CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Feb. 6, 2002

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

2001-02 CPP Record: 16-3. CCAA Record: 12-2

2001-02 National Ranking: 3 (USA Today/ESPN). 2001-02 Regional Ranking: 1

 

Time To Regroup: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team will try to bounce back after seeing its 22-game home winning streak snapped by Cal State Bakersfield last Saturday. The loss dropped the Broncos into a first-place tie with the Roadrunners so the Broncos no longer have any room for error. Cal Poly Pomona will face a pair of challenging road contests this week. The Broncos will face Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday night, Feb. 8, at 5:30 p.m. and Cal State L.A. on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 5:30 p.m.

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona holds a 42-7 all-time edge over Cal State Dominguez Hills, including a 70-53 victory over the Toros in Kellogg Gym on Dec. 15. Lauri McIntosh (Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS) scored 18 points to lead the Broncos, while Leah Whatley (Sr., Suisun, Tartleton State) had a season-high 17 points. Cal Poly Pomona has won 10 straight games against the Toros. The Broncos have a 55-3 edge over Cal State L.A., including a 99-66 win in Kellogg Gym on Dec. 14. McIntosh tied a school and CCAA record by making all 11 of her field-goal attempts in that contest. She finished with 26 points. Anna James (Jr., Orangevale, Casa Roble HS) had 18 points for the Broncos. Cal Poly Pomona has won 13 straight games against the Golden Eagles.

 

About Last Week: The Broncos saw their season-best eight-game winning streak snapped by Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday and that wasn’t even the worst news. Cal Poly Pomona was bit once again by the injury bug and this time it has cost the Broncos one of their key players for the remainder of the season. Versatile Anna James (Jr., Orangevale, Casa Roble HS) suffered a major knee injury early in the second half against the Roadrunners and will miss the rest of the season. An MRI was taken on James’ left knee early Tuesday and is expected to confirm a torn ACL. James is the Broncos’ all-time leader in 3-point field goals made and she was third in the CCAA so far this season. As for the game, the Broncos were hurt by a career-high 43 points by Cal State Bakersfield’s Heather Garay. Cal Poly Pomona got 29 points from Lauri McIntosh (Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS) and a season-high 14 points from Margot Richards (Sr., Orangevale, Erskine College). The Broncos shot just 39 percent from the floor, while the Roadrunners made 53 percent of their shot attempts. On Friday, the Broncos raced out to a 21-point lead and defeated Cal State Stanislaus, 77-63. McIntosh led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points. Eleven Cal Poly Pomona players scored in the game.

 

Cream Of The Crop: The Broncos have dominated the CCAA in the past two-plus seasons. Cal Poly Pomona was 20-2 in conference last year and 19-1 two years ago, which adds up to a 39-3 conference record. The 12-2 start gives the Broncos a 51-5 record in their last 56 conference games. Cal Poly Pomona won the 1999-2000 crown by a whopping five games over UC Davis and was three games better than Cal State Bakersfield last year. Over the past three-plus seasons, since the CCAA was expanded, the Broncos are a conference-best 67-9.

 

We’re No. 1 (And No. 3): Cal Poly Pomona is the overwhelming choice to win its 18th CCAA crown. In preseason voting done by the conference coaches, the Broncos collected 11 first-place votes to easily outdistance No. 2 UC Davis. The Broncos are also ranked third in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches’ Poll after spending three weeks as the nation’s top-ranked team. Cal Poly Pomona remains first in the latest regional poll.

 

The Thomas Guide: Paul Thomas is in his eighth season as Cal Poly Pomona’s head coach. He has a current record of 156-62 at Cal Poly Pomona. He picked up his 150th career victory at Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 11 when the Broncos defeated UC San Diego, 76-73, in La Jolla. Thomas has been named CCAA Coach of the Year three times and guided the Broncos into the postseason in five straight seasons. The Broncos have also won four CCAA titles during the Thomas years, including two straight, three in the past four years and four in the past five years.

 

Three Tremendous Years … And Counting: The last three-plus seasons have been especially impressive for the Broncos. Cal Poly Pomona is now 92-15 during that time span, including a remarkable 67-9 mark in the CCAA. Their record at home is even more amazing. The Broncos are 48-3 at home in the last three-plus seasons and have won 22 of their last 23 games at home.

