Late Game Heroics Net Toros 54-53 Win Over Pioneers

Box Score

CARSON -- Senior Kira DeMorales earned her lone steal of the night with 61 seconds left in regulation, and the ensuing bucket, foul and made free throw pushed Cal State Dominguez Hills to a thrilling 54-53 come-from-behind win over Cal State East Bay. Denisha Lundy led the squad with 16 points.

With the win, the Toros move to 3-7, 2-4 CCAA, while the Pioneers fall to 3-6, 1-4 CCAA.

Both teams started cold from the floor until the visitors took a 6-point lead on a lay-up by Tori Breshers, and reached their largest lead of the period at 18-11 on another Breshers bucket en route to a 23-19 lead at thge break.

CSUEB pushed its lead back to 7 early in the second half, before stretching it to 10 on two occasions.

The Toros, however, behind a triple by Breanne Garcia, cut their deficit to 39-35 with just under 10 minutes left in regulation, before the Pioneers again built a double-figure lead, on yet another score by Breshers four minutes later.

Down 49-40 with 2:43 left, a Joi Bertrand bucket and Denisha Lundy trey cut five points off CSUEB's lead, and preceded the play of the game by DeMorales.

Down 51-48, DeMorales caught Breshers off guard after CSUEB inbounded the ball, and converted her shot attempt despite being fouled by Marlene MacMillan, and drained her free throw attempt to knot the score at 51-51.

The two teams then traded free throw shots, with Toro Monay Lee converting the final two of the game, and her team holding their collective breath as a last-second attempt by Rachel Finnegan went awry to give CSUDH its second league win of the year.

Garcia added 12 in the win, with Lee collecting 8 boards and scoring 6 points.

As a team, the Pioneers shot 42.2% compared to just 34% for the Toros, but CSUDH made 9 3-pointers while CSUEB missed 8 of its 9 3-point attempts.

The Toros will take to the road next weekend before returning home for a six-game homestand beginning January 18, against Cal State Stanislaus.

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