CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

2003-04 CPP Record: 16-5. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 12-4

2003-04 Regional Ranking: 5

2003-04 National Ranking: 25

2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region Champions

 

Nationally-Ranked Broncos Will Be Home For The Weekend: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region champion, will carry a five-game winning streak and a new national ranking into this weekend’s home games in Kellogg Gym. The Broncos, who have won 13 of their last 15 games, will host San Francisco State on Friday and Sonoma State on Saturday. The Broncos are coming off a road sweep at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. Cal Poly Pomona remains tied for second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with Cal State Bakersfield and UC Davis with Chico State another game back. The Broncos are ranked 25th in the nation in the NABC/Division II rankings. Cal Poly Pomona is ranked nationally for the first time since being picked in the national preseason poll. The Broncos were also ranked 25th in the nation for one week in the 2002-03 season on Jan. 21, 2003. The Broncos lost their next game to Sonoma State at home and didn’t appear in the rankings again. The Broncos are coming off one of the best seasons in the program’s history. Cal Poly Pomona won the West Regional and advanced to the national quarterfinals for only the second time in the program’s history and the first time since 1964. The 23 wins tied the program mark for most victories, also set by the 1964 squad. Cal Poly Pomona returns all five starters and its top six scorers from last year’s regional championship team. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS), the Most Outstanding Player of the West Regional, has been selected by Street & Smith’s as a preseason honorable mention All-American. He was a first-team All-CCAA pick last season. David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) and Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS), who both earned second-team All-CCAA honors, are also back.

 

About Last Week: The Broncos ran their winning streak to five after posting impressive road victories over Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. Cal Poly Pomona swept that road swing for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The Broncos snapped a two-game losing streak in Carson and beat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 71-62, on Friday night in the Torodome. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) had a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds to lead the Broncos, while Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists and David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. The Broncos jumped out to a 22-6 lead and were never seriously threatened. The Broncos led by seven points, 34-27, and built leads as large as 23 points in the second half. Cal Poly Pomona had a 37-33 rebounding edge and shot 47 percent. In the second half, the Broncos made 15 of 28 field-goal tries, including 13 of 20 from inside the 3-point arc. Cal Poly Pomona then scored the first 12 points of the game and never led by less than eight points in a 68-56 win over Cal State L.A. on Saturday. The Broncos held a 14-point lead at halftime and had double-digit leads the entire second half. A 3-pointer by Bonds gave the Broncos their biggest lead of the game, 62-36, with 8:17 remaining. Williams had 19 points to lead the way, including four 3-pointers. Bonds added 16 points and six rebounds, while Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX, Lamar University) had 13 points and four rebounds. The Broncos shot a sizzling 55.6 percent, including nine of 19 attempts from 3-point land. The Broncos also held a 29-23 edge in rebounding.

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 18-6 all-time against San Francisco State, including a 61-49 victory in San Francisco on Jan. 17. Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) had 16 points, while David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Melvyn Nicholson (So., Long Beach, Millikan HS) had 10 points. The Broncos won both meetings last season, 71-53 in Kellogg Gym behind 19 points and seven rebounds from Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) and 55-54 in San Francisco behind 21 points and nine rebounds from Bonds. Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) hit a pair of free throws in the final minute to account for the winning points. Cal Poly Pomona is 15-7 all-time against Sonoma State, including a 74-64 win in Rohnert Park on Jan. 16. Bonds had 19 points and four rebounds to lead the Broncos, while Williams had 15 points and Boyd had 10 points. The two teams split games last season when both reached the NCAA Division II West Region playoffs. Sonoma State defeated No. 25 Cal Poly Pomona, 62-48, in Kellogg Gym on Jan. 24, knocking the Broncos out of the national rankings. The Broncos won the rematch in Rohnert Park, 62-60, on a game-winning shot by Bonds with three seconds left.

 

Pomona Is Title Town: Cal Poly Pomona basketball teams have won regional basketball championships three straight seasons. The Bronco women won regional titles in 2001 and 2002 on their way to NCAA Division II championships. The Bronco men captured the regional title in 2003 on their way to the Elite Eight. No other basketball program in the West Region can match that success.

 

Coaches Make Broncos The Favorites: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team has been picked to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship in voting done by the conference coaches. The Broncos, who finished second with a 16-6 conference mark last year and return their top six scorers, received nine first-place votes to outdistance four-time defending conference champion Cal State San Bernardino, which finished second in the voting. Cal Poly Pomona is seeking its first CCAA title since 1981 and only its second overall. Cal State Bakersfield was third in the balloting and Chico State was fourth.

