Box Score ST. JOSEPH, Missouri -- Cal State Dominguez Hills' magical season and historic postseason run came to an end this afternoon in the NCAA Elite 8, falling 77-70 to a Catawba team that ultimately beat them at their own game.

Dawnyel Lair led the Toros with 16 points and 15 boards, but it wasn't enough as turnovers plagued CSUDH in the loss.

The Toros finish at 31-3 overall, having made history by setting records for most wins, most wins to start the season, most consecutive wins, enjoying the largest turnaround in a single season going from 13 to 31 wins (+18), highest ranking, earning the top seed in the NCAA West Region, hosting the NCAA West Region, winning the NCAA West Region, and qualifying for the NCAA Elite 8.

Despite scoring the game's first points courtesy of a Kelsey Bell deep three, Catawba outscored the Toros 11-2 over the next four minutes, putting the Toros in a hole.  A Lair layup on a fast break brought CSUDH to within 11-9 at the 5:39 mark, with Nala Williams connecting on a 3-pointer for a 12-11 lead six seconds later.

The score was tied at 14-all at the 3:24 mark until the No. 6 seed ended the quarter on a 10-4 run to take a 24-18 lead.

Turnovers plagued the Toros in the period as Catawba earned 13 points off of turnovers to none for CSUDH.

The second quarter saw more of the same as Catawba raced to a 10-point lead with three minutes elapsed, pushing its lead to as much as 14 before Deejanae Poland connected on a pair of free throws to bring CSUDH to within 47-35 at the half.

After the break, CSUDH's hawking defense began to cause havoc, while its offense began to warm up.  Poland hit a jumper to begin the scoring, and was followed by another Williams triple to bring their deficit to just nine at the 8:27 mark after Catawba missed on its ensuing possession.

Both teams went cold over the next three minutes until Poland connected on a pair of free throws to get CSUDH to within 49-42.

Catawba, however, behind Sara McIntosh and Lyrik Thorne, the latter who lived up to her name and then some, began to heat up themselves, with Thorne becoming a large one in CSUDH's side.

But thanks to Lair and Williams, CSUDH fought nearly all the way back, ending the third quarter down just 56-55.

Thorne began the final quarter with a triple to push Catawba's lead to four before Poland hit a jumper and Asia Jordan connected on the back end of two free throws to again bring the Toros to one at 59-58.

Thorne, however, made two of her free throws for a 3-point lead before Danyell Booker converted a layup to bring CSUDH to within 61-60.  The Toros had a chance to take their first lead of the game since the first quarter after an Indian turnover, but three missed attempts intertwined around two offensive boards kept the lead with Catawba, with Thorne again coming up with a huge triple for a four-point lead.

Poland hit a jumper to bring the Toros to within 64-62, but McIntosh converted on her end and after a few misses by both teams, Throne hit two free throws for a six-point lead with 3:32 left.

The Toros had one more run in them as they got to within four at 71-67 on another Bell 3-pointer, but Catawba continued to drain free throws down the stretch to punch its ticket to the Final Four.

Williams finished with 15 points and Poland 14, with Bell adding nine on a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown.

As a team, CSUDH turned the ball over 23 times which led to 23 points for the Indians.

Thorne finished with a game-high 27 points that included 10-of-12 from the charity stripe, with Catawba earning a 12 to 9 advantage in steals, a category CSUDH has dominated this season.

CSUDH returns its core next season, but will be looking to replace Lair, Poland, and Bell as the three seniors played in the final game of their Toro careers.

About Cal State Dominguez Hills Athletics
The Toros are proud to be a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competing at the Division II level, bringing excitement and tradition to the campus through 10 different sports (4 Men's, 6 Women's).  The program boasts 4 NCAA Championships, 2 NAIA National Titles, 10 NCAA West Region crowns and 34 CCAA Championships.  CSUDH is one of 12 universities that competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the most prominent Division II conference in the nation with 155 NCAA National Championships, far more than any other conference in the nation.