CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Monday, Feb. 23, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

Schedule of upcoming events:


MEN’S BASKETBALL:

at UC Davis on Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.

at Chico State on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.

                                                                                                                                   

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL:

at UC Davis on Friday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m.

at Chico State on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.

 

BASEBALL:

vs. UC San Diego on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m.

vs. UC San Diego on Friday, Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m.

at UC San Diego (DH) on Saturday, Feb. 28 at noon

 

M/W TENNIS:

W/Ten vs. Vanguard on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m.

M/Ten vs. Vanguard on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m.

W/Ten vs. Montana State-Billings on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m.

M/Ten vs. Montana State-Billings on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m.

                                                           

M/W TRACK & FIELD:

vs. Bronco Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 28 at noon

                                                                       

 

FOLLOW THE BRONCOS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

HTTP://WWW.CSUPOMONA.EDU/~ATHLETIC

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL: BRONCOS COME UP BIG WITH TWO MORE VICTORIES

2003-04 Record: 18-5. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 14-4

2003-04 West Region Ranking: 6

2003-04 National Ranking: 25

 

DEFENDING WEST REGION CHAMPS RUN STREAK TO SEVEN: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team continued its winning ways last weekend and rolled to victories over San Francisco State and Sonoma State. The Broncos have won seven straight games, 12 of their last 13 and 15 of their last 17 after a 3-3 start. The Broncos opened the weekend with a 73-45 victory over San Francisco State on Friday. Cal Poly Pomona put the game away early, roaring to a 23-5 lead in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Broncos led by as many as 24 points in the first half, 31-7, before settling for a hefty 37-16 halftime advantage. The Broncos maintained their advantage in the second half and led by at least 20 points for the entire second half. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led the Broncos with 18 points and seven rebounds, while David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) added 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Hervey Malone II (So., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) had 12 points, two rebounds and one assist. The Broncos also got solid play from their bench. Dion Cook (Fr., Canoga Park, Chaminade HS) had eight points, two rebounds and two assists, while Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) had six points and six rebounds. Cal Poly Pomona had a more competitive game on Saturday night, before breaking open a tight contest against Sonoma State with a powerful second-half run. The Broncos scored the first five points of the game and led by 10 points, 17-7, in the first 10 minutes of the game. Sonoma State, though, cut the gap to just two points, 30-28, at halftime and tied the game on three occasions in the second half. With the game tied at 34-34, the Broncos went on a game-breaking 15-0 run. The lead eventually grew to 24 points, 66-42, with 3:26 left and Cal Poly Pomona won comfortably. Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) led the Broncos with a career-high 15 points, three rebounds and two assists. Bonds notched first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) had 10 points and four assists.

 

BRONCOS SLIP TO SIXTH IN LATEST REGIONAL POLL: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2003 West Region champ, slipped from fifth to sixth in the most recent NCAA Division II West Region poll even though the Broncos had posted road wins at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. and moved into the national Top 25 at 25th. The top eight teams in the region will advance to the playoffs. Cal State San Bernardino is the top-ranked team in the region, while BYU-Hawaii is second and Humboldt State is third. Cal State Bakersfield remained fourth and Alaska Fairbanks moved to fifth. Weekly polls will be released on Wednesdays for the remainder of the season.

 

BRONCOS HEAD NORTH FOR CRUCIAL CONFERENCE GAMES: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, ranked 25th in the NCAA Division II, will try to extend its season-best seven-game winning streak this week in its toughest – and final – regular-season road trip. The Broncos will face UC Davis on Friday night and Chico State on Saturday night. The Aggies and Wildcats are currently tied for fourth place in the CCAA, just one game behind Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Bakersfield. The Broncos will then conclude their regular-season with home games against Grand Canyon on Friday, March 5 and UC San Diego on Saturday, March 6. Both games are set to begin at 7:30 p.m. and Cal Poly Pomona students will receive free pizza at the games.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: BRONCOS RECORD IMPORTANT HOME SWEEP

2003-04 Record: 17-6. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 13-5.

NCAA Division II West Region Ranking: 3

 

