CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

Jan. 8, 2002

2001-02 CPP Record: 9-2. CCAA Record: 5-1

2001-02 National Ranking: 2 (USA Today/ESPN). 2001-02 Regional Ranking: 1

Defending Champs Ready For Another Trip: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team is on the road again this weekend as the Broncos face CCAA foes UC San Diego and Grand Canyon. The Broncos will first travel to La Jolla for a Friday night matchup against the Tritons and then head to Phoenix for a game against the Antelopes. Cal Poly Pomona is currently 5-1 in the CCAA and one of four teams with just one conference loss. UC San Diego is 2-4 in conference and 6-5 overall, while Grand Canyon is 0-6 in conference and 2-9 overall.

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona holds a 2-0 edge over UC San Diego, beating the Tritons in the first two meetings ever last season. Cal Poly Pomona posted a 93-76 victory over UC San Diego on Jan. 12 in Kellogg Gym. Lauri McIntosh (Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS) had 16 points to lead the Broncos. The Broncos beat the Tritons again in the regular-season finale in La Jolla, 87-76. Anna James (Jr., Orangevale, Casa Roble HS) had a team-high 20 points, while Aprile Powell (So., Santa Ana, Century HS) led the team with 12 rebounds. Cal Poly Pomona holds a 12-4 edge over Grand Canyon and recorded a pair of wins over the Antelopes last season. The Broncos have won six straight games over the Antelopes. Cal Poly Pomona beat Grand Canyon, 96-52, on Jan. 13 in Kellogg Gym behind 21 points and 15 rebounds from Powell. The Broncos then beat the Antelopes again, 83-61, on March 2 behind 19 points from James and 10 rebounds from Powell.

About Last Week: The Broncos suffered a rare CCAA loss to begin their weekend trip, but finished with a big win over a recent nemesis. First, the Broncos got off to a sluggish start and wound up dropping a 72-70 decision at UC Davis. It was only the fourth conference loss for the Broncos in their last 47 games. Burgundie Porter (Sr., San Dimas, San Dimas HS) led the Broncos in scoring with 13 points, while Marisa Lattin (So., Oceanside, El Camino HS) added 12 points in a strong performance off the bench. Lauri McIntosh, the CCAA’s leading scorer, took only one shot in a scoreless first half and wound up with a season-low 11 points. The Broncos trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and was down, 38-31 at halftime. Cal Poly Pomona trailed by 11 points again in the second half, but a 15-3 run capped by a basket by McIntosh gave the Broncos their first lead of the game, 57-56. Cal Poly Pomona’s last lead came after two free throws by Lattin, with 3:12 left. After UC Davis took a three-point lead with 48 seconds left, a basket by Margot Richards (Sr., Orangevale, Erskine College) cut the deficit to one. A UC Davis free throw bumped the lead back up to two points and a shot to tie the game in the waning seconds by McIntosh just missed. The Broncos rebounded the following night with a 92-83 win over Chico State. It was Cal Poly Pomona’s first win in Chico since Dec. 12, 1991 and was the first victory for seniors McIntosh, Porter and Kim Kennedy (G, Walnut Creek, Carondelet HS) in Acker Gym after three straight losses. McIntosh poured in a game-high 29 points for the Broncos, while James scored 20. Whatley had 15 points, while Porter and Salma Rasheed (So., Walnut, Walnut HS) had 12 points each.

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 5-1 start gives the Broncos a 44-4 record in their last 48 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 60-8.

We’re No. 1 (And No. 2): Cal Poly Pomona is the overwhelming choice to win its 18^th CCAA crown. In voting done by the conference coaches, the Broncos collected 11 first-place votes to easily outdistance No. 2 UC Davis. The Broncos were also the No. 1 team in the USA Today/ESPN Preseason Coaches’ Poll and are ranked second in the most recent rankings. In the latest regional rankings of the season, Cal Poly Pomona is also No. 1 in the NCAA West Region.

