ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington men's basketball (21-9) travels down to California to face Cal State Dominguez Hills (22-7) in the opening round of the NCAA West Regional. The Wildcats are in the four-five seed matchup and leaped from a projected 11 seed to the five seed after winning the GNAC Tournament last Saturday.

GAME INFO

Friday, March 15
7:30 p.m.
(5 Seed) Central Washington vs (4 Seed) Cal State Dominguez Hills
Los Angeles, California
University Gym
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QUOTING HEAD COACH BRANDON RINTA

"We are excited to have the opportunity to go down to LA and represent the GNAC in the National Tournament this weekend. These are going to be some high-level playoff games as the eight best teams in the West Region battle it out for a spot in the Elite Eight."

SCOUTING THE TOROS

Cal State Dominguez Hills finished the season 22-7 overall and 17-5 in CCAA action. The Toros made the CCAA tournament but suffered a quick exit in the first round losing 75-73 to Cal State LA. Jeremy Dent-Smith played outstanding for the Toros and scored a game-high 29 points in the loss. He shot 8-13 from the field, an impressive 4-6 from deep, and made all nine of his free throws.
Over the season, Dent-Smith's dominant performances and scoring prowess earned him CCAA Player of the Year. Dent-Smith is averaging 17.3 points per game. He scored over twenty points in nine games this season. His best offensive performance came on January 25^th at Cal Poly Pomona, where he put up 41 points. Jeremy shot 12-20 from the floor, made nine threes, and went 8-10 from the free-throw line.
Jakob Alamudun and Andre Ball are also averaging double-digits. Alamudun tallies 15.2 points per game and Ball puts up 10.3. They both shoot 45% from the floor and lead the team on the glass, averaging 5.4 and 5.6 rebounds respectively.
Dent-Smith, Alex Garcia, Za-Ontay Boothman, and Jacob Washington are the Toros' main sharpshooters. Dent-Smith leads the way with 59 made threes, Boothman has drained 41 of his 100 attempts from beyond the arc this season, and Garcia has converted 36. Jacob Washington is 27-61 from beyond the arc and is shooting a hot 44.3%.
Cal State Dominguez Hills is an aggressive defensive team. The Toros have 168 steals this season and three players collected over 20 steals led by Jeremy Dent-Smith who has 42 takeaways.

LAST TIME OUT

Central Washington completed their historic Great Northwest Athletic Tournament last week. The Wildcats knocked off the #1 seed Montana State Billings with a go-ahead three from Samaad Hector with 1.1 seconds left to advance to the Championship game. The Cats fought hard and won the Championship game 78-69 over Alaska Anchorage. Central Washington's win gave them their first GNAC Tournament Championship since 2011.
Samaad Hector and Anjaylo Lloyd are the two main offensive threats for the 'Cats. Hector earned the GNAC Tournament MVP last weekend after rattling off 24 points against Seattle Pacific, 15 points against Montana State Billings, and a 22-point 14 rebound performance in the Championship game against Anchorage. Hector is averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game.
Jello scored 13 points in the final game of the tournament. He splashed home two threes in key moments of the game to help propel the 'Cats to victory. Lloyd enters the NCAA tournament averaging 12.8 points per game and leads the team shooting 91.8% from the charity stripe.
Samaad Hector and Freshman Maverick Sanders are the rim protectors for the 'Cats. Hector has 35 blocks this season and Sanders has 27. Both are the top rebounders on the team as well. Hector led the conference in rebounding this year and is averaging 8.8 boards per contest. Sanders hauls in 4.2 rebounds per game.
Bradley Swillie and Jordan Clark are key starters for Central Washington. Camron McNeil plays a big role off the bench and had a great GNAC Championship game. McNeil scored 14 points, made back-to-back threes, and shot a near-perfect 4-5 from the free-throw line.
Other main contributors for Central Washington are Cavin Holden, Colby Gennett, and Mitch Brizee. Holden has made 23 from deep this season and scores 5.4 points per game. Brizee is effective in the post and Gennett has made an impact all season long and can score from inside and out.

MATCHUP HISTORY

This is the fourth time these teams have played against each other and the first meeting between the two teams since 2009. The 'Cats are 2-1 against the Toros. Cal State Dominguez Hills won the previous matchup 87-83.   

UP NEXT

A win on Friday would see the Wildcats advance and face the winner of the (1) Cal State LA vs (8) Azusa Pacific game.