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SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The battle of the top two seeds for the 2025 CCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship came down to the wire, and it was No. 1 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills outlasting No. 2 seed Chico State, 74-68, on Saturday night at The Sports Center.
 
Jordan Hilstock led the Toros with 22 points. He went 10-of-11 from the free throw line, added six rebounds, and drew 10 fouls on Chico State. Adam Afifi recorded his second straight double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. David Cheatom also scored in double-figures as he went 5-of-8 from the field and 5-of-5 at the line to post 15 points.
 
Chico State's Jojo Murphy had 26 points to lead all scorers. Isaiah Kerr added 18 points, and Trae Taylor paced the team with nine rebounds.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills was ready to play from the opening tip as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead. Chico used a 12-0 run to retake the lead midway through the half. The Toros answered with a run of their own (13-2) and carried a 38-31 lead into halftime.
 
The Toros would open up a 13-point lead early in the second half on a jumper by Alex Garcia (48-35). The Wildcats continued to fight back and cut their deficit to single digits on a Ned Joyce 3-pointer with seven minutes remaining. The teams traded baskets over the next six minutes until a 3-pointer by Jojo Murphy and two free throws by Taylor brought the Wildcats within a possession at 68-66.
 
The Toros called a timeout after a scramble on their ensuing possession for an inbounds at half court. Coach Steve Becker drew up the play for David Cheatom, and the graduate student delivered a critical basket as he caught the ball coming off a curl at the top of the key and drove to the hoop for the contested layup.
 
Chico answered with a layup by Joyce to cut its deficit back to two (70-68) with 19 seconds remaining. Hilstock was then fouled on the sideline, and he knocked down both free throws to push the lead back to two possessions (72-68). On the ensuing possession, the Toros' defense swarmed the Wildcats, and they could not get a shot off until just three seconds remained. Hilstock finished the game by converting his 10th free throw of the night.
 
Hilstock was named the tournament's most valuable player. Adam Afifi (CSUDH), Jojo Murphy (CHICO), Trae Taylor (CHICO), and Evan Oliver (CSUSB) joined him on the all-tournament team.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills earns the CCAA's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA West Regional, which begins Friday, March 14. The Toros were ranked No. 2 in the last regional poll. Chico State is also expected to receive a bid to the regional as an at-large selection. Both teams will learn their seed and the regional tournament location on the NCAA Selection Show, this Sunday, Mar. 9, at 8 p.m.