 

Where We Left Off: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team finished the 2002-03 season with a 23-7 record (Kentucky Wesleyan later forfeited its win over the Broncos in the Elite Eight). The Broncos finished second in the CCAA with a 16-6 mark and set a new program record for most conference wins in a season. Cal Poly Pomona, the fourth seed in the West Region, beat No. 5 Alaska Fairbanks, 80-76, in its first playoff game since 1976. The Broncos then beat Cal State Bakersfield in the semifinals, 62-49, before rallying from a 19-point second-half deficit to topple CCAA champion Cal State San Bernardino, 91-84, in double overtime in the regional championship game. Cal Poly Pomona lost to Kentucky Wesleyan, 85-60, in the Elite Eight in Lakeland, Fla.

 

How The West Was Won: Cal Poly Pomona entered the NCAA Division II West Regional at BYU Hawaii as the fourth seed and won three straight games to capture the title. The three postseason victories set a single-season program record. The Broncos opened the playoffs in their first NCAA Division II postseason game since 1976 with an 80-76 win over No. 5 seed Alaska Fairbanks. Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) led four Broncos in double figures with 15 points and hit a key jumper late in the game to help the Broncos preserve their lead. Cal Poly Pomona then knocked off No. 8 seed Cal State Bakersfield, 62-49, beating the Roadrunners for the third straight time last season and the fifth straight time overall. The game was tied at 42-42 with 8:44 left, but the Broncos went on a 12-4 run over the next six minutes to take control of the game. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) had 20 points and six rebounds, while David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The tournament championship game was a classic and Cal Poly Pomona ousted CCAA champion and No. 2 seed Cal State San Bernardino, 91-84, in double overtime to win the regional. Sybesma’s buzzer-beater at the end of regulation capped a miraculous comeback from a 46-27 deficit with 16:17 to go. The Broncos trailed by three points late in the first overtime, but tied it on a 3-pointer by Bonds. In the second overtime, the Broncos outscored the Coyotes, 17-10. Bonds had a career game, pouring in 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Sybesma added 17 points and Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX, Lamar University) hit all six of his field-goal attempts and all four of his free throws for 17 big points off the bench. Bonds was named the West Regional Most Outstanding Player, while Sybesma was also named to the five-player All-Tournament team.

 

The Kamansky File: Cal Poly Pomona Head Coach Greg Kamansky is in his fourth season as the leader of the Broncos. Kamansky has guided the Broncos to a 74-31 overall record. His winning percentage of .705 is the best in the program’s history. He led the Broncos to a 23-7 record last season and the program’s first appearance in the national quarterfinals in 39 years. The Broncos were 16-6 in the CCAA and finished second, which is the best finish for Cal Poly Pomona since the conference expanded five years ago. The 16 conference wins were also a new record. In the 2001-02 season, Kamansky guided the Broncos to an 18-9 overall record and a 15-7 mark in the CCAA, which was good enough for third place in the conference. As the interim coach three years ago, Kamansky guided a team picked to finish ninth in the CCAA to a 17-10 record and the brink of an NCAA playoff berth. The 17-10 record was the best-ever for a first-year coach in the program’s history. Kamansky was an assistant coach at Cal Poly Pomona for two seasons before succeeding Tim Rapp.

 

The Name Is Bonds; Jeff Bonds: Cal Poly Pomona’s Jeff Bonds is well on his way to  becoming one of the best players in the history of the program. Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led the Broncos in scoring last year with a 14.4 points per game average and he elevated his game in the postseason, averaging 19.5 points per game in the Broncos’ four playoff contests. The highlight was a career-high 31-point outburst that helped the Broncos defeat Cal State San Bernardino, 91-84, in double overtime in the regional championship game. He also scored 20 points in the semi-final victory over Cal State Bakersfield. He was named the West Regional Most Outstanding Player after averaging 19.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in the three regional contests. He was also named to the All-CCAA first team. Bonds is one of the top players in the CCAA again this season. He is third in the conference in scoring with a 16.8 points per game average. He leads the team in scoring and also leads in rebounding (5.7 per game). He had a season-high 26 points against Hope International and he had 24 points, including a miraculous buzzer-beating 3-pointer against North Dakota State on Nov. 28 that sent the game into overtime. He had a game-high 20 points against Cal State San Bernardino on Dec. 13 and he had a team-high 21 points against Western Washington on Dec. 17.