BRONCOS GO INTO OVERTIME TO OUTLAST SONOMA STATE: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team avenged an early-season loss to San Francisco State and then went into overtime to outlast one of the top teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association last weekend. The Broncos opened the weekend with a 91-60 win over San Francisco State, which avenged a 59-57 loss to the Gators in San Francisco earlier in the season. The Broncos used a 26-12 run in the final nine minutes of the first half to take a 48-32 halftime lead. Cal Poly Pomona kept rolling in the second half and led by double-digit margins the entire way. The Gators got the deficit down to 14 points, 55-41, but the Broncos responded with a 25-12 run to boost the advantage to 29 points, 80-51. Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona), the leading scorer in NCAA Division II, poured in a game-high 27 points to lead the Broncos, while Keila Beachem (Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas) had 21 points and 13 rebounds. Brandi Fletcher (So., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS) had 10 points and six rebounds, while Marisa Lattin (Sr., Oceanside, El Camino HS) had 10 points and five rebounds. Tami Swanson-Cades (Sr., Nevada City, Sierra College) had six points, five assists and six steals. The Broncos faced a much tougher challenge on Saturday night, but prevailed over Sonoma State, 84-77, in overtime in a battle between two of the top-ranked teams in the NCAA Division II West Region. The game featured some huge swings. The Broncos trailed by nine points early, 12-3, rallied to tie the game at 26-26, only to see the Seawolves score the final five points of the first half to take a 31-26 halftime edge. After Sonoma State scored the first basket of the second half to take a seven-point lead, the Broncos used a 24-7 surge to take a 50-40 lead. Sonoma State responded with a 19-4 run to take a 59-54 lead with 8:13 to go. Cal Poly Pomona then took a 72-70 lead with 39 seconds to go on a pair of free throws by Allen, but Sonoma State sent the game into overtime with a basket with 15 seconds left. In the overtime, a jumper by Allen and an inside basket by Beachem gave the Broncos a 78-74 lead and, after Sonoma State cut the margin to two points, an offensive rebound and basket by Beachem and two free throws by Lattin gave the Broncos a six-point lead in the final minute. Allen finished with 30 points, 24 of them coming in the second half and overtime. Beachem added 22 points and six rebounds, while Swanson-Cades had eight points, six rebounds and four assists and Jaida Williams (Sr., Opalocka, Fla., Barry University) had eight points and nine rebounds.

 

ALLEN NAMED CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) has been named the Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 16-22. Allen led the Broncos to victories over San Francisco State and Sonoma State. She had 27 points on 68.8 percent shooting (11-16), including four of five from 3-point range to lead the Broncos past the Gators, 91-60. Then, she poured in 30 points, 24 of them in the second half and overtime to lead the Broncos past Sonoma State, 84-77. She added seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. For the week, she averaged 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocked shots. She also hit seven of nine 3-point attempts and earned her fifth CCAA Player of the Week honor this season.

 

BRONCOS WILL FACE TOUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TRIP: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team will play a pair of crucial road games this weekend in Northern California when the Broncos face UC Davis on Friday night and Chico State on Saturday night. The Broncos are in second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, one game ahead of Chico State and two games behind conference-leading Cal State Bakersfield. Cal Poly Pomona will then wrap up the regular season with home games against Grand Canyon and UC San Diego. Both games are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and Cal Poly Pomona students will receive free pizza at the games.

 

BRONCOS JUMP TO THIRD IN LATEST REGIONAL POLL: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team, which has won two NCAA Division II championships in the past three years, is ranked third in the latest NCAA Division II West Region poll, jumping up two spots after road wins at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. The top eight teams will advance to the playoffs. Seattle Pacific is ranked first in the poll, while Cal State Bakersfield is second. The polls are released weekly on Wednesdays.

 

BASEBALL: BRONCOS JUMP TO THE TOP OF THE CCAA STANDINGS

2004 Record: 9-4-2. 2004 CCAA Record: 6-1-1

National Ranking: 26

 

BRONCOS BEAT THE RAINS AND WARRIORS: Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team, which has won 30 or more games in three of the past four seasons, continued its impressive play in early California Collegiate Athletic Association action. The Broncos won three games in a four-game series against Cal State Stanislaus. The final contest ended in a 5-5 tie in a game that was called after seven innings because of darkness. The Broncos opened the series with an 8-0 victory thanks to a sensational starting pitching performance by Jose Munoz (Sr., Baldwin Park, Rio Hondo JC). Munoz blanked the Warriors on just four hits over nine innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out 11 while running his record to 3-0. Jarrod Allen (Jr., Poway, San Diego Mesa CC) hit a solo home run in the third inning to put the Broncos ahead for good. Greg Denning (Jr., Atascadero, Cuesta College) drove in three runs, while Chase Stroupe (Sr., San Clemente, San Clemente HS) drove in a pair of runs. Denning’s two-run double was followed by a run-scoring double by Kenny McCarthy (Sr., Moreno Valley, Riverside CC) to highlight a three-run fifth inning. Stroupe’s two-run double sparked a four-run sixth inning that put the game away. Denning also had a sacrifice fly in the inning. Cal Poly Pomona also won the nightcap of Friday’s doubleheader, 7-4. Allen hit a solo home run for the second straight game. Jeremey White (Sr., Palmdale, Riverside CC) allowed only one hit and no runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief and the Broncos won the game with a six-run rally in the fifth inning. Both teams endured a 25-minute rain delay that started with the Warriors holding on to a 4-2 lead. When play resumed, the Broncos got a run on a Cal State Stanislaus error and McCarthy put Cal Poly Pomona ahead with a three-run triple. McCarthy later scored on a passed ball. In a persistent rain on Saturday, the Broncos went extra innings to record a 5-4 win in the opener of a doubleheader. A two-out triple by Denning scored Allen with the running run. Allen had singled to right to keep the inning going. Stroupe and Denning both drove in two runs, while Allen had three hits and two runs scored. Chris Sotro (Sr., Upland, Upland HS) did a sensational job in relief, blanking the Warriors on two hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out six. Efren Lira (Sr., Walnut, Mt. San Antonio College) also pitched well, although a bad-hop single led to three runs in the second inning. Lira allowed four hits and four runs in six innings. He walked four and struck out seven. Cal Poly Pomona then had to settle for a 5-5 tie in the nightcap in a game that was called after seven innings because of darkness. The Broncos had scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Denning had a two-run triple that tied the game at 3-3 and Jesse Coffman (Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Chaffey College) had a two-run single to give the Broncos a 5-3 lead. The Warriors, though, scored two runs in the top of the seventh to salvage a tie. Taylor Wilding (So., Alta Loma, Etiwanda HS) allowed only one earned run in four innings for the Broncos. Denning finished the four-game series with seven RBI, while Allen hit .500 with two home runs.

