Toros Fall Short in Bid for Upset : Basketball: Dominguez Hills pushes Bakersfield to the limit before losing, 62-60.

Cal State Dominguez Hills threw a scare into undefeated and top-ranked Cal State Bakersfield before a layup by Tyrone Pollard with one second remaining gave the Roadrunners a 62-60 victory Saturday night at Carson.

Bakersfield improved to 23-0 and is 11-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. Dominguez Hills dropped to 15-7 and 6-5.

Dominguez Hills led, 55-52, with three minutes 51 seconds remaining before Bakersfield rallied to remain unbeaten in NCAA Division II play.

“I told the team they should be very proud of their effort,” Toro Coach Dave Yanai said. “We played (Bakersfield) to a standstill, it came down to the last possession. We proved we were also a good basketball team.”

Dominguez Hills was trailing, 60-57, with 22 seconds remaining, but tied the score when Darnell Patte made a layup and was fouled by Bakersfield’s Roheen Oats with six seconds remaining.

After the free throw by Patte, Bakersfield’s Pollard took the inbounds pass and dribbled the length of the court to score the game-winning basket.

“When it comes down to the last possession it is always heartbreaking to the other team,” Yanai said.

With 2:36 remaining, Bakersfield’s Tyrone Davis made a layup to cut the lead to 55-54. Bakersfield had three shots before Davis made his layup and had possession of the ball for over a minute and one-half.

“If we would have come up with the ball there we might have won,” Yanai said. “They were in trouble and we were getting great shots, our kids were running the offense well.”

After the Bakersfield basket, Dominguez Hills was able to get Bennett open at the top of the key for a three-point attempt, but his shot fell short.

After a missed free throw by Bakersfield’s Davis, Dominguez Hills lost possession of the ball with 1:07 remaining on a steal by Pollard. Pollard passed to Reggie Phillips, who made a layup with 1:03 remaining to give Bakersfield a 58-55 lead.

Two free throws by Bennett with 50 seconds remaining cut the lead to 58-57, but Toro Chris Thompson fouled Bakersfield’s Kenny Warren, who made two free throws to give the Roadrunners a 60-57 lead with 22 seconds remaining.

The Toros shot 39% in the first half and trailed, 28-26. In the second half, Dominguez Hills shot 56%.

“I told the kids not to be anxious, to just let the offense flow,” Yanai said. “We recognized our opportunities . . . We had a more fluid motion in the second half.”

Bennett led the Toros with 16 points and forward Vince Washington had 14.

Bakersfield was led by Davis, who scored 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting.