Toros Stay Atop CCAA After 64-58 Win Over Cal State East Bay

CARSON -- Reigning CCAA Tournament Champion Cal State Dominguez Hills stayed atop the CCAA leaderboard after a 64-58 win over a competitive Cal State East Bay squad. Wayne Andrews paced three Toros in double figures with 13 points in the victory.

Coupled with Cal Poly Pomona's win over Cal State San Bernardino in other league action, CSUDH and the Broncos sit tied for the league lead with 10-4 CCAA marks, as four others sit just a game behind with eight regular season games left in the season.

With 56 combined attempts behind the 3-point line, tonight's battle ironically was won at the free throw line with the Toros benefitting from 17 makes in 23 attempts compared to 6-of-8 for the visitors.

The Pioneers got the best of the action in the early going, building as much as a 5-point lead on a Quinton Lilley bucket with 5:46 left in the half before entering the break with a slim 26-25 lead.

The Toros quickly regrouped after the break as an old-fashioned 3-point play by Robert Willhite brought CSUDH into the lead at 28-26 on the second half's first possession.

CSUDH used that momentum to build a 39-30 edge on a George McGrew foul shot, only to have the Pioneers storm back by cutting their deficit to just 47-46 on another Lilley bucket.

The hosts, however, would answer with a 6-0 run to regain control, the highlight coming on an Everett Brown to McGrew alley-oop flush that sent the pro-Toro crowd into a frenzy.

Despite the Pioneers knotting the score for the fourth and final time on a pair of Adam Watts freebies, the Toros never relinquished the lead en route to the 64-58 win.

CSUDH was out-shot 44.9% to 37.5% from the floor and 33.3% to 15.6% from downtown, but its 11-point edge at the line proved instrumental in the win.

The Toros take to the road for the next two weekends, starting with a showdown at CS San Bernardino on Friday, February 3.

Print Friendly Version