BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Cal State Dominguez Hills men's basketball team fought until the final seconds in their season opener but fell short in a 91-89 thriller against Western Washington at Carver Gym on Friday night. The game remained tight, with both teams tied at 43 by halftime, and featured 14 ties and nine lead changes overall, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

The Toros set an aggressive pace from the opening tip-off,keeping the pressure on Western Washington. But the game soon became a close back-and-forth battle. Midway through the half. Dominguez Hills started the second half determined, immediately matching Western Washington's energy. After the Vikings briefly took a two-point lead with a layup by Will Wilson, Dominguez Hills responded quickly as JT Tan tied the game with a layup at 18:51, making it 45-45. Just moments later, Alex Garcia's three-pointer at 18:08 gave the Toros a narrow 48-47 lead.

The Toros displayed resilience, mounting a late surge in the second half. With just nine seconds left, David Cheatom converted a layup and completed a free throw to put Dominguez Hills ahead 89-88. However, the Vikings would sink a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to win the game 91-89.

Leading the Toros was Cheatom, who tallied an impressive 28 points, including a pivotal 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. Jordan Hilstock added 15 points with four three-pointers, while Adam Afifi contributed 11 points and five rebounds. The Toros were active on the glass, securing 45 rebounds compared to the Vikings' 34, with seven boards from Cheatom and six from Jordan Hilstock and DJ Guest.

CSUDH opened strong, shooting an impressive 48% from the field and a perfect 100% from the free-throw line in the first half. The Toros kept the pressure on Western Washington, but the Vikings managed to edge ahead with a 49% shooting performance and 11 three-pointers.

The Toros continue their road trip tomorrow in the West Region Crossover, facing Simon Fraser at 5:30 p.m.