ROHNERT PARK, CALIF. - On Thursday, February 9th, the Sonoma State men's basketball team fought their way back from a 16-point first half deficit but the Toros of Cal State Dominguez Hills were able to hit some clutch free throws down the stretch and get some defensive stops, handing SSU the defeat, 61-72.
FIRST HALF SSU 28-41 CSUDH:
After working their way to a 6-6 tie, Dominguez Hills would go on an 11-0 run to take an early 15-6 lead. The Seawolves struggled offensively out of the gate and the Toros made them pay from beyond the arc, going 7-5 from three-point range to end the first half.
On top of the three ball, the Toros zone defense also forced some tough passes for SSU, creating 8 first half turnovers to the Toros 1. After going down by as many as 16 points late in the first half, Sonoma State would get a much needed spark from junior forward
Pierce Rexford who would convert a tough layup and draw the foul, hitting the ensuing free throw for the three-point play. The Seawolves would get a stop on the defensive end to keep it a 12-point game at the half.
Sophomore
Jaylen Wells and Rexford would combine for 14 first half points to lead the Seawolves. Both teams shot the ball over 45% from the field in the first half, but 7 made three pointers to SSU's 1 would prove the difference maker at the break.
FINAL SSU 61-72 CSUDH:
Out of the break, the Seawolves would find some energy and life and start the half on a 15-9 run to get the crowd into the game and cut the lead to single digits. Behind the team's surge was big man
Dillon Iyawe who started the half 5-for-5 from the field, making his presence felt down low. Head coach
Rich Shayewitz made it clear they wanted to attack the paint and use their size against the Toros and that's exactly what SSU did for the first 9 minutes of the half. During that stretch the Seawolves outscored the Toros 12-4 in paint points.
Up until the four minute mark in the half, Sonoma State had held Dominguez Hills to just 26% shooting as they had only made 5 field goals in the second half. The biggest moment of the game for the Seawolves would come under 7 minutes as they finally made their run in the game and got within a score.
Veteran senior
Nick Klarman made his first appearance in recent weeks returning from an ankle injury. With under six and a half to play, Klarman would bail out the Seawolves with a huge spot up three to make it a 6-point game. Two possessions later, Wells would force a turnover from the Toros which would eventually end up in a catch-and-shoot three ball from
Pierce Rexford, igniting the SSU crowd and bench as the Seawolves made it a 2-point game.
Under the four minute mark, SSU went cold as they would convert just two made field goals the rest of the way. Dominguez Hills would attack the paint and draw some key fouls sending them to the free throw line. The Toros were able to work their way to the bonus and go 9-of-10 from the line to seal the victory. They would draw 14 team fouls compared to Sonoma State's 6 in the second half alone.
Dillon Iyawe and
Jaylen Wells led SSU with 13 points a piece as Wells also added 10 rebounds, good for his 6th double-double of the season. Rexford finished the night with two three balls and 9 points with another trio of SSU players finishing with 5 points each.
The Seawolves hammered the Toros on paint points, 36-18, but a slow start to the first half and clutch free throws down the stretch would prove the difference in the end. Despite getting to the free throw line often as a team throughout the season, the Seawolves only attempted 11 shots from the stripe compared to the Toros 23.
BY THE NUMBERS:
| Sonoma State |
Team |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
| 48.0% |
FG% |
40.7% |
| 5-15 |
3PT |
8-24 |
| 8-11 |
FT |
20-23 |
| 36 |
Paint pts. |
18 |
| 16 |
TO |
5 |
LOOKING AHEAD:
Sonoma State drops the opener of their conference homestand to Cal State Dominguez Hills, falling to 10-13 overall and 9-8 in CCAA play. They will look to bounce back with another crucial game against Cal State East Bay on Saturday, February 11th. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 PM, live stats, stream, and ticket links can all be found at sonomaseawolves.com on the men's basketball schedule page. As always you can stream the game LIVE on the CCAA Network.
Be sure to follow your Seawolves on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get all the latest SSU athletics updates and information. Sonoma State athletics also has launched a new fan app in partnership with From Now On. Download the free app today in both the Apple and Google Play stores by searching Sonoma State Seawolves in the app store. @SonomaSeawolves | #NomaNation
