Toros Hold Wildcats to 22.6% Shooting in 55-40 Win at Chico State

(PHOTO: KEADRICK WASHINGTON)

Box Score

CHICO, Calif. -- If defense wins championships, then the Toros definitely are heading in the right direction after holding host Chico State to just 22.6% shooting from the floor in taking a decisive 55-40 decision over the Wildcats tonight in Acker Gym. Michael Cox led the Toros with 14 points as CSUDH won its second straight and fourth of last five.

The 40 points allowed ties the second-lowest point output by a CSUDH opponent, the last time coming in a 56-40 win over Cal State Hayward on December 22, 1992, and was just four points over the all-time mark set back on December 9, 1983, in a 66-36 win over the College of Notre Dame.

The Toros jumped all over Chico State from the first tip, scoring the game's first nine points en route to a 17-3 lead just under eight minutes into the contest.

Chico State, which dropped to 10-6, 6-5 CCAA, finally found its rhythm in the last five minutes of the period, eventually tying the contest at 23-all with 59 ticks left, before entering intermission down 25-23 after a James Cawthorne lay-up.

The second half was a mirror image of the first, as CSUDH scored the first 6 points of the period, before stretching its lead to 41-31 on a Jamel Ward tip in at the 8:08 mark.

A Robert Willhite triple on the Toros' next possession began a 7-0 run that all but put the game away, eventually increasing its lead to 19 at 55-36 on an Amir Aguilar gimme in the paint, before settling for the 15-point win.

Tim McLaurin and Tim McGrath each chipped in 8 points and 5 boards in the win, with Willhite notching team-best rebounding honors with 9. Damario Sims posted game-high bests with 16 points and 10 boards, while Roderick Hawkins contributed 10 points in the loss.

Tonight's victory comes one night after holding CS Stanislaus to just 34.7% percent shooting, with the Toros again winning the battle of the boards, 51-41, after a +11 margin in last night's win.

CSUDH, now 7-9, 7-4 CCAA, ends its road trip on Wednesday with a 7:30 pm contest at cross-town rival Cal State L.A., before returning home next weekend to host Humboldt State and Sonoma State in the Torodome, on the "Dave Yanai Court."

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