CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, March 9, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

2003-04 CPP Record: 21-6. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 17-5

2003-04 Regional Ranking: 6

2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region Champions

 

Broncos Ready To Defend Their Regional Championship: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region champion, will defend its title in earnest when play begins Friday in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Broncos enter the tournament for the second straight year, this time as the No. 6 seed. Cal Poly Pomona will face No. 3 seed Humboldt State at noon on Friday at Cal State San Bernardino in a battle of teams ranked in the national Top 5 in the NABC/Division II preseason poll. Humboldt State was ranked No. 1 and the Broncos were No. 5 to open the season. The game will be webcast on the Cal Poly Pomona athletic website at www.csupomona.edu/~athletic. Rod Leveque and Maryann Tolano will call the action. The Broncos finished the regular season with a 21-6 record, including a 17-5 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, which was good enough for third place. The eight-team playoff field also includes No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino, No. 2 BYU-Hawaii, No. 4 Cal State Bakersfield, No. 5 Alaska Fairbanks, No. 7 Alaska Anchorage and No. 8 Chico State. 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 concluded their regular season and locked up the No. 6 seed in the West Region by beating Grand Canyon and UC San Diego in Kellogg Gym last weekend. Cal Poly Pomona scored the first 21 points of the game and raced to a 31-4 lead in the first 12 minutes of the game and cruised past Grand Canyon, 77-58, Friday night. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led three Broncos in double figures with 16 points and eight rebounds. David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) had 14 points in 21 minutes off the bench. The Broncos had a tougher time on Saturday, but finally subdued UC San Diego, 71-66. Cal Poly Pomona had a 16-point second-half lead trimmed to two points in the final minute. Boyd, however, hit a clutch 3-pointer with the shot clock down to one second and the game clock down to 13 ticks. That big basket clinched the win for the Broncos. Bonds had another strong outing with 24 points, three rebounds and five assists, while Sybesma had a double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 assists. Boyd and Hervey Malone II (So., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) had eight points each.

 

It Feels Like The First Time: Cal Poly Pomona will be making its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs, marking the first time in the program’s history that the Broncos are making back-to-back postseason trips. Prior to last season’s West Region championship run, the Broncos hadn’t been to the NCAA playoffs since 1976. With a 21-6 regular-season mark, the Broncos also clinched back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in the program’s history. The 44 wins in the past two seasons (the Broncos were 23-7 last year) is the most over a two-year stretch in the program’s history. Finally, the 17 wins the Broncos picked up in the CCAA this season set a new program record for conference victories. That broke the old mark of 16 set by last year’s regional championship team. The Broncos also extended their streak of consecutive winning seasons to 10, which is also a program best.

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 2-4 against the West Region tournament field with all six games coming against fellow California Collegiate Athletic Association clubs. The Broncos were 0-2 against Cal State San Bernardino, the team the Broncos beat in the regional championship game a year ago, 1-1 against Cal State Bakersfield, another team that Broncos beat last year in the playoffs, and 1-1 against Chico State. Cal Poly Pomona is 3-0 all-time in playoff games against the tournament field, going 1-0 against Cal State San Bernardino, 1-0 against Cal State Bakersfield and 1-0 against Alaska Fairbanks.  Cal Poly Pomona is 3-2 all-time against Humboldt State, but has never faced the Lumberjacks in the playoffs. The Lumberjacks did post a 91-88 win over the Broncos in double overtime on Nov. 29, 1998 in the last meeting between the two programs. Julian Hammond had 37 points for the Broncos, but Cal Poly Pomona committed 36 turnovers in the game.

 

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. Both teams are entered in the NCAA playoffs this year, marking the first time in Cal Poly Pomona history that both teams are in the NCAA postseason in the same season.

 

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 2003 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 79-32 overall record. His winning percentage of .712 is the best in the program’s history. He led the Broncos to a 21-6 regular-season record and has guided the Broncos into the NCAA playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time 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 record until the Broncos went 17-5 this year. 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 second in the conference in scoring with a 17.0 points per game average. He leads the team in scoring and also leads in rebounding (6.0 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 also finished the regular-season with a 24-point performance against UC San Diego.

