This Week in Toros Men's Basketball
December 5, 2005

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This Week in Toros Basketball: The Toros have only one game on tap this week as they travel to San Diego Christian College (formerly Christian Heritage College) for a non-conference battle, with first tip scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start.

Just Win, Baby: The Toros shook off their slow start by winning their first game of the season last Friday, taking an 86-84 overtime win at San Francisco State before falling to Sonoma State the next night, 79-68.

Against the Gators, junior Mario Malave again led the Toros on the offensive end, tallying 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, while Carlos Rivers and Shamont Brown contributed 22 and 16 points, respectively. Malave and Joe Johnson shared team-high honors with seven boards each as the Toros kept SFSU winless.

The next night at Sonoma State, the hosts stormed out to a 48-29 halftime advantage, withstanding a furious Toro second-half surge to take the 11-point win. Jonathan Toliver paced CSUDH with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including a solid 5-of-11 from behind the 3-point line, but SSU boasted four players who scored in double figures and enjoyed a decisive 15-7 edge at the charity stripe in the win. Rivers chipped in eight points while Brown notched a game-high eight boards in the loss.

Around the CCAA: Here’s a look at the rest of the conference schedule this week: Monday - SAN FRANCISCO STATE @ Menlo College; Wednesday - CAL STATE STANISLAUS @ CHICO STATE; Friday - CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY vs. Seattle University, Humboldt State @ SONOMA STATE, CAL STATE STANISLAUS vs. Alaska Anchorage; Saturday - Hawaii Pacific @ CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD, Seattle University @ SONOMA STATE, CAL STATE STANISLAUS @ Alaska Fairbanks.

Home Sweet Home: After the Toros conclude their their five-game road trip with a contest at San Diego Christian College on December 10, they host six-consecutive games to ring out 2005, and bring in the new year. CSUDH hosts Hope International on December 17 and Dominican University on December 30, before four-consecutive conference games, beginning with Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State L.A. the weekend of January 6-7.

Proficiency From the Floor: Despite its slow start in the win-loss column, CSUDH is enjoying key contributions from the field while making 42% of its shots. In addition to Malave’s 54% success rate, Murphy Cooper (60%), Joe Johnson (48%) and Mike Steed (44%) give the Toros three other scorers who are finding success from the floor. Furthermore, Nonso Nibo’s solid effort from the floor (43%), which includes 1.3 dunks per contest, adds to the Toros’ balanced scoring.

Super Mario: Junior Mario Malave continues his stellar play in his first season in Cardinal & Gold. Not counting his effort at Sonoma State last Saturday which saw him play just two minutes, Malave has averaged 22.8 points over his first four contests, sending word to the rest of the CCAA that the 6’7” forward will be a force with which to be reckoned this year.

Malave led the Toros in scoring in those four contests, adding 7.3 rebounds a game. Additionally, the Emeryville native is shooting a solid 54% from the field (38-of-70) and 70% from the charity stripe (14-of-20), connecting on his only 3-point attempt of the season thus far.

Guarded Optimism: Guards Carlos Rivers and Jonathan Toliver are emerging as legitimate scoring threats for the Toros, having combined to account for 25% of the scoring from the floor. Rivers has connected for 20 field goals in the early going, good for 2nd-best total on the team, drained 79% of his foul shots (11-of-14) and hit 33% of his 3-point attempts en route to an 11.8 ppg average thus far. Toliver, at 6’5” from Westchester HS, is averaging 8.0 ppg in his first year playing collegiate ball, shooting 33% from the field and 73% from the charity stripe, including a 19-point performance last Saturday at Sonoma State.

Trey Magnifique: The duo of Rivers and Toliver also is pacing CSUDH from behind the arc, as the guards each have connected for eight long balls on the season. Toliver, coming on strong as of late, connected for 5-of-11 from behind the arc last Saturday, while Rivers connected for three 3-pointers in the victory at San Francisco State on Friday, and a perfect 2-for-2 in the season-opener against Vanguard. Additionally, Murph Cooper has drained 4-of-6 attempts from behind the arc while seeing action in all five games this season, including a 4-for-5 performance in the loss to Seattle Pacific.

Season Preview - Change is the Operative Word: “Although coach Powell is starting over with 11 new players on his roster, there’s a sense of excitement about Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s basketball, an enthusiasm that’s been missing the past couple years. Powell knows that his squad has the talent to make waves towards moving into the league’s elite, but also realizes that time will be a major factor in his players becoming an actual team, and a contender.”

Size Matters: In addition to having 11 new faces, this year’s Toros squad also will have an influx of size. Four of the newcomers stand at least 6’7”, compared to last year’s squad, whose tallest player stood at 6’7”. Junior transfer Trevon Bryant tops the Toros with his 6’9” frame, while fellow junior transfer Joe Johnson stands in at 6’8”. Two other juniors make the 6’7” height, as Mario Malave and Durwin Williams will give CSUDH both a presence and depth in the paint the Toros have not seen for a while. For good measure, senior Eric Montgomery comes in at 6’6”, while freshman Jonathan Toliver is at 6’5”.

Introducing Drew Ward: Congratulations go to assistant coach Max Ward and his wife, Diane, as they gave birth to a baby boy on Friday, November 4. Coming into this world at a healthy 8 lbs., 5 oz., and measuring at 21 inches tall, the proud new father couldn’t help but contain his excitement. “I have coached many players and my wife Diane is the best payer I have ever coached,” the excited father states. “She is a true champion for the way she handled the whole experience, and her determination and fight to push Drew out was incredible.”

Like the dedicated coach he is, the elder Ward arrived on time for the scrimmage at USC.

Toros Continue 2005-06 Basketball Web Cast Schedule With Waldcast.net: CSUDH and Waldcast.net continue their broadcast schedule for the Toros 2005-06 men’s basketball seasons. A total of 15 men’s games will be web cast, including two preseason exhibition contests, all of which can be heard here on the Cal State Dominguez Hills Athletics Website.

The men’s web cast schedule continues in 2006 as the Toros host Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, January 6, with the CCAA clash scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. first tip.

Longtime southland broadcaster Ronnie Wald, who begins his third year as the basketball broadcast voice of the Toros, will be calling the play-by-play.