Dominguez Hills’ Yanai Satisfied With Progress of 6-5 Toros

There have been some frustrating moments during the preseason for the Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s basketball team, but Coach Dave Yanai said Friday night that he is satisfied with his team’s progress despite its 6-5 record.

“I think this has been a preseason that has been true to form for us,” Yanai said. He added that his team has the opportunity to be one of the top four teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., which begins play Jan. 13. That would qualify the Toros for postseason play.

Yanai’s statement, made by telephone from Tacoma, Wash., came on the heels of an 85-57 victory over San Francisco State in the consolation game of the Puget Sound Tournament.

The victory was the second in three games over the last three days and also the third victory by the Toros over San Francisco this season. In the opening round of the tournament, Dominguez Hills lost by only 9 points to Central Washington, a perennial powerhouse.

Dominguez Hills had been touted as having one of its finest teams of the decade when the season began. But the team’s inconsistent play has brought it under scrutiny.

Yanai accepted full responsibility. “I probably overestimated how quickly this team would come together, and that added pressure on myself and the kids,” he said.

Dominguez Hills has one preseason game remaining, at home Thursday with Grand Canyon College. CCAA play begins Jan. 13 in Carson against Chapman College. A rematch with Biola University, which earlier beat the Toros, 69-67, in double overtime, takes place the following night.

“We will have a tremendous test with Chapman,” Yanai said. “The conference season will be very difficult this year.”

One barometer of CCAA play may be the play of Dominguez Hills against San Francisco State. All three victories have been by lopsided margins. Yet San Francisco has beaten Chapman and Cal State Northridge, another CCAA foe.

In addition, only once this year were the Toros soundly beaten, and three of their losses were by 3 points or less, two coming in overtime. Taylor University, soundly beaten by Dominguez Hills, 80-62, beat Biola, 69-64, in overtime.