Dominguez Hills Sags in 58-44 Loss to Biola

You can point your finger at a lot of things this season that have produced a basketball team at Cal State Dominguez Hills that is on a pace to have the worst record in school history:

Relying on too many freshmen, not enough bench strength, and a lack of height in its front line.

But to Coach Dave Yanai, the biggest problem is that he has not found a player willing to “rise to the occasion.”

To Yanai, that means leadership. And, yes, he admitted earlier in the week, Dominguez Hills lacks leadership on the floor.

At no time was that more evident than Saturday night, when the Toros wandered aimlessly for 40 minutes in a 58-44 loss at Biola University.

A week ago the Toros defeated Biola, 65-46, in Carson. But since that time Dominguez Hills lost 69-56 to Quincy College of Illinois while Biola was winning three of its four games.

Saturday night’s game was the final non-conference game for Dominguez Hills (4-9) before its California Collegiate Athletic Assn. opener Friday at Cal Poly Pomona. It was supposed to be a tune-up. Perhaps now an overhaul is in order.

Yanai may have had that in mind anyway after admitting his frustration with his club after the loss to Illinois, a game the Toros dominated for the first 20 minutes. He shook up his line against Biola. He benched all five starters, including three freshman players that he considers the franchise of the future.

And the tactic seemed to work early in the game. In the first half alone, the Toros made six of 24 field goal attempts, committed 7 turnovers and went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal.

Still, Biola (7-11), just a shadow of the team that once won a national record 39 games, was a gracious host. Dominguez Hills trailed only 10-9 with 8:30 left because the Eagles made only seven field goals in the first 20 minutes. They also committed seven turnovers.

Biola pulled away slowly in the second half, leading 46-31 with five minutes to go thanks to four baskets and two free throws from sophomore center Jeff Baker and a pair of three-point baskets by freshman forward Jimmy Hill.