Broncos Stay On The Defensive

Cal Poly Pomona upends Sonoma State, 59-54

POMONA¾ On a night when the offense struggled, Cal Poly Pomona had its old standby.

The highly-touted defense the Broncos take pride in was once again up to the task. Cal Poly Pomona forced 24 turnovers and limited Sonoma State to just 39 percent field-goal shooting while posting a 59-54 victory over the Cossacks Saturday night in Kellogg Gym. The Broncos won their sixth straight game at home this season without a loss.

Cal Poly Pomona (11-4, 8-2) has now started CCAA play with an 8-2 record for the second straight season.

Senior Raymond Hubbard had a big game for the Broncos, pouring in a career-high 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Freshman Jeff Bonds scored in double figures for the 12^th straight game, contributing 10 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Lucas LeCour had nine points and also recorded a team-high five steals.

Sonoma State (7-9, 5-6) was led by Deonta Durrough, who had 11 points and four rebounds and Matt Knudsen had 10 points and seven rebounds.

“It was just one of those Saturday night games where we were just mentally tired. I thought the guys played hard, but mentally, we did some things that weren’t so smart on offense,” Cal Poly Pomona Head Coach Greg Kamansky said.

The Broncos won despite a cold offensive night. Cal Poly Pomona misfired on all nine of its 3-point attempts and made less than 35 percent of its field-goal attempts. The Broncos were also outrebounded, 41-33.

Nevertheless, the Broncos never trailed after taking a 13-12 lead on a basket by T.J. Williams midway through the first half. Cal Poly Pomona led 23-18 at halftime and led by 10 points, 45-35, with 5:27 to go. Sonoma State got as close as four points, 55-51, after a 3-pointer by Caeser Smith with 26 seconds left, but Marques Montgomery and David Sybesma hit free throws down the stretch to preserve the advantage.

The Broncos will now face first-place and No. 2 ranked Cal State San Bernardino in back-to-back games beginning Wednesday evening in Kellogg Gym. The Coyotes are the top-ranked team in the West Region, while the Broncos are ranked ninth.