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Cal State Dominguez Hills Athletics

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Composite Calendar
FloSports
57
Cal State East Bay CSUEB 20-11
76
Winner CSU Dominguez Hills CSUDH 26-6
Cal State East Bay CSUEB
20-11
57
Final
76
CSU Dominguez Hills CSUDH
26-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Cal State East Bay CSUEB 31 26 57
CSU Dominguez Hills CSUDH 33 43 76

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Toros Repeat as CCAA Tournament Champions

STOCKTON -- As the final seconds wound down before the inevitable celebration was to begin that signaled the second-consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament Championship and NCAA automatic berth for the Cal State Dominguez Hills women's basketball team, it was only fitting that head coach Molly Goodenbour stood away from her players as the clock hit zeroes.

Goodenbour, who's now in third year as head coach for the Toros and just won her second CCAA Tournament Championship in as many years tonight in Stockton Arena, allowed her players to enjoy the fruits of their victory in a raucous celebration, an irony in that without Goodenbour's fixation on change, discipline, structure and desire since she began this journey in 2012-13, none of these players would be in the position they are celebrating for the second year in a row after the Toros handled Cal State East Bay in the CCAA Title Game by a 76-57 count, leaving no doubt as to which team is the best in the CCAA.

For their efforts, Breanne Garcia, Anandi Jimenez and Talia Rayford earned CCAA All-Tournament honors, with Garcia being named Tournament MVP.

Here's the postgame press conference.


"I'm really proud of these players, who were strong-willed, persistent and relentless in their pursuit of the CCAA Championship" begins CSUDH head coach Molly Goodenbour. 

"This was another completely balanced effort where they shared the ball and trusted each other, and I can't say enough about them as a group.

"They are great representatives of CSUDH and I am proud to be their coach."

The Toros caught fire early, jumping to a 15-9 lead on a Jenee Gooden bucket.

The Pioneers, however, who took down the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds to get to tonight's title match, proved worthy of their entry by outscoring the Toros 7-0 to take a 16-15 lead, sending a message to the defending champs that they were in for a battle.

CSUDH stepped up to the challenge by regaining the lead, and taking a 33-31 edge into the locker room, courtesy of a Rayford bucket with 39 seconds left.

Tied at 37-37 three minutes into the second half, the Toros upped their game, and showed why they are the defending champions by using a 9-0 run to build a 46-37 lead four minutes later, before the lead reached double-figures on a Rayord layup at 50-39.

The lead hovered around the 10-point mark the rest of the way, hitting a game-high 19 at 76-57 on the final of two Tayler Champion free throws with just 1:16 left in regulation, leaving no doubt on the game's outcome.

Jimenez tied for game-high honors with 20 points, with Garcia and Monay Lee pouring in 15 ponits each, Rayford 14 and Champion 10.

Champion was huge on the boards with her game-high 13, with Rayford (9) and Lee (8) providing a huge lift en route to a 45-40 edge for the victors.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I couldn't have done it without my teammates," begins MVP Garcia.  "It was an excellent game against a good team, but we came out on top and we are ready for regionals!"

In perhaps one of the more social and enlightening moments of the evening, the following tweets from KPAYBacaSports came in tonight from Mike Baca, who covered Goodenbour when she led Chico State to the CCAA title during the 2007-08 season:

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Having earned the AQ, CSUDH officially will know its seed, destination and opponent tomorrow night at the NCAA Selection Show, as it announces the NCAA field for next week's national tournament.

Stay tuned to GoToros.com for all the updates.

 
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