 

Fired Up About Sybesmania: Cal Poly Pomona forward David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) returns for his third season with the Broncos after making one of the biggest shots in the program’s history. Sybesma hit a 14-foot leaner in the lane to beat the buzzer and send the West Regional championship game against Cal State San Bernardino into overtime. Cal Poly Pomona eventually won the game in double overtime to advance to the Elite Eight. He was the only player to start all of the Broncos’ first 30 games, only to miss the Elite Eight game against Kentucky Wesleyan because of a severely infected toe. Sybesma stepped up again in the waning seconds of regulation on Feb. 6 against Cal State Stanislaus, hitting a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. The Broncos eventually won, 75-66. Sybesma had 22 points and 10 rebounds and followed up on the career-high 27 points he scored against Cal State Stanislaus Jan. 31. He then had 19 points and six rebounds in the Broncos’ 64-61 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 7. For his efforts, Sybesma was named the Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 2-8. It was Sybesma’s first weekly honor. Sybesma now has four double-doubles in the Broncos’ past seven games. He is second on the team in scoring (13.6 points per game) and second in rebounding (5.6 per game). Sybesma was second on the team in scoring last year with a 10.7 points per game average and was another player who stepped up his production in the playoffs. He averaged 16.3 points per game and led the Broncos with 7.3 rebounds per contest and was named to the NCAA Division II West Regional All-Tournament team. Sybesma was also named to the All-CCAA second team.

 

Look Who’s New: The Broncos are welcoming three first-year players to their active roster this season. Dion Cook (Fr., Canoga Park, Chaminade HS) is a 6-foot-4 guard who is making an immediate impact and seeing his playing time steadily increase. Billy Hofman (Fr., Sierra Madre, La Canada HS) and Jason Burrell (Fr., Rancho Cucamonga, St. Mark’s Prep) are two other talented freshman guards who have seen their playing time increase for the Broncos this season.

 

This And That: The Broncos set a new school record for defensive excellence last season for the third straight year, allowing only 63.5 points per game. So far this season, the Broncos are allowing 64.2 points per game and opponents are shooting 43.9 percent (479-1090). The Broncos return their top six scorers from last season: Jeff Bonds (14.4 points per game), David Sybesma (10.7 points per game), Jonathan Williams (9.7 points per game), Michael Ridgway (8.6 points per game), Guy Beahm (7.4 points per game) and Hervey Malone II (6.7 points per game). In all, Cal Poly Pomona returns 87.8 percent of its scoring from a year ago. In conference statistics, the Broncos are third in the CCAA in scoring, fourth in defense and sixth in rebounding. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) is third in scoring, 10th in rebounding and 10th in steals. David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) is ninth in scoring, 11th in rebounding, fifth in field-goal percentage and 20th in steals. Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) is 26th in scoring, eighth in assists, eighth in 3-point field goals made and 16th in assist/turnover ratio. Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX, Lamar University) is 15th in assist/turnover ratio and Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) is 17th in assist/turnover ratio.

 

PLAYER NOTES

 

3          JONATHAN WILLIAMS (G, Sr., Pasadena, Muir HS)

Last Week: Had 19 points, three rebounds and one assist against Cal State L.A. on Saturday; had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 10.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring and steals, and leads in assists. Also leads the team in 3-pointers made with 39.

Season Highs: Points – 20 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 6 at Hope International (11-22-03); Assists – 6 at Hope International (11-22-03).

Career Highs: Points – 20 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), at Cal State L.A. (2-7-03); Rebounds – 7 at Cal State L.A. (2-7-03), at Cal State San Bernardino (12-21-02); Assists – 8 at UC San Diego (3-3-01).

 

5          JASON BURRELL (G, Fr., Rancho Cucamonga, St. Mark’s Prep)

Last Week: Had two points and one assist against Cal State L.A. on Saturday; had two points and one assist against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 1.1 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Made Cal Poly Pomona debut against Azusa Pacific on Nov. 21.

Season Highs: Points – 5 at Cal State Stanislaus (1-31-04); Rebounds – 1 at Cal State Stanislaus (1-31-04), at Sonoma State (1-16-04), at Grand Canyon (1-10-04), vs. Chico State (1-2-04), at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03), vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-6-04); Assists – 2 vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-24-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

10        BILLY HOFMAN (G, Fr., Sierra Madre, La Canada HS)

Last Week: Went scoreless with one assist against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday; went scoreless against Cal State L.A. on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 0.8 points, 0.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Made Cal Poly Pomona debut against Hope International on Nov. 22.

Season Highs: Points – 4 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 1 at Grand Canyon (1-10-04), vs. Chico State (1-2-04), vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); Assists – 3 vs. Chico State (1-2-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

11        JONATHAN BOYD (G, So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS)

Last Week: Had eight points, four rebounds and one assist against Cal State L.A. on Saturday; had seven points, three rebounds and two assists against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Has started eight times in the Broncos’ first 21 games. Is fifth on the team in scoring and assists and third in 3-point field goals made.

Season Highs: Points – 13 vs. Chico State (1-2-04), vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 5 vs. Chico State (1-2-04), vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03). Assists – 4 at UC San Diego (1-9-04).

Career Highs: Points – 13 vs. vs. Chico State (1-2-04), vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 5 vs. Chico State (1-2-04), vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03), at San Francisco State (2-28-03); Assists – 4 at UC San Diego (1-9-04).

