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Whitney Gantt & Michael Cox

Men's Basketball

Toros Basketball Teams Ready for Opening Round of CCAA Tournament

Whitney Gantt (L) & Michael Cox look to lead their respective teams in tomorrow night's first round CCAA Tournament action
CARSON -- And so the journey begins.  One year after both Cal State Dominguez Hills women's and men's basketball teams claimed respective tournament and regular season crowns en route to NCAA postseason appearances, the 2009-10 postseason begins tomorrow night, with the 1st round of the CCAA Championship Tournament.

The defending tournament champion and No. 8 seeded women's team travels to No. 14 and top-seeded UC San Diego, while the defending regular season tri-champion and No. 4 seeded Toros men's squad hosts No. 5 seed Chico State, with both first tips set for 7:00 pm.

Under head coach Van Girard, the women will be making their ninth overall appearance in the tournament and third-straight, having posted an overall record of 10-7 in tournament play.  The first round meeting between the Toros and Tritons marks the second time in two years the teams have met in post-season play after UCSD handed CSUDH a buzzer-beating 66-65 loss in the 2009 NCAA West Regionals.
 
In 2009, the Toros rode a three-game win streak in the tournament, taking down San Francisco State, Chico State and Humboldt State en route to the tournament title.
 
This year, the Toros have posted a 10-17 overall and 9-13 league mark, and enter tomorrow's battle having dropped three straight games.
 
Leading the Toros is a trio of Toros ready to eclipse the 300+ scoring margin in junior Neka Mixon (297 points, 17.5 ppg), senior Whitney Gantt (289 points, 11.1 ppg) and junior Brandie McCann (277 points, 11.1 ppg), while senior Barbara Houston paces CSUDH on the boards averaging 5.9 rpg, which also puts her at No. 16 in the league.

The men's squad, one of the hottest teams in the nation after winning eight of its last nine contests, is led by a four-headed monster in senior Tim McGrath and juniors Michael Cox, Tim McLaurin and Marcquintice Davis, who all average in between 10.4 and 9.2 points per game.

Additionally, CSUDH is shooting at a nearly 70% clip from the free throw line, including Robert Willhite's 80.3% and James Cawthorne's 78.3%, the 9th and 10th best percentages in the league, respectively.

After starting the season 0-7, the Toros have won 16 of their last 20 games to finish as the No. 4 seed in the conference, and earn tomorrow night's hosting duty.

Last season, the Toros finished in a three-way tie for the regular season crown, only to suffer an upset loss to CS Monterey Bay in Carson in the first round of the CCAA Tournament.

Receiving the No. 4 seed in the NCAA West Region's 1st round following the CCAA Tournament, CSUDH took an 87-83 win over No. 5 seeded Central Washington before falling to top-seeded BYU-Hawai'i to end its season at 22-8, tying the mark for most wins in a single season.

In CCAA Tournament history, the Toros have a 3-5 record in 6 appearances, winning one title in 1987.

The women's game at UC San Diego can be followed via live stats or webcast, while those unable to attend tomorrow's men's contest in person can click onto www.GoToros.com/LIVE for all the live action, courtesy of David Smock and the Toro Sports Network.
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