CALIFORNIA STATE
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA
Bronco Sports News
For Immediate Release
Jan. 29, 2002
Contact: Paul Helms
(909) 869-2812
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEDIA NOTES
2001-02 CPP Record: 11-6. CCAA Record: 8-4
2001-02 Regional Ranking: 10
A Big Weekend Coming Up: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, which gave No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino all it could handle in a pair of losses last week, will play perhaps its most important games of the season this weekend. The Broncos will host Cal State Stanislaus on Friday night at 8 p.m. and then tangle with Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday at 8 p.m. Cal State Stanislaus comes into this weekend’s games with an 8-9 overall record and is 5-7 in conference. Cal State Bakersfield is in second place in the CCAA with a 10-2 conference mark and two games ahead of the third-place Broncos. The Roadrunners were ranked fifth in last week’s West Region poll, while the Broncos were 10th.
Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 6-2 all-time against Cal State Stanislaus and beat the Warriors, 70-65, on Dec. 8 in Turlock. Lucas LeCour (Sr., Las Vegas, Las Vegas HS) scored 20 points for the Broncos, while Raymond Hubbard (Sr., Chicago, Cuyamaca CC) added 17 points and six rebounds. The Broncos split their two games with the Warriors last season. Cal Poly Pomona is 16-46 all-time against Cal State Bakersfield, but snapped a lengthy drought on Dec. 9 in Bakersfield with a 67-47 victory. The Broncos hadn’t won in Bakersfield since 1981 and handed the Roadrunners their worst home loss to an NCAA Division II team ever. Cal Poly Pomona had also lost its last 12 games to Cal State Bakersfield. Hubbard had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead the Broncos, while Jeff Bonds (Fr., Compton, Mayfair HS) had 12 points and three rebounds.
About Last Week: The Broncos played two inspired games against Cal State San Bernardino, the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, last week but came away with two hard-fought defeats. Cal Poly Pomona dropped a 66-63 decision in Kellogg Gym last Wednesday and lost for the first time in seven home games. The Broncos trailed 22-6 in the first 10 minutes of the game, but rallied to trail by just two at halftime, 30-28. Cal Poly Pomona held a 63-62 lead with 45 seconds remaining after a pair of free throws by Jeff Bonds (Fr., Compton, Mayfair HS), but the Coyotes scored the final three points of the game and survived a 3-point attempt by Marques Montgomery (Sr., Cerritos, Valley Christian HS) at the buzzer. Lucas LeCour (Sr., Las Vegas, Las Vegas HS) scored a season-high 24 points, while Montgomery scored a career-high 16 points and limited the CCAA’s Player of the Year last season, Bobby Burries, to just seven points. Three evenings later, in San Bernardino, the Coyotes once again survived a stern challenge from the Broncos. Cal Poly Pomona trailed by just two points at halftime, 28-26 and then weathered a Cal State San Bernardino run that pushed the lead to 12 points, 48-36, with 10:46 to go. The Broncos went on an 11-0 run to slice the lead to 48-37 with 6:05 left, but that’s as close as they would get. Bonds led the Broncos with 11 points.
The Kamansky File: There is no more “interim” tag for Cal Poly Pomona Head Coach Greg Kamansky, who is in his second season leading the Broncos. As the interim coach last year, Kamansky guided a team picked to finish ninth in the CCAA to a 17-10 record and the brink of an NCAA playoff berth. The 17-10 record was the best-ever for a first-year coach in the program’s history. Kamansky was an assistant coach at Cal Poly Pomona for two seasons before succeeding Tim Rapp. Kamansky’s current record with the Broncos is 28-16.
Leading With Lucas: Senior guard Lucas LeCour is leading the Broncos for a second straight season. LeCour is tops on the team in scoring (13.9 points per game), minutes played (29.4 per game), assists (3.1 per game) and steals (2.5 per game). LeCour leads the conference in steals, is seventh in assists and is 12th in scoring. He equaled a season high with 24 points in the Broncos’ 66-63 loss to Cal State San Bernardino last Wednesday. He also had 24 points and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds in the win over Grand Canyon on Jan. 12. It was the second week in a row he had set a new season high for scoring. Previously, LeCour scored 22 points in a win over Chico State on Jan. 5. He also scored 20 points in wins against La Verne on Nov. 28 and at Cal State Stanislaus on Dec. 8. LeCour has scored in double figures in 11 of the Broncos’ first 17 games. LeCour flourished last season as a junior when he became a full-time starter for the first time at Cal Poly Pomona. He led the team in scoring with 15.7 points per game and earned second-team All-CCAA and All-West Region honors. LeCour also shot a sizzling 82 percent from the free-throw line. He led the team in minutes played (839) and reached double figures in 22 of the Broncos’ 27 games.
