Cal State L.A. Player and Coach Clash

Tony McGee, the leading scorer on the Cal State Los Angeles basketball team, was suspended Tuesday night after a locker-room argument with Coach Henry Dyer.

McGee, a senior forward, will miss the final regular-season game at Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday and postseason games, if the team qualifies.

Said Dyer: “I was a (little upset) at the way we played, and he didn’t like that I used him as an example. He couldn’t handle the criticism.”

McGee, who also was suspended for one game earlier this season, declined to talk about the situation on Wednesday, but shortly after a 96-86 victory over Pacific Christian on Tuesday, he said that Dyer’s criticism was personal.

“(Dyer) walked into the locker room and said, ‘If you act up, I won’t put you up for (the) All-Conference (team),’ ” McGee told The Times after the game. “I said ‘Wow, he’s serious.’ Then (Dyer) said: ‘Don’t let me have to act like a (pejorative term for African-American). You have been acting like one all year.’ ”

Both Dyer and McGee are black.

Said Dyer: “I did not call him anything like that. That’s not true. That would cost me too much. I’m not going to risk myself for a kid who gets upset at criticism. I didn’t direct anything at them (McGee and teammate Marcus Williams). I talked to the team, and I said that (McGee and Williams) were the reason for the cause of the deterioration of the team. Marcus had the good sense to keep his mouth closed. That’s when Tony started.”

Said McGee: “I cursed him. And, then he rushed at me. I threw something at him.”

Said Dyer: “I didn’t rush him--he rushed me. He didn’t throw anything at me--I’m 6-3 and over 230 pounds, so he couldn’t miss if he had.”

McGee ranks second in California Collegiate Athletic Assn. scoring with a 19.4-point average.

Athletic Director Carol Dunn could not be reached, and other players declined to comment.