 

McIntosh Is Marvelous: Lauri McIntosh (Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS), who was a Kodak All-American as a sophomore in 2000, is a Player of the Year candidate this season. McIntosh is second in the CCAA with a 23.0 points per game average, which puts her third in the nation. She also leads the conference in field-goal percentage by making 57.9 percent of her shots. McIntosh was the Most Outstanding Player of the CCAA/GNAC Classic in Kellogg Gym after scoring 30 points in a 76-71 win over Seattle Pacific on Dec. 28 and adding 25 points to lead the Broncos to a 85-65 win over Western Washington on Dec. 29. She has also been named CCAA Player of the Week  twice this season. McIntosh broke Cal Poly Pomona’s single-game scoring record on Dec. 9 when she poured in 46 points against Cal State Bakersfield. The old record of 44 points was set by Niki Bracken in 1988. McIntosh also tied Bracken’s school record for most field goals in a game with 18. The 46 points also tied a CCAA record. McIntosh followed that up in her next game by tying a school and conference record after making all 11 of her field-goal attempts in a 99-66 win over Cal State L.A. She also equaled a career high with 16 rebounds in the season-opening win against Azusa Pacific. McIntosh is quickly moving up the Cal Poly Pomona career scoring list. After starting the season ninth on the list, McIntosh is now third with 1,875 points. Next up is Jessica Eggleston (1994-98), who is second with 2,038 points.

 

The Return Of Aprile: The Broncos got a much-needed boost when Aprile Powell (So., Santa Ana, Century HS) returned to the lineup after missing six games following knee surgery and two more games while completing university academic requirements. Powell, a Kodak All-American last year as a freshman, has been in the starting lineup for the past seven games. Powell had her most productive game of the season at Cal State San Bernardino on Jan. 26 when she set new season highs for points (23) and rebounds (16). Earlier that week, Powell had 18 points, six rebounds and a career-high seven steals against the Coyotes. Powell has led the Broncos in scoring three times this season. She contributed 18 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes in the Broncos’ season opener against Azusa Pacific and then underwent surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus on Nov. 27. Powell returned for the CCAA/GNAC Classic and scored just one point in the Broncos’ 76-71 win over Seattle Pacific. She had 12 points, three rebounds and three steals the following night in a win over Western Washington. Powell completed one of the best freshman seasons in the program’s storied history last year. She was a Kodak All-American, the Most Outstanding Player in both the NCAA Division II West Region and Elite Eight Tournaments and led the Broncos in scoring (16.8 points per game) and rebounding (10.4 per game).

 

Who’s New: The Broncos have welcomed five newcomers to the program, including two who played high school basketball locally. Christy Gardner (G, Ontario, Ontario HS) and Britt Sumida (G, Chino Hills, Ayala HS) are incoming freshmen to Cal Poly Pomona. Transfers Kiarra Drummond (F, Los Angeles, Univ. of Texas El Paso), Heather Reeder (G, Wenatche, Wa., University of Portland) and Leah Whatley (G, Suisun, Tarleton State) are also new to the program. A sixth player, Brandi Fletcher (Fr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS), is redshirting this season.

 

Program History: The Broncos’ fourth national championship in 2000-01 just added to the program’s rich women’s basketball history. Cal Poly Pomona has also reached the national title game seven times, has four national Player of the Year winners (Jackie White, 1983; Vickie Mitchell, 1986; Debra Larsen, 1987 and Cathy Gooden, 1989), four Most Outstanding Players in the NCAA Tournament (Jackie White, 1982; Vickie Mitchell, 1985; Debra Larsen, 1986; Aprile Powell, 2001), 29 All-American awards earned by 19 different players, 17 NCAA postseason appearances, 17 CCAA titles, 9 CCAA Player of the Year awards and 41 postseason victories.

 

A Little Of This, A Little Of That: To say Cal Poly Pomona has had to battle more than its fair share of injuries and illness would be an understatement. Nine players have started at least one game for the Broncos this season and only guard Leah Whatley (Sr., Suisun, Tartleton State) has started all 19 games. On their way to winning the national championship last season, the Broncos had four players start all 30 games and one start 25. Burgundie Porter continues to shine for the Broncos, both offensively and defensively. Porter is fourth on the team in scoring (9.9 points per game) and leads the Broncos in steals (42, 2.2 per game). She leads the team in assists (59, 3.1 per game). Porter set a new career high earlier this season against Cal State Dominguez Hills with seven steals. She also had nine points and nine rebounds in the game. Porter, whose last-second shot beat Seattle Pacific in the NCAA Division II West Regional final, hit the go-ahead 3-pointer against the Falcons with 1:53 left in the Broncos’ 76-71 victory in the rematch in the CCAA/GNAC Classic. … Cal Poly Pomona is third in the nation in scoring (83.2 points per game) and 24th in 3-point field goals made per game (6.1). … In 19 games this season, Cal Poly Pomona has outrebounded its opponents, 814-685 … Lauri McIntosh leads the team with 138 rebounds (8.1 per game). … Cal Poly Pomona has forced 457 turnovers in its first 19 games and made 221 steals.

