Toros Lose to Cal Lutheran, 66-63

Despite 26 points and 15 rebounds from senior center Anthony Blackmon, Cal State Dominguez Hills lost Saturday night at Cal Lutheran, 66-63, in overtime.

The Toros (3-3) squandered a 20-5 lead. The team shot just 35 percent from the field and during a five-minute stretch in the final 11 minutes of the game went scoreless. The Toros managed only six second-half field goals.

Cal Lutheran quickly built a 7-point lead in overtime. Three-point attempts by Blackmon and guard Robert Barksdale in the final minute missed.

The outcome frustrated Coach Dave Yanai, who earlier in the year watched the Toros blow a 14-point second-half lead against NAIA power Biola University, then fall in double overtime, 69-67. Cal Lutheran defeated Biola last week.

Blackmon became only the fourth person in Toro history to score 1,000 points in a career, but sophomore guard Bryan Dell’Amico continued his woes at the free throw line. A 78% free-throw shooter last year, Dell’Amico went 0-for-3 Saturday night. After making his first 5 attempts of the year, he has now connected on only 1 of his last 9 attempts.

Barksdale also continued in a shooting slump. He made just 1 of 9 field-goal tries.

Dominguez Hills will be at Azusa Pacific on Tuesday night.