 

BRONCOS TO BATTLE TRITONS IN FOUR-GAME CCAA SERIES: Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team, which is off to a promising 6-1-1 start in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and ranked 26th in the nation, will continue conference play at home this week. The Broncos will host UC San Diego on Thursday and Friday in single games scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. Cal Poly Pomona will then be at UC San Diego for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon. With the threat of rain this week, changes might be made to the schedule and will be posted on the Cal Poly Pomona athletic web site.

 

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: RAIN JUMBLES SCHEDULE FOR TENNIS TEAMS

Men’s Overall 2004 Record: 1-4

Men’s Ranking: No. 26 in the nation; 6th in the West Region (ITA)

Women’s Overall 2004 Record: 0-2. 2004 CCAA Record: 0-0

Women’s Ranking: 18 in the nation; 3rd in the West Region (ITA)

 

RAIN DAMPENS WEEK FOR TENNIS TEAMS: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s tennis teams had matches rained out on Saturday. The men were scheduled to play the University of Redlands, while the women were scheduled to open defense of their CCAA title against Sonoma State. No word yet on whether the match with Redlands will be rescheduled, but the women’s match with Sonoma State will be moved to April in Bakersfield. Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s match with Cal State Bakersfield scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, has already been postponed and will be made up in April. The only match to be played this week was by the women and the Broncos dropped a 6-2 decision to Azusa Pacific. The Broncos won at No. 1 doubles with Dehlia Feliz (Jr., San Gabriel, San Gabriel HS) and Katrina Holmberg (So., Pukalani, Maui, HI, King Kekaulike HS) posting an 8-1 win. Holmberg also won at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 6-2. Feliz split the first two sets at No. 1 singles, but the match was not completed.

 

 

 

BRONCO TEAMS HOPING FOR A BREAK IN THE RAIN: Weather permitting, Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s tennis teams will be in action this week. The Broncos are scheduled to face Vanguard on Wednesday and Montana State-Billings on Saturday at the Kellogg Tennis Complex. The matches with Vanguard are supposed to begin at 1:30 p.m. with the contests against Montana State-Billings set for 9 a.m. starts.

 

M/W TRACK AND FIELD: BRONCOS HAVE SEASON OPENER WASHED OUT BY RAIN

 

CAL POLY POMONA WILL HOST BRONCO INVITATIONAL THIS WEEKEND Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s track and field teams saw their tri-meet with UC San Diego and La Verne on Saturday washed away by rain. The Broncos will hope for better weather this weekend when Cal Poly Pomona hosts the Bronco Invitational. The Broncos expect to have much improved men’s and women’s teams and should be in the battle for supremacy in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Defending conference champions Vince Nguyen (Jr., Santa Ana, Fountain Valley HS) in the 100, DeAndre Laurie (Jr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS) in the high jump and Herbert Ip (Jr., Concord, Berean Christian HS) in the decathlon lead the list of returning student-athletes on the men’s team. The Broncos will be fortified by members of the 2003 Cal Poly Pomona cross country team, which advanced to the NCAA Division II nationals. The women will have one of their biggest squads and should be led by sprinter Deidre Echevarria (Sr., Ontario, The Webb Schools), who earned all-conference honors in two events last season. Valerie Henderson (So., Los Angeles, St. Mary’s Academy) also returns in the jumps after earning All-CCAA honors in the triple jump last season.

 

 

MORE NEWS

 

TICKETS ON SALE FOR ANNUAL GREEN AND GOLD DINNER: The 32nd annual Green and Gold Dinner will be held on April 3, 2004 at the Sheraton Suites Fairplex in Pomona. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are on sale and so are the drawing tickets with a $5,000 grand prize. Contact Julie Hall, Director of Development for Athletics/Student Affairs at (909) 869-2825.

 

ANNUAL FUND-RAISING DRIVE CONTINUES: Cal Poly Pomona Athletics is encouraging its supporters to contribute to its annual fundraising drive, which raises money specifically for scholarships. As students face challenging economic times ahead, the Athletic Department wants to respond by making more scholarships available to them. For more information about participating in the fund-raising efforts, please contact Julie Hall, Director of Development for Athletics/Student Affairs, at (909) 869-2825.