CARSON — Aujanee Baldwin initiated a CSU Dominguez Hills comeback, and Brigayle Iglehart finished it off, leading the Toros to a 66-60 win over Humboldt State in California Collegiate Athletic Association women's basketball action Saturday.
Jessica Liang scored 16 points to top four Toros in double figures, helping her team improved to 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in the CCAA. Baldwin scored 15, most coming in a key stretch that allowed the Toros to bounce back from a seven-point deficit, while Iglehart and Alana Bailey each had 12 points.
After losing their fourth straight game, the Jacks dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in league play. They were led in scoring by
Jennifer Enos' 13 points, with
Trisha Alaba,
Luiza Osborne and
Paige Peterson all contributing nine points each.
"We had the opportunity to sneak away with this one, but we crumbled down the stretch and didn't make the plays we needed to," HSU head coach
Joddie Gleason said. "The players don't like losing. They're trying to do whatever it takes, and once we find our confidence again, we'll be alright."
HSU moved up by seven points midway through the second half, taking a 48-41 lead on Peterson's free throw with 10 minutes, 24 seconds remaining. But the Toros, ranked No. 1 in the CCAA's preseason coaches poll, charged back behind Baldwin, whose short jumper cut the lead to one at 52-51.
With Iglehart on the bench in foul trouble, Baldwin hit another jumper to give CSUDH the lead, and added a pair of free throws to extend it. Iglehart reentered the game, hitting a couple of jumpers and free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
In the first half, HSU pushed the lead to five points on two occasions, the first gap occurring on a Brittany Taylor layup and the second on a short jumper in the paint by
Kayla Henry. But the Toros fought their way back, drawing even when Bailey found an open lane along the left baseline.
Enos pumped in a 12-foot jumper to move the Jacks back in front, and Liang's three-point attempt came up short to send HSU into halftime with a 33-31 lead.
Humboldt State returns home this week to host the HSU Classic, which tips off Friday. The Lumberjacks will face Notre Dame de Namur the first day of tourney action, then battle Hawaii Hilo on Saturday.