Toros Drop CCAA Women's Basketball Opener to Visiting Golden Eagles
CSLA's Kelli Kobayashi too much for CSUDH
December 5, 2002

Complete Box Score

Slide Show at game (Flash)

CARSON, Calif.- The Cal State Dominguez women's basketball team opened California Collegiate Athletic Association play tonight with a 80-74 loss to the visiting Golden Eagles of Cal State LA. It was also the first home contest of the young season, as the Toros opened 2002-2003 on the road.

The first half was a true picture of a young season, with both teams nerves on edge as there were numerous turnovers and miscues on both sides of the court. Scoring was slow, as it took almost five minutes for either team to reach double figures on the scoreboard. The Golden Eagles were the first to strike, as they took advantage of a Toro turnover and put it in for a 2-0 lead. The Toros would tie it up at 4-4, before CSLA went on a 7-2 run, mostly off turnovers by the Toros. Solid free throw shooting by CSUDH would tie it up at 13, and that would be the story of the first half as each team went basket for basket with one another.

The Toros would take their biggest lead of the first half -- seven -- at the 4:06 mark. Sophomore guard Octavia Askew was strong for CSUDH in the fading minutes of the first half. She had four of her first half ten points with back to back buckets within that span.

The Golden Eagles offense would work hard. A nailed shot from three-point land by CSLA's Tomica Coleman would cut that lead and the Toros would only enjoy a three-point cushion at 38-35 going into the locker rooms.

In the second set of twenty, both teams seemed on top on top of their games. There were less turnovers and more scoring from deep. There were only two lead changes in the half, with the largest lead of nine going to CSUDH at the 11:31 mark.

CSLA would find a way to get around that, as they kept chipping away at the deficit. They picked apart the Toros defense and went hard to the hoop. Kelli Kobayashi, who was kept to nine points in the first half, came alive in the second half as she dumped in 17 points. She had two timely shots for three, and was nine of ten from the charity stripe.

The game would be decided in the final minutes as with 1:22 remaining, the score was 73-72 in favor of the Golden Eagles. But as in the first half, CSLA would go on a 7-2 run, sparked by a jump shot by Tomica Coleman. The Toros were put into a fouling situation, which did not aide them, as CSLA connected on 5-6 attempts from the free throw line. The only basket for the Toros in that time, would come off a layup by Toros center Delaney Turner.

Scoring was dominated by Kobayashi, who finished with a game-high 26 points. She was 7 of 17 from the field, 3 of 7 from deep and 9-10 from the line. She was helped in the winning cause by Monica Tokoro, Tomica Coleman and Jacqueline Lauderdale, who all scored in double figures.

The Toros also had four players score in double-figures. CSUDH was led by freshman guard Tameka Blue, who had a team-high 15 points. Blue connected on 3 of 8, the leading Toro scored from beyond the arc. The Toros also got a strong effort from Octavia Askew who poured in 13. The other Toro freshman Teresa Cooper, added 14 to the board for CSUDH. She got eight of her points due to consistent shooting from behind the line. Junior Delaney Turner would turn in an 11 point game. She nearly missed a double-double as she pulled down a game-high nine boards.

CSLA improves to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA. CSUDH falls to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in CCAA action.

The two squads will meet again on Saturday night in a matchup at Cal State LA.