It’s rare for a school to field a team of destiny, much less two.
The Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s and women’s basketball teams, however, managed to simultaneously deliver historic 30-plus win seasons.
The only smudge on an otherwise record-setting year came when the confetti fell at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh and Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., as the Toros watched their opponents celebrated winning NCAA Division II national titles.
Both teams were understandably deflated in the aftermath, but they remained grateful for their journeys to national championship games.
“Making school history, never been to this point, we’re incredibly proud,” men’s basketball coach Steve Becker said. “As much as the competitor in you is frustrated with the final outcome, I just have such a rare, incredible, special group of people in our locker room that I just love so much.”
Becker’s team was 24 seconds away from glory when David Cheatom’s jumper gave them a 73-72 lead against powerhouse Nova Southeastern. However, two Sharks free throws and a last-second miss from Cheatom as the clock expired sealed the Toros’ 74-73 loss on March 29
“We did the best job against the team that does it the best in the country,” Becker said. “To be quite honest, if I could do it over, I would do the exact same thing in terms of the last play call and how it all went down.”
Women’s basketball coach John Bonner, coming off a .500 season marred by injuries, dominated the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. and entered the national championship game with a 36-1 record. The Toros fell 70-58 to Grand Valley State University on March 28.
“There’s a small wound there, when you go that far and you want to get it done, and you feel like you didn’t play your best basketball in that game,” Bonner said. “But I think as that wound heals, there’s a lot to still reflect on.”
It was the first time both programs reached the NCAA championship game — a rare accomplishment that brought the Toros national recognition.
Becker recalls one announcer approaching him and saying, “Hey, no one knew about you guys. You put your university on the map,” a compliment that left him feeling proud.
The men’s team won a conference championship last season and was built on a core of upperclassmen led by seventh-year senior Alex Garcia, who helped build the program.
“Every year, when people could have gone their separate ways — I mean, a lot of people had options to do that — it was just, ‘No, I want to play again with all my friends,’” Garcia said. “We just kept choosing to come back and play for coach Beck because it was family.”
Becker appreciated that in an era dominated by the lure of NIL money and the transfer portal, his core stayed together for a singular mission.
“We were the ones like, ‘No, we’re going to go and try to win a national championship,’” Garcia said. “If we fall sooner than that, we fall sooner than that. But that needs to be the level that we get to. … That set the tone for the whole year.”
Meanwhile, the women’s team set its championship expectations during an annual beach trip just before the start of the season. It was a change in mindset for senior Asia Jordan, who said she wasn’t thinking about winning titles when she first joined the program. Growing up minutes away from Dominguez Hills in Lakewood, the first-generation college student’s main goal was to use basketball to earn an education.
But after last season’s success, the Toros looked to build a “super team.”
“We set in our minds that we wanted to win a national championship,” she said. “As soon as we stepped on the court in the preseason, everybody was locked into the goal.”
The men’s team showed its resolve when Garcia hit a tying three-pointer in the final seconds against Dallas Baptist, capping an incredible comeback. The Toros trailed by as many as 19 points, but Garcia’s shot sent the game to overtime. Cal State Dominguez Hills won in overtime, earning a spot in the national championship game.
Both rosters reach championship games under the direction of veteran coaches.
Bonner and Becker began their careers at the university a couple of years apart and transformed dormant programs. During their respective postseason runs, the two would talk often, sharing words of encouragement as they rooted for each other to accomplish something extraordinary.
“He and I … have been through so many different athletic directors, leadership changes and he’s a friend,” Becker said of Bonner. “To see us accomplish this rare, special feat together in the same year has been a really rewarding experience.”
The two teams forged a close bond — joking around in the athletic training rooms, while crossing paths on campus and before and after practices.
The men’s team gathered in a ballroom, watching the women play in the Final Four and the national championship game a state away.
On the flight back to Los Angeles, the women’s players were glued to their screens, watching the men fight for a national title.
“I wouldn’t have been back playing basketball or walking around right now if it weren’t for the people around me — my teammates, my coaches and my family,” Garcia said. “Throughout the whole season, it’s always just been, ‘Lean on your brother.’ That’s been the most important thing I’ve learned here.”
Even though her team didn’t win a championship, Jordan said she’s grateful for everything she’s experienced within the basketball program.
“Coming to Dominguez was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” Jordan said. “It definitely changed the trajectory of my life.”