The Dean Of Defense: Cal Poly Pomona has been benefiting from one of the top defenses in the country and one of the key defenders is guard Marques Montgomery (Sr., Cerritos, Valley Christian HS). Montgomery, in his fourth season with the Broncos, is having a sensational senior season. He displayed his defensive prowess last week while limiting the CCAA’s Player of the Year, Cal State San Bernardino’s Bobby Burries, to just seven points in each of the two matchups. Montgomery also had a career-high 16 points on Wednesday in the Broncos’ 66-63 loss to the Coyotes in Kellogg Gym. Montgomery is second on the team in steals and second on the Broncos in assists. He is averaging 25.7 minutes per game, which is also second on the team and he is one of just three players to start all 17 games this season.
Everybody Loves Raymond: Senior forward Raymond Hubbard is once again providing instant offense and rebounding muscle off the bench for the Broncos. Hubbard is third on the team in scoring (10.8 points per game) and second on the team in rebounding (5.1 per game). While Hubbard has usually been one of the first reserves off the bench, he has also flourished in his two starts. In his second start of the season on Jan. 19 against Sonoma State, Hubbard scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Broncos past Cossacks, 59-54. Hubbard missed the Jan. 11 loss at UC San Diego because of illness, but was back the next night for the Broncos’ 93-66 win at Grand Canyon. Hubbard had a huge weekend for the Broncos in their road wins against Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 8-9 and was named the CCAA’s Player of the Week. Hubbard had 17 points and six rebounds against the Warriors and added 16 points and nine rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield. Hubbard led all Bronco reserves in scoring last year with a 9.8 points per game average (third on the team) and was third on the squad in rebounding, averaging 4.7 per game.
The Name Is Bonds; Jeff Bonds: The Broncos are getting some sensational play from newcomer Jeff Bonds (Fr., Compton, Mayfair HS). Bonds has already provided a big boost to the Cal Poly Pomona team with his exciting and explosive style of play. Bonds has started the last six games for the Broncos. He had a team-high 15 points and four rebounds in the loss at UC San Diego on Jan. 11 in his first start. He followed that up with 13 points and nine rebounds in the victory at Grand Canyon. He had 10 points and five rebounds against San Francisco State and then had 10 points and a season-high 10 rebounds against Sonoma State. He was held to nine points last Wednesday against Cal State San Bernardino and had 11 points to lead the Broncos in the loss at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday. Bonds poured in a season-high 23 points on Jan. 4 in a loss at UC Davis, while making seven of his eight field-goal attempts and nine of his 10 free throws. Bonds has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 14 games. He is second on the team in scoring with a 12.2 points per game average and leads the team in rebounding (5.5 per game).
Another Fabulous Freshman: Cal Poly Pomona forward David Sybesma (Fr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) is another freshman stepping up for the Broncos. Sybesma led the Broncos in scoring for the first time this season with a 13-point performance against San Francisco State on Jan. 18. Sybesma scored a season-high 16 points in the win at Chico State on Jan. 5. He also had two rebounds and three steals in the win. Sybesma is currently fourth on the team in scoring and fifth in rebounding.
This And That: The Broncos set a new school record
for defensive excellence last year, allowing just 66.4 points per game. So far
this year, the defense has been even better, allowing only 63.9 points per
game. That figure is third in the CCAA and 12th in the nation. The Broncos have held four opponents to 50
points or less. San Francisco State’s
44 points are the lowest; Cal State Bakersfield managed just 47. … The Broncos
were 4-0 in CCAA play for the first time since 1975-76. The Broncos are hoping
that’s a good sign: that was also the last time the Broncos advanced to the
NCAA Division II playoffs. … The Broncos own a narrow 606-604 edge in
rebounding so far. Jeff Bonds leads with 93 rebounds in 17 games, while Raymond
Hubbard has 82 rebounds in 16 games. … Cal Poly Pomona has 159 steals so far
this season, including a season-high 14 against San Francisco State. The
Broncos also had 13 against Sonoma State, 12
against Chico State and 11 against Cal State Bakersfield. Lucas LeCour
leads the team with 42, including five against Sonoma State.
Coach’s Corner: (About last week’s games): “I thought we played well and we competed very hard. Wednesday night I thought we shot the ball well. On Saturday, we played hard, but we didn’t execute at the free-throw line and we missed some easy shots. The key thing about those games is we learned we can play at that level when we decide we want to play at that level. If we lose a game because we miss free throws and layups, at least those are shots we want so we’re losing with the style of play we want to play.”
(About how his team responded to the big-game atmosphere): “Very well. I think we can play in big games; we’ll see again this weekend how we’ll do in a playoff-caliber game. If we make the playoffs, I think we can be a dangerous team. The challenge is to get there.”