 

20        HERVEY MALONE II (G, So., Pittsburgh, Pittsburg HS)

Last Week: Had three points and one rebound against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday; went scoreless with three rebounds and two assists against Cal State L.A. on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Is sixth on the team in scoring and fourth in steals.

Season Highs: Points – 16 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 7 vs. Cal State Stanislaus; Assists – 5 at Hope International (11-22-03).

Career Highs: Points – 16 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds 7 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-6-04); Assists – 5 at Hope International (11-22-03), vs. Alaska Fairbanks (3-14-03).

 

22        DION COOK (G, Fr., Canoga Park, Chaminade HS)

Last Week: Had three points and two steals against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday; went scoreless with one rebound against Cal State L.A. on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 3.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Made his Cal Poly Pomona debut against Azusa Pacific (11-21-03).

Season Highs: Points – 9 at Sonoma State (1-16-04); Rebounds – 5 vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-24-04); Assists – 3 at Sonoma State (1-16-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

23        GUY BEAHM (F, Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC)

Last Week: Had six points, three rebounds and two assists against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday; had three points, three rebounds and two assists against Cal State L.A. on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Is fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 13 at Cal State Bakersfield (1-30-04); Rebounds – 8 at UC San Diego (1-9-04); Assists – 5 vs. Cal State L.A. (1-23-04), at Vanguard (11-25-03).

Career Highs: Points – 23 at Cal State Stanislaus (3-7-03); Rebounds – 14 at Cal State Stanislaus (3-7-03); Assists – 6 at UC Davis (1-11-03).

 

32        JEFF BONDS (F, Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS)

Last Week: Had 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday; had 16 points, six rebounds and one assist against Cal State L.A. on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 16.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding and steals.

Season Highs: Points – 26 at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 9 at Cal State Bakersfield (1-30-04); Assists – 4 at Cal State Bakersfield (1-30-04), at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03).

Career Highs: Points – 31 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (3-17-03); Rebounds – 12 vs. Montana State-Billings (12-30-02); Assists – 6 vs. Montana State-Billings (12-30-02).

 

33        DAVID SYBESMA (F/G, Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS)

Last Week: Had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday; had seven points, one rebound and four assists against Cal State L.A. on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring and rebounding. Has four double-doubles in the past eight games.

Season Highs: Points – 27 at Cal State Stanislaus (1-31-04); Rebounds – 10 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-6-04), at Cal State Stanislaus (1-31-04), at San Francisco State (1-17-04), vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-24-04); Assists – 5 vs. Chico State (1-2-04).

Career Highs: Points – 27 at Cal State Stanislaus (1-31-04); Rebounds – 10 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-6-04), at Cal State Stanislaus (1-31-04), vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-24-04), at San Francisco State (1-17-04), vs. Cal State Bakersfield (3-15-03), vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-3-03); Assists – 7 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-1-03).

 

42        MELVYN NICHOLSON (F, So., Long Beach, Millikan HS)

Last Week: DNP-CD.

2003-04: Averaging 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Season Highs: Points – 10 at San Francisco State (1-17-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Assists – 2 at Sonoma State (1-16-04).

Career Highs: Points – 10 at San Francisco State (1-17-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Assists – 2 at Sonoma State (1-16-04).

 

44        MICHAEL RIDGWAY (F, Sr., Houston, TX, Lamar University)

Last Week: Had 13 points, four rebounds and two assists against Cal State L.A. on Saturday; had eight points, six rebounds and one assist against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Has made five starts this season. Made beautiful length-of-the-court inbounds pass to set up Jeff Bonds’ game-tying buzzer-beater against North Dakota State on Nov. 28.

Season Highs: Points – 14 vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-24-04); Rebounds – 6 at Cal State Dominguez Hills (2-13-04), at Cal State Stanislaus (1-31-04); Assists – 4 vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03).

Career Highs: Points – 21 at UC Davis (1-11-03); Rebounds – 7 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-14-02), vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-7-02); Assists – 4 vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03).

 

2003-04 CCAA STANDINGS (2-17-04)

CCAA                                                    Overall

                                                W            L             Pct.                         W            L             Pct.

CS San Bernardino        16         0          1.000                20         1          .952

Cal Poly Pomona          12         4          .750                  16         5          .762

Cal State Bakersfield     12         4          .750                  16         5          .762

UC Davis                      12         4          .750                  15         6          .714

Chico State                   11         5          .688                  14         7          .667

San Francisco State      7          9          .438                  9          11         .450

Sonoma State               7          9          .438                  8          13         .381

UC San Diego               6          10         .375                  6          15         .286

CS Dominguez Hills      4          12         .250                  6          15         .286

Cal State Stanislaus       4          12         .250                  6          15         .286

Cal State L.A.                4          12         .250                  6          15         .286

Grand Canyon               2          14         .125                  3          18         .143