Cal Poly Pomona Gets Back On Track

Broncos post a 75-59 victory over Dominican University Penguins.

After a tough trip to Montana, Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team played as though it was glad to be back home.

The Broncos returned to their stingy defensive form while pulling away for a 75-59 nonconference win over Dominican University Saturday night in Kellogg Gym. Cal Poly Pomona limited the Penguins to just 35 percent shooting and forced 26 turnovers.

Cal Poly Pomona (7-2) won for the sixth time in its last seven games. The Broncos, one of the co-leaders in the CCAA, will resume conference action next Friday at UC Davis.

Twelve Bronco players scored including senior Lucas LeCour and freshmen Jeff Bonds who led a balanced attack with 13 points each. LeCour also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Broncos had a 37-31 edge in rebounding.

The defensive brilliance came on the heels of a 105-80 loss to Montana State-Billings on Dec. 22. Going into that game, the Broncos were ninth in the nation, while allowing just 57.6 points per game. The Yellowjackets are the only team to score more than 65 points against the Broncos this season.

Cal Poly Pomona held the Penguins (8-7) to 47 percent shooting in the first half and only 28 percent in the second half. Dominican was lead by Sean Scruby, who scored 12 points and Chris Wilmont, who scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

The Broncos, who had a 33-26 advantage at halftime, led for most of the game but finally got some breathing room midway through the second half when LeCour’s three-point play gave them a 53-41 lead. LeCour stole the ball and made a layup while fouled by Penguin’s 6-7 center John Ojo.

The Broncos shot poorly in the first half (41 percent) but turned it around in the second half (55 percent).

The Broncos’ biggest lead (72-51) came when 5-11 sophomore guard Jonathan Williams made a slam dunk with 2:53 left in the second half. The Broncos never trailed by more than one point.

Senior center David Erickson contributed eight points, while senior guard Marques Montgomery and Williams scored seven points each.