Box score | CSUDH Press Conference | CSUMB Press Conference | Tournament Central
Right when it looked like Cal State Dominguez Hills' season might be over, the Toros flipped a switch and outscored Cal State Monterey Bay by 27 points in the last 15 minutes to earn a 69-60 victory and a trip to the semifinals of the 2022 CCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
The No. 5 seeded Toros shot only .229 percent in the first half and found themselves down 45-28 with 14:55 remaining before putting together a 15-3 run to cut the deficit to five (48-43) in just five minutes.
Andrew Ferguson's jumper put the Otters back on top by nine (52-43) at the 9:20 mark, and then it was the Toros defense's turn to take over the game. They held the Otters to just 3-of-21 down the stretch and forced three turnovers to fuel the run. Their defense led directly to their offense as the Toros outscored the Otters from that moment, 26-8, to earn the victory.
Cal State Dominguez Hills capitalized off the mistakes from Cal State Monterey Bay, especially down the stretch. They outscored the Otters 23-0 on points off turnovers and 19-6 in second-chance points. The Toros had only six turnovers all game. Their bench outscored the Otters' 29-11.
Chris Seeley powered Cal State Dominguez Hills with a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double. He also had four steals and a block. Colton Kresl added 13 points, and Isaiah Morris came off the bench with 12. David Cheatom also made a significant impact off the bench as he scored 10 points and was a game-high plus-23 in the plus/minus category.
Andrew Ferguson registered 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Cal State Monterey Bay. Jordan May added 14 points, including four 3-pointers, and Levi Frankland posted 13 points and eight boards.
Cal State Dominguez Hills will advance to the semifinals of the 2022 CCAA Men's Basketball Tournament to face the No. 1 seed, Cal State San Bernardino. The game will tip at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 4.
CCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Central