# 2 Cal Poly Pomona edges Sonoma State, 63-62
ROHNERT PARK ¾ Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s
basketball team put together a big-time rally to edge Sonoma State Friday night
and then the Broncos got some unexpected news.
The Broncos unexpectedly clinched a share of its 18th
CCAA title Friday when co-leader Cal State Bakersfield was stunned by Cal State
Dominguez Hills, 67-61 in Carson. The results give the Broncos, the
second-ranked team in the nation and the No. 1-ranked team in the West Region,
a one-game lead over the Roadrunners with one game remaining.
Cal Poly Pomona (22-4, 18-3), the defending NCAA Division II
champion, has a share of its third straight CCAA crown.
Lauri McIntosh (Sr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS) and Aprile
Powell (So., Santa Ana, Century HS) scored 17 points each to lead the Broncos,
but it was a jumper with 12 seconds remaining by newcomer Leah Whatley (Sr.,
Suisun, Tartleton State) that gave Cal Poly Pomona the win. It was Whatley’s
only basket of the game.
The Broncos then had to survive a frantic finish to hold on to
the victory. Sonoma State got off a shot that missed in a waning seconds and
the Cossacks (19-7, 15-6) regained possession after a jump ball with one second
left. Although the Cossacks got off a shot before the buzzer, it missed and the
Broncos had their 57th conference victory in their last 63 CCAA
games.
The Broncos needed some second-half heroics to pick up this
victory. The Broncos managed a season-low 22 points in the first half and
trailed, 33-22. Cal Poly Pomona was just eight-of-28 from the floor and was
outrebounded, 24-16. The Broncos trailed by as many as 13 points in the opening
half.
It was a different story in the second half as the Broncos
steadily cut into the lead. The Broncos got even at 53-53 with 4:42 to go, but
fell behind again by four points, 61-57, with 1:45 to go. A pair of free throws
and a layup by Powell (So., Santa Ana, Century HS) knotted the game at 61-61.
A free throw by Tara Whiteside gave the Cossacks a 62-61 lead
and she apparently made a second free throw, only to have it wiped out by a
lane violation. Sonoma State’s Morgan Browning then rebounded a Bronco miss
with 38 seconds left, but the Cossacks turned the ball over and the Broncos got
the game-winning shot by Whatley.
Cal Poly Pomona can earn the conference title by itself with a
victory Saturday night at San Francisco State.