[Box score]

PITTSBURGH – Teagan Thurman, Cristina Jones, and Nala Williams combined for 62 points to help lead No. 3 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills to an 82-66 win over No. 6 Coker in the NCAA Elite Eight.
 
The Toros were relentlessly physical on both ends of the floor to earn its 35th win of the season (35-1) and advance further than any team in program history. CSUDH outrebounded Coker 42-36, including 26-12 on the offensive end. The Toros turned those into 23 second-chance points, outscoring the Cobras by 20 points in the paint (52-32).
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills forced Coker into 27 turnovers, resulting in 27 points. Meanwhile, CSUDH committed only nine turnovers, matching their lowest mark of the season.
 
Cristina Jones nearly had a triple-double as the CCAA Freshman of the Year scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and registered eight of the Toros' 20 steals. Seven of her rebounds came on the offensive glass, and she was 8-of-10 at the free throw line. Teagan Thurman came off the bench to match a season-high and lead all scorers with 23 points. She went 10-of-22 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. She also led the team with five assists and two blocks. Nala Williams added 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
 
CSUDH came ready to play for their second Elite Eight appearance in three years. They built a 20-14 lead at the end of the first quarter as Thurman scored 11 points, including a 3-pointer as the clock expired.
 
It would be the Cobras that started with the extra step in the second quarter, scoring 11 of the first 15 points to take their first lead of the game with 7:45 remaining. The Toros would outscore them 18-2 the rest of the quarter and take a 42-27 lead into halftime.
 
Coker did not make a field goal during that entire run, and their scoring drought continued into the second half until a Dasia Ferguson layup broke the streak. It lasted for over nine minutes, and CSUDH went from one down (24-25) to up by 15 (42-27).
 
The Cobras would continue fighting. They cut the deficit to 12 points (68-52) midway through the fourth quarter and had a chance to bring the game back within 10 points, but each time the Toros defense held firm with a stop or a steal.
 
With the victory, CSUDH will advance to the national semifinals, where it will face No. 7 seed Union (TN), which upset No. 2 seed Bently earlier in the day. Game times are TBD, but the game will be shown on ESPN +.