific in 2024, a 69-66 setback to Montana State Billings in 2023, a 65-56 loss to Alaska Anchorage in 2012 and an 82-77 loss to Cal State Bakersfield in 2006.

None of the previous Cal State LA teams, though, entered the NCAA playoffs with the momentum this Golden Eagles team carries. Cal State LA has won 18 of its last 19 games, including a 3-0 blitz through the CCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed with wins over No. 6 Cal State Monterey Bay (74-40), No. 2 seed Cal Poly Humboldt (87-55) and No. 1 seed Cal Poly Pomona (78-62).

Cal State LA will be facing another red-hot team in Vanguard, the regular-season and tournament champions from the PacWest Conference. The Lions also had the conference Player of the Year with guard Kaylee Byon taking top honors. She was joined on the first team by Emma Schaaf, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, while freshman guard Micaela Hanning earned third-team honors.

Cal State LA also did well in All-Conference voting with five Golden Eagles being honored by the CCAA. Asiasi and Sofia Fidelus earned first-team honors, Ariyah Smith and Amaya Fuentes earned second-team honors and Mariah Blake received honorable mention.

The winner of the Cal State LA-Vanguard game will advance to the semifinals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of the Central Washington-Montana State Billings game. On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona opens against No. 6 Azusa Pacific on Friday at noon and No. 2 Western Washington meets No. 7 Point Loma on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

The regional championship game will be held on Monday at 7 p.m.