(About the balance in the league): “Davis is a great example. They got beat twice in a row by the last-place team (Chico State). That shows the bottom of the conference is a lot stronger and if you don’t bring it every single game, you’ll get beat. That’s hard for teams like Cal Poly Pomona and Davis. San Bernardino and Bakersfield can get away with not bringing it against teams lower in the standings; we can’t. But that’s the fun part of this league.”
(How will the team respond after losing twice to San Bernardino): “I hope they have some confidence after last week. I hope they learned they can compete at a high level. They should be more excited about how they played. At the beginning of the game Wednesday night (when the Broncos trailed 22-6) there might have been some doubt. Nine out of 10 teams get crushed there. Our guys responded. I think they have confidence now that they can compete with anybody.”
(About this weekend’s big games): “Last week’s games were freebies. If we would have won one, great. We were expected to lose. I really thought even before last week that this week’s games would be even bigger for us. The more you win and the more you get yourself into playoff position, the bigger the games become. Stanislaus is a very dangerous team. They are up and down, but they won four of five before getting beat by Bakersfield. They’ve won some games on the road and are talented. We had a very, very close game with them up there and were fortunate to win by five. Obviously, Saturday’s game doesn’t mean that much if we lose Friday night. If we’re fortunate enough to win on Friday, Saturday becomes a showdown. It’s a game that could have major playoff implications. If we’re able to beat a team twice in the same year, you would think that would be given consideration when it comes time to determining playoff teams. Bakersfield is a much better team than it was; they’ve won 12 straight games. Hopefully, we’ll have some great fans this weekend. It should be an exciting environment.”
-- Head Coach Greg Kamansky
PLAYER NOTES
3 JONATHAN WILLIAMS (G, So., Pasadena, Muir HS)
Last Week: Scored four points with one rebound at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday; had three points with two rebounds in 11 minutes against the Coyotes on Wednesday.
2001-02: Averaging 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Has made 20 of 24 free-throw attempts this season.
Season Highs: Points – 10 vs. San Francisco State (1-18-02); Rebounds – 5 at CS Bakersfield (12-9-01). Assists – 5 vs. La Verne (11-28-01).
Career Highs: Points – 11 vs. UC San Diego (1-12-01); Rebounds – 5 at CS Bakersfield (12-9-01); Assists – 8 at UC San Diego (3-3-01).
Career Highs: Points – 26 vs. CS Stanislaus (2-9-01); Rebounds – 11 vs. UC Riverside (12-11-99); Assists – 8 vs. UC Davis (1-4-02).
T.J. WILLIAMS (G, Sr., Dana Point, Santa Margarita HS)
Last Week: Scored five points in 11 minutes of playing time at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday; went scoreless with one rebound against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday. Has started 12 of 17 games.
2001-02: Averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.
Season Highs: Points – 14 vs. La Verne (11-28-01); Rebounds – 5 vs. CS Dominguez Hills (12-15-01); Assists – 3 vs. CS Bakersfield (12-9-01).
Career Highs: Points – 18 vs. Cal State L.A. (1-28-00); Rebounds – 6 (Three times); Assists – 6 vs. UC Davis (2-12-00).
MARQUES MONTGOMERY (G, Sr.,
Cerritos, Valley Christian HS)
Last Week: Had a career-high 16 points with one rebound, a pair of steals and a career-high four 3-pointers against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday; had seven points, three rebounds and two assists Saturday at Cal State San Bernardino.
2001-02: Averaging 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game.
Season Highs: Points – 16 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (1-23-02), Rebounds – 6 at UC San Diego (1-11-02); Assists: 3 at UC San Diego (1-11-02).
Career Highs: Points - 16 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (1-23-02); Rebounds – 6 at UC San Diego (1-11-02), vs. UC Riverside (2-5-00); Assists: 4 vs. La Verne (12-2-00).
ANDY BRATT (G, So., Tucson,
Salpointe HS)
Last Week: DNP-CD in both games.
2001-02: Averaging 1.9 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.1 assists per game. Has appeared in 10 games.
Season Highs: Points – 5 at Grand Canyon (1-12-02), vs. La Verne (11-28-01); Rebounds – 2 at Grand Canyon (1-12-02), vs. CS Dominguez Hills (12-15-01); Assists – 1 vs. La Verne (11-28-01).
Career Highs: Points – 7 vs. Hope International (11-25-00), Vanguard University (12-30-01); Rebounds – 4 vs. UC San Diego (1-12-01); Assists – 1 (Seven Times).
RAFAEL ZIELONKA (F, Sr.,
Anaheim, Servite HS)
Last Week: Had six points, two rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday; had three points, one rebound and one assist against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday.
