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Men's Basketball

Skid Hits Four After 62-61 Loss at Sonoma State

(PHOTO - KEADRICK WASHINGTON)

ROHNERT PARK -- What began as a four-game road trip that could've separated the Cal State Dominguez Hills men's basketball team from the logjam atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association did just that.  Unfortunately, after their fourth-straight loss, this one a 62-61 heartbreaker at Sonoma State, the Toros now find themselves tied for 6th and fighting for the CCAA postseason lives.

Seawolf Justin Herold got his fingertips on a missed free throw and the ball dropped through the rim to give the Sonoma State men's basketball team a 62-61 lead with just five seconds remaining in regulation.  On the ensuing possession, Cal State Dominguez Hills went the length of the court, but Myron Green's layup hit off of the left side of the rim as the buzzer sounded, sending 1,539 fans into a frenzied celebration as the Seawolves clinched a spot in the 2012 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.

The Seawolves improve to 13-9 overall and 11-7 in the CCAA, taking sole possession of fifth place, one game out of fourth place and two games out of first place.  The Toros, meanwhile fall to 10-8 in conference play (11-9 overall) and into a tie with Cal State L.A. at sixth place.

It was a battle right from the start and the biggest Wolves' Den crowd in five years got what they paid for. The game featured 14 ties and 16 lead changes and no team lead by more than five points at any point during the game, but it was Sonoma State that got the last laugh.

With 1:30 left in the contest, Green hit a pair of free throws to put Cal State Dominguez Hills up four (59-55), but a layup cut the deficit to two and Herold gave Sonoma State the lead when he converted a layup in the process of being fouled.  He hit the free throw to give the Seawolves the one-point lead.  However, Green would come up big again with a made jumper with nine seconds left to put the Toros up 61-60.

After a timeout, the Seawolves ran their inbounds play with Steven Pratt running the baseline.  As CSUDH's Van Girard II kept a shadow on Pratt, he ran straight into a stationed Olsem, who drew the foul, putting the sharpshooter on the line.  But, with eight seconds left, he missed both free throws. 

Herold, who scored 17 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, managed to outjump the Toro big men down low, get his fingertips on the ball that eventually fell through the net for the 62-61 lead.  A timeout by the Toros set up the inbounds play, but Green's attempt to drive the lane was halted and the shot rimmed off, giving the Seawolves the thrilling one-point victory.

As the team, SSU shot 48.8 percent (21-43), including just 33.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc (6-18).

Cal State Dominguez Hills was led by the 13 points of Robert Willhite, in addition to 12 points from George McGrew and 11 from Ryan Jefferson.  In fact, the Toro bench scored 36 of the team's 61 points on Saturday.  CSUDH shot in 51.1 percent of its shots (24-47) and was 5 of 14 from three-point land.

The Toros will return home for their final home games of the regular season, beginning with a Friday match-up against Cal State Stanislaus, set for 7:30 pm on the "Dave Yanai Court" in the Torodome.  The game will be broadcast live on the Toro Sports Network at www.GoToros.com/live.

(Courtesy SSU Sports Information)
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