 

Coach’s Corner: (About last week): “Obviously, it’s disappointing that we lost and it’s even more disappointing that we lost at home. Although I don’t believe we played our best basketball over the course of the weekend, we had some good moments. We played a pretty good 12 minutes against Stanislaus. We were up by 21 and then we didn’t score for more than nine minutes and that was disappointing. On the positive side of things, I thought we came out and played with a lot of energy for a Saturday night game. The top two teams in the conference were playing and I think, for the most part, we came out with a lot of energy and a lot of intensity. It was just not good enough to beat Bakersfield. When it’s all said and done, it came down to defense and rebounding and we didn’t do either one when we had to. We didn’t put up enough resistance against (Heather) Garay. She had way too many easy looks at the basket.”

(About Anna James’ injury): “Obviously, Anna’s probably our go-to 3-point shooter and it’s a big loss. It’s just one more chapter in our storied season. We’ve had our share of adversity so far this year, that’s for sure. I think up to this point we’ve handled it pretty well, as far as putting the Ws in the left column. This is just one more big thing we have to overcome.”

(About this weekend’s games): “Both Dominguez Hills and L.A. like to drive and get to the basket and if you don’t defend properly, than you lose.”

(How will the team respond to the defeat?): “Championship teams and good teams respond after something like this. Hopefully, they’ll respond in a positive way. Many people have said, “oh, that’s a good loss.” I’ve never heard a coach say that. It’s how you respond to the loss, that’s what’s important. That’s what a coach is interested in finding out. Does it hurt your confidence or will it make the team dig in and play better? I think we suffered two losses: losing Anna and the game. I’m very confident and I truly believe anyone who steps into Anna’s role will come in and do a very good job. It’s disappointing and it’s frustrating when something like this happens, but it’s part of the game and someone else has to step up. We still control our own destiny. The loss only hurts us if it destroys us or tears us apart.”

 

 

n      Head Coach Paul Thomas

 

PLAYER NOTES

 

 

4                    KIARRA DRUMMOND (F, Jr., Los Angeles, University Texas, El Paso)

Last Weekend: Had two points and one rebound in five minutes against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday; DNP-CD against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.

2001-02: Averaging 1.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists. Had nine points and six rebounds in win at Cal State Stanislaus (12-8-01).

Season Highs: Points – 9 at CS Stanislaus (12-8-01); Rebounds – 8 vs. Cal State L.A. (12-14-01); Assists – 2 at CS Stanislaus (12-8-01).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

BRITT SUMIDA (G, Fr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS)

Last Weekend: DNP-CD in both games.

2001-02: Averaging 1.0 point, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists. Has appeared in five games and played a total of nine minutes.

Season Highs: Points – 2 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (1-23-02), vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01), vs. Cal State L.A. (12-14-01).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

LEAH WHATLEY (G, Sr., Suisan, Tarleton State)

Last Weekend: Had seven points, four rebounds and two assists against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday; had one point, three rebounds and three assists against Cal State Bakersfield.

2001-02: Averaging 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Is second on the team in assists with 58.

Season Highs: Points – 17 vs. CS Dominguez Hills (12-15-01); Rebounds – 7 vs. Cal State L.A. (12-14-01); Assists – 6 at Chico State (1-5-02).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

SALMA RASHEED (F, So., Walnut, Walnut HS)

Last Weekend: Had nine points and two rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, including seven straight points to close out the first half; had six points and three rebounds against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday.

2001-02: Averaging 6.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Has appeared in all 19 games this season and started three times.

Season Highs: Points – 15 at UC San Diego (1-11-02); Rebounds – 6 at UC San Diego (1-11-02), vs. Cal State L.A. (12-14-01). Assists – 2 at Chico State (1-5-02).

Career Highs: Points – 15 at UC San Diego (1-11-02), vs. UC San Diego (1-12-01); Rebounds – 8 vs. UC Davis (1-19-01), vs. CS San Bernardino (1-24-01); Assists – 2 at Chico State (1-5-02), at Grand Canyon (3-2-01).

 

BURGUNDIE PORTER (G, Sr., San Dimas, San Dimas HS)

Last Weekend: Had 13 points, five rebounds and four assists against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday; had three points, two rebounds and two assists against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday.

2001-02: Averaging 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Has reached double figures in nine of 19 games; had a career-high seven steals vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-15-01). Leads the team in assists with 59.

Season Highs: Points – 21 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01); Rebounds – 10 vs. Seattle Pacific (12-28-01). Assists – 7 vs. West Florida (11-30-01).

Career Highs: Points – 23 vs. Chico State (2-11-00); Rebounds – 11 vs. CS Bakersfield (12-15-01). Assists – 7 vs. West Florida (11-30-01).

 

CHRISTY GARDNER (G, Fr., Ontario, Ontario HS):

Last Weekend: Tied a season high with six points against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday; DNP-CD against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.

