The Cal State LA women’s basketball team secured its fourth consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) tournament appearance following a dominant 70-40 victory against Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday, Feb. 22. The team is also in the hunt for a spot in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II West Regionals, something it can automatically qualify for with a CCAA tournament victory.
The Golden Eagles were flawless on both sides of the ball to earn that final CCAA tournament spot against the Lumberjacks. After a slow start for both teams, the Golden Eagles just took off. They limited the Lumberjacks to only five points in the first quarter, and four in the second—the least amount of points they’ve limited an opponent to in a half so far this season.
On the flip side, the Golden Eagles offense scored 14 and 18 respectively, but only shooting 28.6% from the field. Applying pressure to the Lumberjacks and limiting their good looks helped add some cushion heading into the second half.
The Golden Eagles shot much better from the field in the second half, 48.4%, and continued their defensive dominance. They took advantage of shaking defenders and getting open looks to grow their lead and made points however they could: from beyond the arc, at the line, and at the midrange.
Halftime was beneficial for the Lumberjacks as they were able to figure something out to start getting more points on the board. Unfortunately for them, the offensive push came too late and they just couldn’t stop the Golden Eagles from scoring.
Guard Neveah Asiasi led the charge for Cal State LA, finishing the game with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists. She shot 75% from the field while making four of five from beyond the arc. Although Asiasi scored the most points in the game, she was happier knowing she could help contribute to the win and that the team made it back to the playoffs.
“It was a great feeling knowing that we got the last spot and I’m really confident in our team going into this because I know we got a lot to show,” said Asiasi.
Asiasi has grown both defensively and offensively in the past year. She has a ton more points and steals, 231 and 38 respectively, than she did last year, 116 and 25, and in fewer games. She expressed being happy she’s improved her game and attributes her growth to offseason preparation.
“In the summer, I always train, I always do my workouts and then coming into this preseason, it’s kind of just continuing the work,” said Asiasi. “It all starts before season starts so just trying to build on any momentum I had from last season, season before that, the experience.”
The Golden Eagles head up to the bay next week for their last two games of the regular season, where Asiasi hopes they keep building momentum heading into the playoffs. The CCAA tournament is set to begin March 6 at Cal State San Marcos.
