POMONA -- Senior Monay Lee scored 20 points and dished out five assists while Breanne Garcia added 17 points, but it wasn't enough as the Cal State Dominguez Hills women's basketball team dropped a 69-58 decision to Azusa Pacific in the CCAA/PacWest Challenge on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona Saturday evening.

The Toros drop to 1-4 on the year as they return to the Torodome to open conference play againts UC San Diego Tuesday at 5:30 pm.

APU turned a two-point lead after one quarter to a 14-point lead at the break behind a 20-8 edge in points in the paint, an 11-2 edge in bench points and a 15-3 advantage in 2nd chance points.

Faced with a 19-point deficit with 1:55 left in the third quarter, consecutive triples by Lee gave the Toros life at 53-40, but a layup and free throw pushed the Cougar lead to 16 entering the fourth and final quarter.

A Lee jumper and Garcia 3-pointer gave CSUDH life early in the fourth, only to see the Cougars push their lead to as much as 20 points, reaching a game-hihg 23 at 68-45 with 3:06 left in regulation.

Freshman Imari Brown gave the Cardinal and Gold a boost with four straight points two minutes later, and a Garcia triple and two more free throws by Brown cut CSUDH's deficit to just 68-58 with a minute left, but it was much too little, too late as APU earned the 69-58 win.

APU's Kelly Hardeman poured in 25 points and grabbed 14 boards as the Cougars connected for 40% of their shots.

Garcia finished with 17 points and Brown 10, while Kielyn Wilson pulled down 14 boards to tie Hardeman for game-high honors.