Box Score
Los Angeles, CA - The Toros women's basketball team posted its second consecutive CCAA win with a 66-59 victory over cross-town rival Cal State L.A. tonight behind the double-figure scoring trio of Alana Bailey, Ennisha Kyles, and Ashley Johnson. With the win CSUDH improves to 12-10, 6-9 CCAA and now has earned a tie-breaker over Cal State L.A. in qualifying for the CCAA tournament as both teams entered tonight tied for the eighth and final spot in the tournament.
The Golden Eagles took a 10-point lead with 16:30 to play, but Cal State Dominguez Hills rallied to claim the six-point California Collegiate Athletic Association victory in the Eagles Nest.
Cal State L.A. shot 53 percent in the first half and then opened the second half with a strong run to take a 45-35 advantage. The Toros, though, went on a 20-3 run to take the lead for good. The Golden Eagles trailed by just one point, 60-59, with 3:02 to go, but went scoreless the rest of the way.
Veronica Williams had 16 points to lead Cal State L.A., while Jaemy Oda and Amber Whittington scored 11 points.
Cal State Dominguez Hills got a team-high 16 points from Bailey, 14 points from Johnson and 12 points from Kyles. The Toros enjoyed a 34-29 rebounding edge, but had 16 turnovers to 11 for Cal State L.A.
The Toros, after shooting 40.7 percent in the first half, made 57.7 percent of their shots (15-26) in the second half.
The first half was tight throughout with neither team able to forge leads larger than seven points. Cal State L.A. broke a 22-22 tie on a 3-pointer by Williams and went on an 9-2 run to take their biggest lead of the half, 31-24, after a basket by Ashley Kitchen.
The Toros sliced the margin to one point late in the first half after a pair of free throws by Bailey, but consecutive baskets by Jazzi Johnson gave the Golden Eagles a 35-30 halftime edge.
The Golden Eagles opened the second half with a 10-5 spurt to take a 45-35 lead after a layup by Whittington with 16:30 to go. The Toros, though, took control with their 20-3 run that was culminated by a basket by Bailey that gave Cal State Dominguez Hills a 55-48 lead with 7:50 to go.
A 3-pointer by Williams and a basket by Whittington made it 55-53 with 5:08 to go and a basket by Williams got the Golden Eagles to within 60-59 with 3:02 remaining.
Back-to-back layups by Johnson and Kyles put the Toros ahead, 64-59 and two free throws by Johnson in the final minute completed the scoring.
Cal State Dominguez Hills travels to UC San Diego Saturday night for a key conference match-up.
(Courtesy CSULA)
