This Week in Toros Men's Basketball
December 19, 2005

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This Week in Toros Basketball: The Toros have only one game on tap in the next two weeks, hosting non-conference foe Dominican University on Friday, December 30, with first tip is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. CSUDH Athletics wishes you all a happy and safe holiday season!

Toros End Hope’s Hope: Junior Mario Malave’s game-high 20 points led a quintet of Toros who scored in double figures as CSUDH shot 57.4% from the field in its dominant 91-65 victory over Hope International on last Saturday in the Torodome. After taking an early 10-5 lead, a pair of Durwin Williams free throws ignited CSUDH’s 29-13 run over the next 12 minutes, with Malave’s 13 points prompting the Toros to a 47-26 lead entering the half and a sizzling first-half 58.3 shooting percentage.

CSUDH continued its hot hand after intermission as consecutive Malave buckets would push the Toros lead to 58-34 with 15:42 remaining in regulation. Following a mini-run by the Royals cut the Toros’ lead to 76-55, consecutive 3-pointers by Mike Steed and Murphy Cooper would push the lead back up to 29 with 4:22 left in the game, allowing the Toros to cruise the rest of the contest in taking the game, 91-65.

Steed chipped in 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, while Cooper (13), Brown (12) and Williams (11) rounded out the Toros double-digit scorers. Williams also collected a game-high 10 boards on the evening, giving the Compton native the game’s sole double-double. The Toros held the Royals to 38.5% from the field while enjoying a decisive 23-8 advantage in the assist department, led by Steed’s five dimes.

Home Sweet Home: The Toros welcome Dominican University as the second of six-consecutive opponents they face in Carson, a welcome sight after enduring just one win in five road games prior to last Saturday’s match-up. After the Penguins, CSUDH hosts four-consecutive home conference games kick off the new year, beginning with Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State L.A. the weekend of January 6-7, followed by Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State the following weekend.

A Sight for Sore Eyes: After junior Mario Malave was sidelined in the contest at San Diego Christian College, the Emeryville native came back strong last Saturday against Hope International University in the Toros’ dominant 91-65 win. In that game, Malave connected for 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting and pulled down five boards, all in 20 minutes of action off the bench.

On the season, Malave is averaging 18.5 points per game, connecting for a solid 56% from the floor while pulling down 5.7 boards per game. In addition, the junior forward has drained nearly 70% of his free throws (16-of-23) and converted his only 3-point attempt of the season.

In Malave’s first four starts, not including the effort at Sonoma State on December 3 in which he played just two minutes due to an ankle sprain, the Bakersfield College transfer averaged 22.8 points, sending word to the rest of the CCAA that the 6’7” forward will be a force with which to be reckoned this year.

Quick Starts: After seeing action in two games off the bench in the early going, Durwin Williams made his first two starts in Cardinal & Gold the last two games, and the Compton native did not disappoint. In those two starts, the 6’7” forward has averaged 16.5 points per game on 12-of-22 shooting from the field, including two makes from behind the 3-point arc. Additionally, Williams has been solid from the line by sinking 7-of-8 from the charity stripe over the last two games.

On the season, Williams is averaging 10.3 points and 4.3 boards per game, including 10 rebounds in the Toros 91-65 win over Hope International last Saturday.

Offensive Highs: Despite its slow start in the win-loss column, CSUDH is enjoying key contributions from the field while making 45% of its shots. In addition to Malave’s 56% success rate, Murphy Cooper (70%), Durwin Williams (50%), Shamont Brown (50%), Trevon Bryant (50%), Mike Steed (48%) and Joe Johnson (48%) give the Toros six other scorers who are finding success from the floor. Furthermore, Nonso Nibo and Eric Montgomery also are enjoying solid efforts in the early going with identical 6-for-14 efforts from the floor.

Defensive Lows: Though the Toros have had little trouble putting up points on the board, their young and inexperienced defense is struggling trying to stop opponents in the early going. While CSUDH is shooting 45% from the field, opponents are making just under half their attempts from the field (49%) and a solid 35% from behind the arc, tell-tale statistics of the team’s 2-5 start.

Don’t Cry Him a River: Guards Carlos Rivers and Jonathan Toliver are emerging as legitimate scoring threats for the Toros, having combined to account for 26% of the scoring from the floor. Rivers has connected for 28 field goals in the early going, good for 2nd-best total on the team, drained 80% of his foul shots (16-of-20) and hit 32% of his 3-point attempts en route to an 11.7 ppg average thus far. Toliver, at 6’5” from Westchester HS, is averaging 7.0 ppg in his first year playing collegiate ball, shooting 32% from the field and 73% from the charity stripe, including a 19-point performance on December 3 at Sonoma State.

Three-Ballin’: The duo of Rivers and Toliver also is pacing CSUDH from behind the arc, as the guards each have connected for a combined 18 long balls on the season. Toliver, coming on strong as of late, connected for 5-of-11 from behind the arc at Sonoma State, while Rivers connected for three 3-pointers in the victory at San Francisco State on December 2, and a perfect 2-for-2 in the season-opener against Vanguard. Additionally, Murphy Cooper has drained 7-of-9 attempts from behind the arc while seeing action in all seven games this season, including a 4-for-5 performance in the loss to Seattle Pacific and a 3-for-3 effort in last Saturday’s win over Hope International.

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.