CSUSB Hands Toros Men’s Basketball a 76-67 Defeat in Sweeping Season Series
Bryant sets Toros single-season block record in loss
February 24, 2006

Complete Box Score

Carson, CA -- Junior Trevon Bryant (Tifton, GA/Compton CC) established the CSUDH single-season block record at 38 with four rejections on the night, but visiting Cal State San Bernardino used a 55.3% success rate from the field to take a 76-67 win on Friday night at the Torodome, sweeping the two-game men's basketball season series.

Nonso Nibo's alley-oop two-handed rim-rattler brought the Toros to within two points in the second half, but CSUSB pushed the margin out again to take the win. File photo courtesy Dan Cross

With the loss, CSUDH’s third-straight, the Toros fall to 9-15, 6-11 CCAA, while CSUSB improves to 12-11, 11-6 CCAA.

The visitors jumped on the Toros early, taking a 19-7 lead with just under eight minutes elapsed in the first 20-minute session. Despite 12 first-half points by a hot-shooting Jonathan Toliver (Inglewood, CA/Westchester HS), including two long-range 3-pointers, the Coyotes extended their lead to 24-14 on a Curtis Williams 3-pointer at 9:24, marking the first double-digit lead by CSUSB.

The Coyotes would push the margin to 12 with just over six minutes left in the first half, but a two 3-point makes and two foul shots by Toliver ignited a 13-5 Toro run to close the half, cutting the deficit to 38-34 entering intermission.

After halftime, CSUSB quickly regained its first-half momentum, bringing its lead to 46-36 with just two minutes elapsed in the second half. A tip-in by Durwin Williams (Compton, CA/Glendale JC), followed by lay-ups by both Carlos Rivers (Long Beach, CA/LA Valley College) and Nonso Nibo (Westchester, CA/St. Bernard's HS) would cut the lead to four, and an alley-oop two-handed rim-rattler by Nibo one possession later would bring the Toros to within two at 48-46, and send the Torodome into a frenzy.

The Coyotes, however, would remain unfazed, scoring seven-consecutive points to again push their lead close to double figures at 55-46. After a Bryant bucket cut the margin to seven, consecutive CSUSB treys would push the advantage to 13, giving the visitors ample breathing room.

Sophomore Mike Steed (Antelope, CA/Center HS) would ignite another 13-5 Toro run over the next five minutes, bringing CSUDH to within 68-63 with just a minute remaining in regulation. But the Coyotes would convert on 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the nine-point win.

Toliver led all Toros with 15 points, while Steed’s 14, Shamont Brown’s (Jamaica, NY/Riverside CC) 12 and Rivers’ 11 points rounded out the double-figure scorers. Williams tallied game-high honors of 24 points for the Coyotes, while Kenneth Barnes and Geoffrey Clayton chipped in 18 and 11 points, respectively, in the win. As a team, the Toros out-rebounded the Coyotes by a 31-23 margin, but could not withstand CSUSB’s hot shooting on the night.

Bryant tallied his fourth and record-setting block of the night against CSUSB’s James Perkins at the 2:44 mark of the second half to vault over former Toro great Anthony Blackmon, who set his record of 37 blocks during the 1988-89 campaign.

The Toros conclude their 2005-06 regular season home schedule tomorrow night as they host UC San Diego, and honor their lone senior on the squad, Eric Montgomery. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Torodome.