SportsScope : Toros, Hot at 10-3, Open CCAA Play Against Chapman

Cal State Dominguez Hills begins California Collegiate Athletic Assn. basketball play Friday with its best preconference record ever, 10-3.

The Toros play host to Chapman College (7-6) at 8:05 p.m. as part of a men’s and women’s double-header. The Lady Toros play the Chapman women at 5:45. The men play an exhibition at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Athletes in Action while the women play their last nonconference game at 7:30 at Cal State San Bernardino.

Dominguez Hills is coming off a 91-82 loss at Grand Canyon College that halted a seven-game winning streak. That tied the school record, accomplished twice before. The Toros, 8-1 at home, play five of their first seven CCAA games on their home court and hope to get off to a fast start in the tough conference.

Senior forward William Alexander continues to sizzle for the Toros, averaging 20.4 points and shooting 56%. He’s within 138 points of the CCAA career scoring record. Sophomores Tony Akins and Vico Nomaaea are averaging 11.4 and 10.2 points. Sophomore center Anthony Blackmon is pulling down 8.8 rebounds per game, while point guard John Nojima is averaging 8.3 points and 5 assists and has hit 48% from three-point range.

Chapman is led by forward Jon Samuelson, averaging 16 points. The Panthers’ 7-6 record is their best start in Coach Kevin Wilson’s three seasons.

The Lady Toros, 5-8, have won two of their last three games and appear to be playing their best ball of the season going into the CCAA opener against Chapman, 6-6. Guard Kim Williamson and forward Deborah Shepherd lead Dominguez Hills with 9-point averages while Lecia Codrington is the top rebounder at 6.3. Guard Debra McGee, recently inserted into the lineup, scored 23 points and had 16 rebounds in two games as a starter over the holidays. Chapman is led by 5-11 center Valerie Hartsfield, who averages 16.3 points.

Rolling Hills is No. 1 in the CIF 3-A Division in the first basketball coach’s top 10 of the season. The Titans, who received 11 of 12 first-place votes, are one of four South Bay teams ranked this week. Palos Verdes, also in 3-A, is rated sixth. In 5-A, St. Bernard is seventh, while in 1-A, Chadwick is sixth. In the first girls ratings, Morningside is the only South Bay team ranked, at No. 4 in 4-A.

Lineman Brian Kelly of South Torrance and linebacker Corey Brown of Morningside were named to the All-CIF Southern Section football team, the top honor in the CIF. Kelly was lineman of the year in the Bay League and The Times South Bay Lineman of the Year as well. Brown was co-most valuable player in the Pioneer League. This is the second year the First Interstate Bank-Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles has selected a 24-man all-Southern Section team. No player of the year was named.

Runners who have received entry numbers for the Jan. 25 Redondo Super Bowl 10-K may pick up race packets on Jan. 17 and 24 at the Redondo Beach Community Resources Center, Pacific Coast Highway at Knob Hill Avenue, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Free blood pressure checks will be available. Entry deadline for the race is Friday.

Dominic Militello, a sophomore at El Camino College, was named South Coast Conference soccer player of the year and Norm Jackson of El Camino was named conference coach of the year. Militello, a midfielder out of Palos Verdes High who had 19 goals in 18 games, is joined on the first team by El Camino players John Timko, a sophomore forward Ed Pasache, a sophomore defender, and Paul Soufi, a freshman defender. Second-team selections from El Camino are sophomore midfielder Stevie Sandoval, freshman goalie Mike Littman and sophomore defender Sean Mallen. Jackson, whose team finished second in the state, has a four-year record of 72-7-9.

El Camino women who received first-team all-conference honors are sophomore defender Kristina Cherry and sophomore forwards Karen Goodman and Rhonda McVicar. Second-team selections are sophomore defenders Kathy Church and Robin Miller and sophomore goalie Chistine Pezzulo.

Cal State Dominguez Hills soccer players Glenn Strachan and James McConnachie were named to the National Soccer Coaches Assn, of America All-West Region team this week. Strachan, a senior who scored 13 goals and 34 points, was named to the first team. McConnachie, a Scotland native, was named to the second team. The senior had seven goals and 22 assists.