The Thomas Guide: Paul Thomas is in his eighth season as Cal Poly Pomona’s head coach. He has a current record of 149-61 at Cal Poly Pomona. 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. After the split against UC San Diego and Grand Canyon, Cal Poly Pomona is now 85-14 during that time span, including a remarkable 60-8 mark in the CCAA. Two current senior starters have played in all 99 games over the past three seasons. Lauri McIntosh (Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS), and Burgundie Porter (Sr., San Dimas, San Dimas HS) have been a vital part of the Broncos’ success during their time at Cal Poly Pomona.

McIntosh Is Marvelous: Lauri McIntosh (Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS), who was a Kodak All-American as a sophomore in 2000, is off to a tremendous start in the 2001-02 season. McIntosh is the leading scorer in the NCAA Division II with a 25.4 points per game average and also leads the CCAA in field-goal percentage by making 64.4 percent of her shots. That percentage is third in the nation. In her most recent games, McIntosh was held to a season-low 11 points at UC Davis, but bounced back with a 29-point outburst at Chico State. 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 and adding 25 points to lead the Broncos to a 85-65 win over Western Washington. McIntosh was also named CCAA Player of the Week for the second time this season. In her most recent games, McIntosh scored 30 points to lead the Broncos past Seattle Pacific, 76-71, and then added 25 points to lead the Broncos to an 85-65 win over Western Washington. Earlier this season, McIntosh broke the school’s single-game scoring record on Dec. 9 when she poured in 46 points against Cal State Bakersfield. The old record of 44 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 fourth with 1,763 points. Next up is Carol Welch (1979-83), who is third with 1,783 points.

Dialing Long Distance: Anna James (Jr., Orangevale, Casa Robles HS) is already the most prolific 3-point shooter in Cal Poly Pomona history and she keeps adding to her total. She leads the team this season and is second in the CCAA with 23, which brings her career total to 153. She connected on a season-high five 3-pointers (in six attempts) in the win over Chico State last Saturday. She also had four 3-pointers in a 99-66 win against Cal State L.A. on Dec. 14 and had four against West Florida on Nov. 30. James has the best single-season total with 71 in 2000-01. She also nailed a clutch 3-pointer to open the overtime period in the Broncos’ 87-80 victory over North Dakota in the NCAA Division II championship game last season. James has been one of the most consistent scorers this season for the Broncos and is second on the team with a 13.2 points per game average. She also leads the Broncos in assists with 38.

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 expected to redshirt 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: Burgundie Porter continues to shine for the Broncos, both offensively and defensively. Porter is third on the team in scoring (11.6 points per game) and leads the Broncos in steals (29, 2.6 per game). She is second in assists (37, 3.4 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 … The Broncos have gotten a big boost from Margot Richards (Sr., Orangevale, Erskine College), who scored in double figures in three of Cal Poly Pomona’s first four conference games. Richards got the first start of her Cal Poly Pomona career on Dec. 14 against Cal State L.A. and responded with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. … Marisa Lattin (So., Oceanside, El Camino HS) set a new career high in scoring with 12 points at UC Davis. … In 11 games this season, Cal Poly Pomona has outrebounded its opponents, 483-405 … Lauri McIntosh leads the team with 96 rebounds. … Cal Poly Pomona has forced 271 turnovers in its first 11 games and made 130 steals.

Coach’s Corner: “(About the split against UC Davis and Chico State): “Against Davis, we did not come out with the intensity or energy level we needed to beat a Top-20 team in the nation. Our team did do a very good job of responding. They came out with a much stronger will to compete against Chico and performed at a much higher level. I definitely think not winning in Chico the past three years was on the minds of Lauri, Burgundie and Kim. No one on our current roster had ever beaten Chico at Chico. I know that was one of the dates circled on our calendars.”

(About how the split affects the team): “From a big-picture perspective, a split is probably O.K. But in the short-term, you always cherish wins and wins on the road are even more important.”