2001-02: Averaging 1.9 points per game, 1.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. Appeared in 18 games this season.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. CS Stanislaus (2-1-02), at CS Stanislaus (12-8-01); Rebounds – 5 at CS Bakersfield (12-9-01); Assists – 3 at CS Bakersfield (12-9-01).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

LAURI MCINTOSH (F, Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS):

Last Weekend: Scored 29 points against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday with five rebounds and four assists; had 14 points and nine rebounds against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday.

2001-02: Is second in the CCAA and third in the NCAA Division II in scoring with 23.0 points per game and is shooting a CCAA-best 57.9 percent. Also averaging team-best 8.1 rebounds per game. Set a new school record and tied CCAA mark with 46 points in win at Cal State Bakersfield (12-9-01). Tied school and CCAA record by making all 11 shots against Cal State L.A. (12-14-01).

Season Highs: Points – 46 at CS Bakersfield (12-9-01)* New School and CCAA Record; Rebounds – 16 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01); Assists: 6 vs. Sonoma State (1-19-02).

Career Highs: Points – 46 at CS Bakersfield (12-09-01). Rebounds – 16 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01), vs. Sonoma State (1-8-99); Assists – 6 vs. Sonoma State (1-19-02).

 

ANNA JAMES (G, Jr., Orangevale, Casa Roble HS)

Last Weekend: Scored six points with four rebounds and two assists against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday; had 10 points in 18 minutes against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday before suffering a season-ending knee injury early in the second half.

2001-02: Averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring. Reached double figures in 12 of 19 games.

Season Highs: Points – 20 at Chico State (1-5-02), at CS Stanislaus (12-8-01); Rebounds – 6 at CS Bakersfield (12-9-01); Assists – 6 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01).

Career Highs: Points – 26 at Azusa Pacific (11-21-00); Rebounds – 12 at CS Dominguez Hills (1-6-01); Assists – 6 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01).

 

KIM KENNEDY (G, Sr., Walnut Creek, Carondelet HS)

Last Weekend: Had no points, but a season-high five rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday; had two points and one assist against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday.

2001-02: Averaging 1.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Has appeared in 18 of 19 games this season, averaging 15.8 minutes per game.

Season Highs: Points – 6 at CS Stanislaus; Rebounds – 5 vs. CS Bakersfield (2-2-02). Assists – 4 at Cal State San Bernardino (1-26-02).

Career Highs: Points – 10 at San Francisco State (2-20-99); Rebounds – 6 vs. Grand Canyon (1-13-01); Assists – 8 at Tusculum College (11-27-99).

 

HEATHER REEDER (G, Jr., Wenatchee, WA, University of Portland)

Last Weekend: Had nine points and three rebounds against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday; had one point against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.

2001-02: Averaging 3.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. Has appeared in all 19 games this season.

Season Highs: Points - 13 at Cal State San Bernardino (1-26-02); Rebounds – 6 at CS Stanislaus (12-8-01); Assists: 2 (Three times, most recent vs. Western Washington, 12-29-01).

Career Highs: First season with Broncos.

 

MARISA LATTIN (F, So., Oceanside, El Camino HS)

Last Weekend: Had three points and two rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday; went scoreless with three rebounds against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday.

2001-02: Averaging 2.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Appeared in all 19 games this season and started five times.

Season Highs: Points – 12 at UC Davis (1-4-02); Rebounds – 5 at North Dakota State (12-1-01), at UC Davis (1-4-02); Assists – 1 (Eight times, most recent at Grand Canyon (1-12-02).

Career Highs: Points – 12 at UC Davis (1-4-02); Rebounds – 8 vs. Sonoma State (2-18-00); Assists – 3 vs. Cal State L.A. (1-28-00).

 

MARGOT RICHARDS (G, Sr., Orangevale, Erskine College)

Last Weekend: Scored a season-high 14 points with six rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday; had 10 points and two rebounds against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday.

2001-02: Averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Appeared in all 19 games and started eight games.

Season Highs: Points – 14 against CS Bakersfield (2-2-02); Rebounds – 7 vs. West Florida (11-30-01); Assists – 2 (Five times, most recent at Grand Canyon (1-12-02).

Career Highs: Points – 16 at Azusa Pacific (11-21-00); Rebounds – 7 vs. West Florida (11-30-01); Assists – 2 (Nine times, most recent vs. Western Washington, 12-29-01).

 

APRILE POWELL (C, So., Santa Ana, Century HS)

Last Weekend: Had 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and five steals against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday; had six points and seven rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.

2001-02: Averaging 14.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. The returning All-American and Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player in 2000-01 has appeared in 11 games this season and started the last seven. Is second on the team in scoring and rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 23 at CS San Bernardino (1-26-02); Rebounds – 16 at CS San Bernardino (1-26-02); Assists – 2 at UC San Diego (1-11-02).

Career Highs: Points – 31 vs. Sonoma State (2-2-01); Rebounds – 18 vs. North Dakota (3-24-01); Assists – 2 (Six times, most recent at UC San Diego (1-11-02).