Toros Keep 1st Despite 68-61 Matador Kill

As scripts go, this game couldn’t have been written any better for both participants.

Cal State Dominguez Hills saw its school-record nine-game winning streak collapse along with its inside game at both ends of the court Saturday night, but the Toros still remained in a first-place tie in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. because UC Riverside was upset at Cal State Bakersfield.

Meanwhile, Cal State Northridge, desperately trying to stay in the running for a post-season playoff berth, clawed back into contention with a 68-61 victory over the visiting Toros.

The CSUN win before 1,021 spectators may have been a blessing in disguise for Dominguez Hills, said Toro Coach Dave Yanai, whose team is already assured of one of the CCAA’s four playoff spots.

“When you’ve had a good stretch of nine in a row, you’d rather have a loss in this situation, where you don’t play well, rather than a loss later in the postseason tournament,” he said.

Bakersfield’s 88-75 overtime win against Riverside may make this one even easier to take, although Yanai was rather reticent about his team’s loss.

“This gives us a chance to refocus and get better on (overcoming) certain weaknesses that we saw tonight,” he said.

Most notably, Dominguez Hills (10-2, 18-7) showed a marked weakness in both post areas, particularly in its otherwise steller defense, which is ranked third in the nation. The Matadors (6-6, 15-10), led by Alan Fraser, who powered inside for 17 points, repeatedly got easy lay-ups.

And when Dominguez Hills was on offense, it made just a half-dozen shots from 10 feet in.

Still, a twisting, driving lay-in by Bryan Dell’Amico with one second left in the half gave Dominguez Hills a 37-35 lead.

It wasn’t easy for the Toros in the first half, despite shooting 60.7% from the floor.

Dominguez Hills made seven of its first 10 field goals and outscored the Matadors 16-9 in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the game. Northridge cut the lead to four points several times, then got within two points on a basket by Kendell McDaniels with 8:30 to go in the half.

Four minutes later, Kris Brodowski stole the ball at midcourt from Robert Barksdale and passed to Derrick Gathers, who scored. That tied the score at 30. Barksdale retaliated a minute later with a three-point shot, but baskets by Fraser and Karl Becker and a free throw helped Northridge to a 35-33 lead.

Baskets by Anthony Blackmon and Dell’Amico ended the scoring for the half.

Northridge opened a 51-43 lead with 11:05 left in the game. Matsubara’s three-point basket helped Northridge regain the lead, 43-41, with 14:05 left, and his free throw 15 seconds later pushed the Matador lead to three. Sandy Brown capped a 10-6 scoring spurt with two free throws.

Blackmon scored five of the next seven points for Dominguez Hills. Then Derrick Clark stole the ball from Becker at mid-court and made a lay-up to cut the Northridge lead to 53-51 with 6:38 remaining.

Clark missed a chance to tie the game with a one-and-one after Fraser was called for an offensive foul away from the ball, and Brown’s tip-in at the other end upped the Matadors’ lead.

Dell’Amico made a three-point shot, but then McDaniels answered with a dunk, 57-54. That spurred a 9-4 run by the Matadors, who led 63-56 with 2:11 to go.

Barksdale scored, Gathers hit one of two free throws, then Blackmon cut the lead to 64-61 on a three-point basket with 1:15 to go.

Northridge missed two chances in close the next time it had the ball. Kevin Shaw rebounded for Dominguez Hills, but Jemarl Baker stuffed Barksdale’s driving lay-in with 26 seconds remaining, and with 16 seconds left Barksdale’s three-point try lipped the rim. Barksdale fouled Baker on the loose ball three seconds later and, Baker hit both free throws to make it 66-61.

Blackmon missed a three-point attempt with eight seconds left, and Dell’Amico fouled Baker, who iced the game with two free throws.

Northridge 76, Dominguez Hills 53. The Lady Toros suffered their ninth consecutive loss in CCAA play, while the Lady Matadors greatly improved their playoff chances.

Dominguez Hills (1-10, 6-17) shot 43.2% from the floor, one of its best totals in recent games, but the team committed 31 turnovers. Connie McKenney led Dominguez Hills with 13 points, and Kathy Goggin had nine rebounds.

Five players scored in double figures for Northridge (6-4, 18-7).