Toros Try to Extend Win Streak in Phoenix

The Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s basketball team will travel to Phoenix to compete in the Grand Canyon tournament tonight and Saturday.

The Toros, 7-3 and winners of four consecutive games, will play the host school, Grand Canyon, in tonight’s opener. Grand Canyon, the tournament favorite, is ranked 18th in the NCAA Division II.

The winner of the game will meet either Cal State Los Angeles or Chapman in Saturday’s championship. The losing teams will play for the consolation title.

Chapman and Cal State L.A. are conference rivals of Dominguez Hills in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

After the Grand Canyon tournament, Dominguez Hills will play host to Southern California College at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Southern California is one of the top teams in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District III.

Dominguez Hills has yet to lose a home game this season and is 3-3 on the road.

After two consecutive road losses, the Loyola Marymount women’s basketball team will play host to Weber State in a nonconference game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Lions (5-3) are coming off a 74-72 loss to New Mexico on Saturday. It was the first win in eight games for the Lobos, who are competing in women’s basketball for the first time since the 1986-87 season.

Loyola, which won its first two home games, has been led by senior forward Joelle Longobardi.

The Lions are also expected to start sophomore Lisa Humphreys at forward, freshman Miki Graf at center and junior Nicki Rouillard and freshman Kim Cunningham at guard.

On Monday, Loyola will travel to Goleta to play UC Santa Barbara in a 7:30 p.m. game. On Thursday, Loyola will play host to Nebraska at 7:30 p.m.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team will play Chapman at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Missouri-St. Louis at 2 p.m. Tuesday in nonconference games at the Toro gym.

Chapman (4-5) is a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. rival of Dominguez Hills, although the game will not count as a conference game. Dominguez Hills (4-6) will meet Chapman in its conference opener Jan. 10.

Dominguez Hills lost two of three games last week. The Toros were defeated by Point Loma Nazarene, 51-50, and Cal State Stanislaus, 58-55, but beat San Francisco State, 63-50.

The Toros have been led by senior forward Cheri Bullet, who averages 15.1 points and 9.9 rebounds. Another standout has been sophomore guard Karee Bonde, who averages 11.8 points and leads the team with 22 three-point baskets.

After the two home games, Dominguez Hills will complete its nonconference schedule by traveling to Riverside to compete in the Cal Baptist tournament that starts Thursday.