LA JOLLA -- Despite 3 different lead changes and junior Jamie Robinson carrying the Toros with 27 points and 12 rebounds, the young Cal State Dominguez Hills women's basketball team could not forge more than a 5-point lead in eventually falling to perennial power UC San Diego in a 74-66 decision.
The Tritons climb to 4-5 overall and 2-0 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, while the Toros fall to 1-5, 0-3 CCAA.
Robinson led the Toros with her double-double in which she scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to go along with a block and four steals. On the strength of a 15-for-15 night at the free-throw line, freshman guard Monay Lee scored 21 points and had eight rebounds, a block and two steals.
For the third straight game, Triton senior Daisy Feder scored the game-high with her 28 points. Feder also had three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Fellow senior Emily Osga added 16 points, five rebounds, a game-high five assists, one block and game-high share of four steals.
The bench was especially crucial in the Tritons' victory, scoring 18 points compared to the Toros' nine. In addition, UCSD scored 29 points off of turnovers whereas CSUDH only scored 14.
UCSD entered the second half on the down side of a one-point deficit, 31-30, after the Toros went into the half with a 10-0 run, but the Tritons strived to shift the momentum away from the Toros and succeeded.
Just 35 seconds into the second half, sophomore guard Miranda Seto drilled a three-pointer to give the Tritons a 33-31 lead. Feder capped off the 6-0 run at the 19:02 mark with a three-pointer of her own and made the score, 36-31.
Later in the closing 20 minutes, the Tritons rang off eight consecutive points in a run that began and ended on treys by Feder. The latter of the three-pointers gave the Tritons a 46-35 lead with 15:22 remaining in the game.
Shortly after an 8-0 run for the Toros, the Tritons sustained their lead with a 7-0 run of which five points came from Perry's clutch shooting on account of a three-pointer and a pair of free throws. The free throws gave the Tritons a 63-53 lead with 4:58 to play.
Despite a 6-0 run by CSUDH late in the game, both teams made frequent trips to the free-throw line in the closing minutes and UCSD took advantage of them. The Tritons' last six points of the game were made at the line, the final four of which were made by Seto. The Redwood City scored UCSD's last pair of free throws with 29 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Toros appeared to be in control of the game early on and broke the scoreless tie on Robinson's jumper only 49 seconds into the game.
UCSD took a while to get into the offensive groove in the first half, but managed to take its first lead when Osga hit a layup and made the score, 19-17, with 7:34 to go in the opening half.
Following a layup by Feder, which made the score, 30-21, at the 3:32 mark, the Toros closed the half with a 10-0 and took the lead into the intermission on Robinson's jumper, 31-30, with 47 seconds left.
The Toros will conclude their non-conference schedule on Wednesday when they host Cal Baptist at 5:30 pm, their penultimate contest of the 2012 calendar year. The contest against the Lancers can be heard live on the Toro Sports Network at www.GoToros.com/live.
(Courtesy UCSD)
