The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros men’s and women’s basketball teams are two of the most competitive programs in the nation. As of Monday, both teams are dominating the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
Prior to their 71-75 loss to Chico State, the Toros women’s basketball team was the last undefeated team in Division II college basketball this season. As of February 18, the Toros women were ranked second in the WBCA NCAA top 25 poll.
They rank sixth in the nation in turnovers forced per game. They are also the 10th-best scoring offense in the nation with 79.7 points per game.
“I think the biggest thing is our chemistry, I think that exceeds the X’s and O’s,” said Dominguez Hills women’s basketball head coach John Bonner. “When you get people together and they want to invest in one another, then good things tend to happen.”
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Junior Nala Williams leads the team with 18.3 points per game; she has been shooting at 40 percent in three-pointers this season. She also leads the team in points (513), assists (116), and steals (117). Senior Teagan Thurman leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game, racking up 180 boards this season.
“Everyone believes in each other, and we are really a team collectively,” Williams said. “We push each other every day to be our best selves in practice.”
Williams, an alum of Long Beach Poly, was named FloCollege/CCAA Player of the Week from January 27 to February 2. Senior forward Asia Jordan is the second-highest scorer and rebounder on the team with 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
“We thrive on our defense. If we’re successful defensively, then we’re going to be good offensively,” Jordan said. “That’s a big thing for us, just making sure that we hone in defensively, communicate with each other at all times, helping each other.”
The Dominguez Hills men’s basketball team flaunts four players who average in the double-digits in scoring. This helped the men earn the 14th spot in national ranking. Leading the offense is Serra alum Jeremy Dent-Smith, who contributes 18.9 points per game. Dent-Smith was named CCAA Player of the Year for the 2023-2024 season.
“A lot of us been here for three, four years so we know what it’s like to play with each other,” Dent-Smith said. “That brotherhood, I feel, puts us over the top.”
The Toros men went on a 13-game winning streak from November to January, defeating two nationally ranked teams. On average, they hold their opponents to 70 points and shoot at 45 percent from the field.
“I love playing with everybody on the team, I love our team,” said senior guard Jayden Winfrey. “I know we’re close enough to where we can hold each other accountable, even if it may not be the easiest thing to say.”
With their talent and chemistry, the Toros basketball programs are sure to contend in the CCAA and NCAA tournaments in March.
