Toros Men Cruise in CCAA Win Over UC San Diego, 62-44
Eric Crookshank leads three CSUDH players in double figures with 12 points
January 21, 2005

Complete Box Score

CARSON, Calif.-Eric Crookshank (Vallejo, CA/Chabot JC) led a trio of Cal State Dominguez Hills players in double figures with 12 points as the Toros went wire-to-wire in defeating visiting UC San Diego, 62-44, in California Collegiate Athletic Association action Friday night in the Torodome.

Eric Crookshank dunks for two of his game-high 12 points in the Toros 62-44 victory over UC San Diego. Photo by Dan Cross

CSUDH used a smothering defense to hold UCSD (5-8, 2-5 CCAA) to just five points in the first eight minutes of the game and took a 16-point cushion into intermission, 31-15.

Cal State Dominguez Hills (4-10, 3-4 CCAA) used a 9-2 spurt to open up the second half to take a 23-point lead at 16:39 after a running jumper inside the paint by senior guard Les Norman (Lebanon, IL/Coppin State). UC San Diego trimmed the margin down to 17 points, 40-23, after a free throw by David Retzlaff with 15:17 remaining in the game.

The Toros answered right back over the next six minutes leading by as many as 25 points twice, the final time coming at 4:58 after a layup by Alexous Scruggs (Los Angeles, CA/Crenshaw HS) making it 58-33. CSUDH rested its starters the rest of the way from there and UC San Diego closed out the game with an 11-4 run for the final, 62-44.

Cal State Dominguez Hills dominated on the boards in the first half limiting the Tritons to only nine rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play. The Toros finished the game with a 41-26 advantage overall. Credit the CSUDH defense tonight as they held UC San Diego to 27% shooting from the field in the game.

After Crookshank's 12 points came Phillip Givens (Los Angeles, CA/Manual Arts HS) and Quenton Harvey (Compton, CA/Cleveland HS) with 11 each. Norman was the king of the boards tonight with a game-high 12 rebounds, seven of them in the first half.

Robby Peters tallied a team-high eight points off the bench for the Tritons in the losing effort. Andrew Hatch led the team with five rebounds.

The Toros, who have now won three of their last four games, return to CCAA action tomorrow night hosting Cal State San Bernardino who is ranked No. 19 in the latest NCAA II poll. First tip is set for 7:30 p.m.