(About how tight the conference is so far with four teams having only one loss): “One of those teams won’t have only one loss after this weekend (CS Bakersfield and UC Davis face each other). I think this is what makes it fun. I’ve said all along that’s what I love about this conference. On any particular weekend, you can point to a game and say, ‘that’s a big game.’ I don’t know why anybody would want to play in any other situation. I’d much rather play a 22-game schedule that we have now than a 10-game schedule like we used to have. You get the feeling every week it’s a do-or-die situation. If you lose a game, you could lose your spot in the regional rankings. I like the whole appeal of that. I think it prepares you for the postseason. I’ve seen everyone at least on tape and I would have to say overall the margin for error is much slimmer than it has been. The overall competitiveness of the team is higher.”

(About this weekend’s games): “Hopefully they can start falling into their roles and the roles can become more defined. That needs to be something we as a coaching staff continues to work at.”

n Head Coach Paul Thomas

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

Last Weekend: Scored one point in 10 minutes against Chico State and scored no points with one rebounds in 10 minutes against UC Davis.

2001-02: Averaging 2.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.4 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: Played one minute in the game against UC Davis.

2001-02: Averaging 0.8 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists. Has appeared in five games and played a total of nine minutes.

Season Highs: Points – 2 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: Scored 15 points and had a season-high six assists in the win at Chico State and scored five points in the loss at UC Davis.

2001-02: Averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Has reached double figures in four games.

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: Scored 12 points and had four rebounds in season-high 25 minutes at Chico State after scoring five points with three rebounds in 13 minutes at UC Davis.

2001-02: Averaging 5.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Has appeared in all 11 games this season.

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

Career Highs: Points – 15 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: Scored 13 points to lead the Broncos in scoring at UC Davis and scored 12 points with six rebounds in the win at Chico State.

2001-02: Averaging 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Has reached double figures in seven of 11 games, had a career-high seven steals vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-15-01).

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: Went scoreless with two rebounds in eight minutes at UC Davis and scoreless with one rebound in three minutes at Chico State.

2001-02: Averaging 2.1 points per game, 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Appeared in 11 games this season.

Season Highs: Points – 6 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: Was held to a season-low 11 points at UC Davis, but bounced back with 29 points and nine rebounds at Chico State.

2001-02: Averaging a CCAA-best 25.4 points per game and shooting a conference-best 64.4 percent. Also averaging team-best 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. 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: 3 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01), vs. West Florida (11-30-01).

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 – 5 vs. Winona State (11-27-98).

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

Last Weekend: Tied a season-high with 20 points at Chico State after scoring nine points against UC Davis. Hit all six first-half shots against Chico State, including four 3-pointers.

2001-02: Averaging 13.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring. Reached double figures in eight of 11 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: Went scoreless with three assists in 13 minutes at Chico State and scored three points with two assists at UC Davis.

2001-02: Averaging 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Appeared in 10 of 11 games this season, averaging 14 minutes per game.

Season Highs: Points – 6 at CS Stanislaus; Rebounds – 2 (Three times, most recent vs. Western Washington 12-29-01). Assists – 3 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01), at Chico State (1-5-02).

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: Scored five points in five minutes at UC Davis, went scoreless with one rebounds and one steal in five minutes at Chico State.

2001-02: Averaging 2.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Appeared in all 11 games this season.

Season Highs: Points - 9 vs. West Florida (11-30-01); 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: Scored a season-high 12 points in 18 minutes at UC Davis and scored three points with one rebound in 15 minutes at Chico State.

2001-02: Averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Appeared in all 11 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 (Six times).

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 seven points with three rebounds at UC Davis and went scoreless with three rebounds at Chico State.

2001-02: Averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Appeared in all 11 games and started the last six games.

Season Highs: Points – 12 at CS Stanislaus (12-8-01); Rebounds – 7 vs. West Florida (11-30-01); Assists – 2 (Four times, most recent vs. Western Washington, 12-29-01).

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: DNP

2001-02: Averaging 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. The returning All-American and Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player in 2000-01 has appeared in three games this season.

Season Highs: Points – 18 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01); Rebounds – 7 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-24-01); Assists – 1 vs. Seattle Pacific (12-28-01).

Career Highs: Points – 31 vs. Sonoma State (2-2-01); Rebounds – 18 vs. North Dakota (3-24-01); Assists – 2 (Five times, most recent vs. North Dakota, 3-24-01).