BOX SCORE

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Southwest Minnesota State shot just 35 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers in suffering a 64-57 loss to Cal. State Dominguez Hills in the first day of the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, Calif. 

It was the season opener for both teams.  The Toros took advantage of the SMSU mistakes to hold a 26-12 advantage in points off of turnovers.

Matt Zager led SMSU with a team-high 13 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds with Lavione West adding 12 points and five rebounds for the Mustangs.

SMSU was 4 of 21 from the 3-point range and was outrebounded 45-43.  CSUDH ended the game shooting 37 percent, including 4 of 15 from 3-point range.

SMSU never led in the game and trailed 33-22 at halftime.

CSUDH expanded the lead to 47-26 with 15 minutes and 29 seconds left in the second half, before SMSU rallied to make the game interesting in the final 10 minutes.

Trailing 49-30 with 14 minutes left in the game, SMSU used an 11-1 run over the next six and a half minutes to trim the deficit to 50-41 following a field goal by West.  SMSU cut the lead to 52-46 with six minutes remaining on a pair of Tramel Barnes free throws, but that was as close the Mustangs would come as the Toros had an answer to every SMSU late run.

Givon Crump led CSUDH with 14 points and eight rebounds, while DeShaun Freeman added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Southwest Minnesota State returns to action tomorrow night taking on North Carolina-Pembroke (1-0) at 8:15 CST.  UNCP defeated Northern State 73-58 on Friday.