Western Washington Defeats CSUDH in Overtime of Women's Basketball Regional, 82-74
Toros make an early exit from NCAA playoffs with tough overtime loss
March 11, 2005

Complete Box Score

SEATTLE, Wash.—(March 11, 2005)—No. 2 seed Western Washington University, knocked No. 7-seed Cal State Dominguez Hills out of the NCAA West Regional Championship Tournament with an 82-74 overtime victory in a game played Friday afternoon at host Seattle Pacific University.

Cal State Dominguez Hills is still in search of its first NCAA playoff win after falling in the first round in each of its two other appearances in 1994 and 1995. The Toros finish the campaign with a 17-10 overall record. Western Washington, ranked No. 12 in the most recent USA Today/WBCA poll, is now 24-4 and will face Chico State in the semifinals.

CSUDH squandered an eight-point lead in the final 6:09, allowing the Vikings to send the game into overtime after going on a 15-7 run to close out regulation. Western’s Courtney Clapp scored the final four points and knocked down a pair of clutch free-throws with 48 seconds remaining to send the game into the extra period.

In overtime, it was Clapp once again nailing back-to-back treys to open up the period to give the Vikings a quick five-point lead, 73-68, with 3:37 left. Junior guard Tameka Blue (Watsonville/Santa Cruz HS), who finished the game with a team-high 13 points but was only 4-of-21 from the field, brought Cal State Dominguez Hills within one, 73-72, but that, was as close as they would get. Western finished the game on a 9-2 run to secure the victory and send the Toros home early.

Western Washington (24-4) took a three-point lead into halftime, 34-31, behind 13 first half points by Clapp. The Vikings hit the boards hard in the first twenty minutes out rebounding the Toros, 24-18, including an 8-4 advantage on the offensive end.

After trading baskets in the first four minutes of the second period, Cal State Dominguez Hills (17-10) went on a 10-0 run to take a five-point lead, 48-43, capped by a pair of free throws by freshman center Alana Bailey (Altadena/John Muir HS) with 11:28 left. During the run, senior guard Octavia Askew’s (Van Nuys/Birmingham HS) lay-up gave the Toros the lead and Karen Shirley’s (San Diego/Morse HS) ensuing spinning eight-foot jumper inside the paint put CSUDH up by three, 46-43.

Askew’s 3-pointer from the corner at 10:32 gave the Toros a 51-45 lead. CSUDH would build an eight-point lead, 60-52, after a pair of free throws by Bailey with 6:09 left. But the Toros youth and inexperience showed down the stretch going 1-for-8 from the field with a turnover and three missed free throws. Meanwhile an experienced Western squad, who is making its 7th-consecutive trip to the NCAA postseason, converted 4-of-8 from the field and was perfect from the foul line going 7-for-7 in the final six minutes of regulation.

Despite the disappointing loss, the future of Cal State Dominguez Hills’ basketball looks bright returning all five starters, three of them freshmen.

“That was a tremendous ballgame,” said Toro Head Coach Van Girard. “We had our opportunities to win the game, but key errors at the end killed our chances. But I refuse to take away anything from Western Washington, because they played a heck of a game.”

Clapp finished with a game-high 32 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Jodi Gerald also recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards.

After Blue’s 13 points, senior guard Karen Shirley came off the bench for 12 points on 5-of-8 from the floor. Askew and freshman Brittney Blankenship (Palmdale/Palmdale HS) finished with 10 points apiece. Bailey led the team defensively with 10 rebounds.

WESTERN WASHINGTON 82, CS DOMINGUEZ HILLS 74
CS DOMINGUEZ HILLS - Blue,Tameka 4-21 4-5 13; Shirley,Karen 5-8 2-4 12; Blankenship,Brittney 3-10 3-6 10; Askew,Octavia 4-9 1-2 10; Kribell,Michelle 3-9 3-6 9; Bailey,Alana 0-3 8-10 8; Liang,Jessica 3-6 0-2 7; Maciel,Crystal 2-3 0-0 5; Vega-Howards,Adiana 0-0 0-0 0; Peloza,Lindsay 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-71 21-35 74.
WESTERN WASHINGTON - Clapp,Courtney 11-19 8-11 32; Donahue,Tina 3-9 5-6 11; Gerald,Jodi 4-16 0-0 11; Robinson,Krystal 4-9 1-1 10; Dykstra,Devin 0-4 8-8 8; White,Arielle 3-5 0-0 6; Dressel,Stephanie 1-1 1-1 3; Hubbard,Samantha 0-4 1-2 1; McCarrell,Liz 0-1 0-1 0; Burt,Angela 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-68 24-30 82.

CS Dominguez Hills............ 31 36  7 - 74 
Western Washington............ 34 33 15 - 82

3-point goals-CS Dominguez Hills 5-14 (Liang,Jessica 1-4; Askew,Octavia 1-1; Blankenship,Brittney 1-1; Maciel,Crystal 1-2; Blue,Tameka 1-6), Western Washington 6-23 (Gerald,Jodi 3-10; Clapp,Courtney 2-3; Robinson,Krystal 1-2; Hubbard,Samantha 0-3; Dykstra,Devin 0-3; Donahue,Tina 0-2). Fouled out-CS Dominguez Hills-Shirley,Karen, Western Washington-Robinson,Krystal; Clapp,Courtney. Rebounds-CS Dominguez Hills 44 (Bailey,Alana 10), Western Washington 54 (Clapp,Courtney 12). Assists-CS Dominguez Hills 13 (Blue,Tameka 6), Western Washington 18 (Donahue,Tina 5; Gerald,Jodi 5). Total fouls-CS Dominguez Hills 25, Western Washington 24. A-428