COLLEGES / IRENE GARCIA : Toros Have Shot to Win When His Shot Is Falling

Moving Chris Thompson to shooting guard has been a boon to the Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball team.

Thompson, a 6-foot junior, was a point guard at Lakewood Artesia High and played both positions for the Toros last season, when he averaged 12 points a game.

The switch helped Thompson to a 23-point scoring average after the first three games, when he was named to Grand Canyon all-tournament team.

Thompson led the Toros to the tournament title, scoring 25 points in an 80-65 victory over Cal State San Bernardino in the championship game. He had 21 points in the tournament opener against the University of Southern Colorado.

The Toros (4-2) have since slumped, losing to Point Loma Nazarene College and Division I San Diego last week, and Thompson’s average has dropped to 16.3. San Diego limited him to five points in a 91-63 victory over Dominguez Hills on Saturday.

Thompson had scored only five or fewer points five times in his 58-game collegiate career and all of those were during his freshman season.

Looking at the Toros’ remaining schedule, it’s unlikely that any opponent will be able to contain Thompson. The Toros play host to Biola, Grand Canyon, Sonoma State, Keene State and St. Anselm College in nonconference games before San Bernardino visits Jan. 6 in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. opener. Dominguez Hills is 104-48 at home since the 1980-81 season.

Before the Toros opened the season, Thompson said he would feel awkward playing shooting guard. He said he is still adjusting to the change.

“Sometimes I get caught in between,” he said. “I want to shoot, but I want to pass too. Hopefully before conference starts I can get out of this mediocre stage.”

Dominguez Hills Coach Dave Yanai was confident Thompson will master his new position.

“He’s a real leader,” Yanai said during the preseason. “He really understands that he needs to score. He has a scoring mentality.”

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When Thompson struggles, the Toros have turned to senior center Darnell Patterson and junior point guard Carlos Paul for scoring.

Patterson, a 6-5 transfer from Compton College, averages 12.7 points and Paul, a 6-1 transfer from Porterville College, averages 11.2.

Patterson is second on the team in rebounding average at 7.8. Joe Bertrand, a 6-5 senior forward, leads the Toros in rebounding at 8.7.

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When Loyola Marymount women’s basketball Coach Todd Corman said the Lions’ nonconference schedule was tough, he wasn’t kidding.

Loyola dropped to 1-6 after Wednesday night’s 66-65 loss to Weber State in Ogden, Utah. On Tuesday, the Lions lost to Division I powerhouse Texas, 76-46. The Lions have not won a game since beating Northern Illinois, 68-60, in their season opener on Nov. 26.

Loyola lost at Hawaii and at home to San Diego State, Long Beach State and Nevada Las Vegas.

Senior forward Sheri Brown, a 6-1 transfer from Fresno State, averages 16 points and 8.6 rebounds a game and has a team-high 15 steals. Sophomore center Amy Lundquist is averaging 12.2 points and 6.6 rebounds and sophomore guard Marlee Webb averages 10.6 points and 2.8 rebounds.

The Lions’ nonconference record ranks seventh in the eight-team West Coast Conference. Santa Clara leads the WCC with a 3-0 record and Gonzaga is second at 4-1.

WCC teams should not be taken lightly. San Francisco (5-2) has beat Pacific 10 teams UCLA and California and Big West opponent UC Santa Barbara. Santa Clara has defeated UCLA.

Notes

Sarah Noriega, a 6-2 outside hitter from Kansas, has an unwritten commitment to play volleyball at Loyola next season. The left-handed Noriega had 300 kills and 122 blocks as a senior at Ulysses High last season and was named to the All-Western Athletic Conference team. Noriega is expected to sign with the Lions in February. . . . Dominguez Hills senior guard Karee Bonde has 189 career three-point baskets and is on track to become the first player in school history to get 200.