2001-02: Averaging 4.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists per game. Has started all 17 games for the Broncos.
Season Highs: Points – 9 at UC San Diego (1-11-02); Rebounds – 9 at UC San Diego (1-11-02), Assists – 2 at CS Stanislaus (12-8-01).
Career Highs: Points – 10 at Vanguard (12-30-00); Rebounds – 9 at UC San Diego (1-11-02); Assists – 3 at Vanguard (12-30-00).
YOUSOF ETEMADI (G, Jr., Laguna
Hills, Saddleback College)
Last Week: DNP-CD against Sonoma State.
2001-02: Averaging 3.4 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists per game. Has appeared in five games.
Season Highs: Points – 9 vs. La Verne (11-28-01); Rebounds – 1 vs. San Francisco State (1-18-02), 1 vs. La Verne (11-28-01), vs. Dominican College (12-29-01); Assists – 1 vs. San Francisco State (1-18-02), 1 vs. La Verne (11-28-01).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
JEFF BONDS (F, Fr., Compton,
Mayfair HS)
Last Week: Scored a team-high 11 points with five rebounds and two assists at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday; had nine points with six rebounds against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday.
2001-02: Averaging 12.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist per game. Has appeared in 17 games and started in the last six. Has scored in double figures in 13 of the past 14 games.
Season Highs: Points – 23 at UC Davis (1-4-02); Rebounds – 10 vs. Sonoma State (1-19-02); Assists – 2 vs. Dominican College (12-29-01).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
DAVID SYBESMA (F, Fr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS)
Last Week: Had seven points, three rebounds, one assist and three steals at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday; had two points with two rebounds and two assists against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday.
2001-02: Averaging 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists per game. Has appeared in 17 games, reached double figures in scoring three times.
Season Highs: Points – 16 at Chico State; Rebounds – 7 at Grand Canyon (1-12-02); Assists – 4 at UC San Diego (1-11-02).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
JAMES CADY (C, Fr.,
Bakersfield, Stockdale HS)
Last Week: DNP-CD in both games.
2001-02: Averaging 1.0 point, 0.9 rebounds, 0.0 assists per game. Has appeared in seven games.
Season Highs: Points – 4 at Montana State-Billings (12-22-01); Rebounds – 5 vs. La Verne (11-28-01).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
STEVE LAMBERT (F, Jr., Covina,
Charter Oak HS)
Last Week: Had two points, two rebounds and two assists against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday; had one point in 12 minutes at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday.
2001-02: Averaging 4.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists per game. Has appeared in 16 games; started five times.
Season Highs: Points – 13 at Azusa Pacific (11-24-01); Rebounds – 12 vs. La Verne (11-28-01); Assists – 2 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (1-23-02).
Career Highs: Points – 32 vs. La Verne (12-2-00); Rebounds – 14 vs. La Verne (12-2-00). Assists – 2 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (1-23-02), vs. Vanguard (12-30-00).
JESSE ALTAMIRANO (C, Sr.,
Whittier, East L.A. College)
Last Weekend: DNP-CD in both games.
2001-02: Averaging 0.0 points, 1.0 rebound. Appeared in two games.
Season Highs: Points – 0; Rebounds – 2 vs. La Verne (11-28-01)
Career Highs: Points – 5 vs. La Verne (12-2-00); Rebounds – 4 vs. La Verne (12-2-00).
RAYMOND HUBBARD (F, Sr.,
Chicago, Cuyamaca CC)
Last Week: Had eight points and three rebounds Saturday at Cal State San Bernardino; had two points with four rebounds and one block against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday.
2001-02: Averaging 10.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists. Appeared in 16 games and started twice. Third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.
Season Highs: Points – 22 vs. Sonoma State (1-19-02); Rebounds – 11 at Azusa Pacific (11-24-01); Assists – 2 at UC Davis (1-4-02).
Career Highs: Points – 22 vs. Sonoma State (1-19-02); Rebounds – 11 at Azusa Pacific (11-24-01); Assists – 3 at UC San Diego (3-3-01).
DAVE ERICKSON (C, Sr., Newbury
Park, Newbury Park HS)
Last Week: Scored two points with one rebound at Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday; scored two points in eight minutes against Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday.
2001-02: Averaging 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.1 assists. Appeared in 14 games and has started nine times.
Season Highs: Points – 8 vs. Dominican College (12-29-01); Rebounds – 4 at Montana State-Billings (12-22-01).
Career Highs: Points – 15 vs. Sonoma State (1-2-01); Rebounds – 14 at Cal State Northridge (11-28-00); Assists – 2 vs. UC Davis (1-19-01).