San Rafael, Calif. – Dominican University of California men's basketball fell to its Bay Area rival, Holy Names University, 78-70 in the Conlan Center.

"I thought that Holy Names came out ready to play," head coach Justin Argenal said. "We did a good job at battling back, both at the end of the first and second half, but as we know, we came up a little bit short. Our turnovers were at 19 tonight, that continues to be our Achilles heel. That's something we continue to work on. We did a lot of good things tonight, especially with our offensive rebounds, but we came up short."

Graduate student Michael Diaz drove the lane for a tough two after Holy Names netted the first bucket of the evening to knot the game at two apiece. The Hawks tallied the next six points courtesy of successful foul shots and a pair of lay-ins, setting the score to 8-2 at the first media timeout.

Sophomore Adam Parker converted on his charity shots following the timeout, shots that were soon answered by Holy Names' Roman Behrens. Freshman Jake Blazona then took on a pair of defenders with the shot clock nearing zero, draining a rainbow that brought the Penguins back within seven near the seven minute mark of the half.

"I'm finding the balance of being aggressive and how to take care of the ball," Blazona said. "Regardless of how well I am scoring the ball, I need to make sure I take care of it."

Graduate student Justin Brown found the score sheet for the first time on the next possession when he backed his defender into the paint before sinking a hook shot over him, but the Hawks quickly responded when Damiri Lindo drove the lane for a layup to regain the seven point advantage.

Justin Brown again backed his defender deep into the paint before hitting another hook after Holy Names corralled points from the foul line. Graduate student Anthony Dennis completed a three-point play on Dominican's next trip down the floor after drawing a foul on a layup to bring his team back within four. The Hawks followed suit with a three-point play of their own, following a familiar narrative of regaining a seven point lead.  

Parker and freshman Jorden Josephs double-teamed the Hawks' Edward Grey to force a turnover before Diaz tipped-in the ball after an errant Dominican layup, bringing the score to 20-15. Another Hawks basket came later after they quickly corralled their own inbound before sending it up the court to Jason Cibull who drained the game's first 3-pointer that brought the score to 23-15 at the media timeout.

Justin Brown and Parker both successfully converted on foul shots to bring Dominican back within four before Josephs intercepted a Holy Names pass that eventually resulted in Parker pulling the Penguins within three. The Hawks set the score to 25-20 on their next possession, but Justin Brown continued to show his skill with another hook shot to keep Dominican within one possession. Justin Brown then found a streaking Blazona who laid-in an easy bucket that brought his team within one at the final media timeout of the half.

Diaz muscled in a layup after the media timeout to give Dominican its first lead of the game with 2:45 remaining, followed by a pair of Chase Anderson foul shots. Blazona connected on a short-range jumper to put Dominican up five while also forcing Holy Names to call a timeout amidst a 10-0 Dominican run on the ensuing possession. Lindo later halted the run with a shot from behind the arc that marked the final score of the half as the Penguins brought a 30-27 lead into the locker rooms.

Holy Names scored the opening basket of the final half, a tally that Dominican soon answered courtesy of an Anderson lay-in. Holy Names took the lead a pair of possessions later following a successful and-1, then extending the lead on its next possession as the score read 36-32 before Parker went strong to basket before setting a two-hander into the hoop while also drawing the harm.

Successful Hawks foul shots gave them their first seven point lead of the half, later earning two more points following a media timeout. Parker muscled his way into the lane again on the following possession, converting on a left handed shot before completing the three-point play from the foul line to bring the Penguins within six. Graduate student Zamaria Odom snagged an offensive rebound on Dominican's next possession, then notching his first two points of the evening, forcing a Holy Names' timeout with the score reading 43-39 in favor of the Hawks.

Sophomore Connor Maclean sent his man to the floor with a thunderous block while staying out of the foul column, then setting up Odom for a 3-pointer that swung the momentum back to Dominican. Dennis received an inbound pass from Blazona on the next possession who wasted no time as he caught the inbound and found the basket all within one motion, bringing Dominican within a basket.

A Dennis foul welcomed a media timeout, preceding a Hawks trip to the line that saw the shooter go 1-for-2. An offensive foul was called on Dennis on the next possession, sending the ball the other way, but the Hawks failed to capitalize aside from putting Dominican into the bonus category with 11:25 remaining. Dominican was charged with a technical foul on its next trip down the floor as Holy Names went 1-for-2 from the line before Terique Brown converted on a pair of charity shots of his own, setting the score to 48-46 in Holy Names' favor.

Austin Carter finished a three-point play that also fouled Maclean out of the game for Dominican, bringing the score to 53-46. Josephs answered the bell with a deep-ball to bring his team pack within three, but the bucket was soon answered as Holy Names did the same. Justin Brown fouled out of the game on the Hawks' next possession, preceding successful foul shots by the Hawks' Gray.

Josephs kept his in within the game as he drained another 3-pointer, but in similar fashion to before, the bucket was answered by another Holy Names' long ball. Diaz then brought his team to their feet on the Penguins' next possession when he converted on a layup while being fouled, later completing the 3-point play from the foul line after a media timeout.

"I try to be a spark always, whether I am starting or whether I am coming off the bench," Diaz said. "I try to do anything I can when I'm in the game. We had momentum after the and-1, but it comes down to how we play down the stretch."

Anderson forced Holy Names out of bounds on the ensuing play as he stuck to his man while avoiding the foul, setting the stage for a pair of successful Parker free throws for the Penguins as both teams found themselves in the bonus. Holy Names answered the play with free throws of their own to bring its lead back to six, but an offensive foul drawn by Dominican set up Anderson for a 3-pointer that set the score to 63-60 as momentum continued to favor the Penguins.

Babacar Thiombane kept his team ahead with a lay-in from above the basket as Dominican soon responded with a long two-pointer off the hands of Diaz. Holy Names earned another basket on its next possession to keep them at distance, leading 67-62 with 4:41 to go in the game.

Gray set the ball in the basket directly out of the media timeout, but he earned a technical foul after taunting Dominican that proved costly as the Penguins as Parker converted on the ensuing foul shot. Diaz then tallied a pair of points to set the score to 69-65, preceding strong Penguin defense as a hand got in the way of what would have been a poster-like dunk, keeping the Hawks lead to four at the final media timeout.

Parker welcomed his foes to the floor with a bucket after taking contact, bringing Dominican within one possession. Thiombane set Dominican back by a trio of points after finishing an and-1 from the foul line, giving his team a five point lead. Diaz brought Dominican within four from the foul line, preceding a sky-high pass by the Hawks in an effort to keep the balls inbound, eventually leading to a jump ball that favored the Penguins. Dominican was unable to capitalize as they fouled on the ensuing inbound, giving the ball back to the Hawks.

Parker made it a one possession game moments later, setting the score to 72-70 before Holy Names called a timeout. The Hawks converted on a pair of free throws coming out of the timeout, then intercepting a Penguin pass on the next possession before drawing a foul. Successful foul shots gave Holy Names a six point lead, an advantage that Dominican was unable to overcome as Holy Names walked off the court with a 78-70 victory.

Parked led all Penguin scorers with a team high 17 points, also collecting five rebounds, while Diaz cemented his best game as a Penguin with 14 points and a team high 8 rebounds. The two teams finished with 50 total fouls.

"We know what we need to correct, and it keeps showing up -- that's taking care of the ball and valuing every possession. That's something we have to continue to work on and buy into, and until we do that, we will continue to get similar results. We are competitive, but we are just short," coach Argenal said.