 

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. He is second on the team in scoring (13.9 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 43.2 percent (513-1191). 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 second in rebounding. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) is second in scoring, eighth in rebounding, 11th in steals, fourth in field-goal percentage, 10th in blocked shots and 13th in free-throw percentage. David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) is eighth in scoring, 10th in rebounding, third in field-goal percentage, 16th in free-throw percentage and tied for 17th in steals. Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) is 29th in scoring, seventh in assists, tied for 10th in 3-point field goals made, and 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage. Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX, Lamar University) is 12th in blocked shots and 14th in assist/turnover ratio. Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) is 11th in blocked shots.

 

PLAYER NOTES

 

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

Last Week: Had six points, three rebounds and one assist against UC San Diego on Saturday; had five points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals against Grand Canyon on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.1 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 47.

Season Highs: Points – 20 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 6 at Hope International (11-22-03); Assists – 8 at Chico State (2-28-04).

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 Chico State (2-28-04), at UC San Diego (3-3-01).

 

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

Last Week: Had two points, one rebound and a season-high five assists against Grand Canyon on Friday; went scoreless with a season-high three rebounds against UC San Diego on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 1.1 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.7 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 – 3 vs. UC San Diego (3-6-04); Assists – 5 vs. Grand Canyon (3-5-04)

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

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

Last Week: Had three points and one rebound against Grand Canyon on Friday; DNP-CD against UC San Diego on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 1.1 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.8 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 vs. Sonoma State (2-21-04), vs. San Francisco State (2-20-04), 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), vs. Grand Canyon (3-5-04); 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 14 points, three rebounds and one assist against Grand Canyon on Friday; had eight points and four rebounds against UC San Diego on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Has started eight times in the Broncos’ first 27 games. Is fourth on the team in scoring, sixth in assists and tied for second in 3-point field goals made with 33.

Season Highs: Points – 15 vs. Sonoma State (2-21-04); 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 – 15 vs. Sonoma State (2-21-04); 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 eight points and two rebounds against UC San Diego on Saturday; had six points and five rebounds against Grand Canyon on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 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. Sonoma State (2-21-04), vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-6-04); Assists – 5 at Hope International (11-22-03).

Career Highs: Points – 16 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds 7 vs. Sonoma State (2-21-04), 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 four points, two rebounds and two assists against Grand Canyon on Friday; had two points, three rebounds and one assist against UC San Diego on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 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 – 4 at UC Davis (2-27-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

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

Last Week: Had six points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks against Grand Canyon on Friday; had four points, seven rebounds and one assist against UC San Diego on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Is fifth 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 24 points, three rebounds and five assists against UC San Diego on Saturday; had 16 points and eight rebounds against Grand Canyon on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding, steals, blocks and three-point field goal percentage.

Season Highs: Points – 26 at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 10 vs. Sonoma State (2-21-04); 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 15 points, two rebounds and a career-high 10 assists against UC San Diego on Saturday; had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists against Grand Canyon on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 13.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals.

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 – 10 vs. UC San Diego (3-6-04)

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 – 10 vs. UC San Diego (3-6-04)

 

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 seven points, four rebounds and one assist against Grand Canyon on Friday; had four points, five rebounds and four assists against UC San Diego on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Has made nine 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), at Chico State (2-28-04); Assists – 4 vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03), vs. UC San Diego (3-6-04) .

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).

 

FINAL 2003-04 CCAA STANDINGS (2-24-04)

CCAA                                                    Overall

                                                W            L             Pct.                         W            L             Pct.

CS San Bernardino        21         1          .955                  25         2          .926

Cal State Bakersfield     18         4          .818                  22         5          .815

Cal Poly Pomona          17         5          .773                  21         6          .778

UC Davis                      15         7          .682                  18         9          .667

Chico State                   14         8          .636                  17         10         .630

Sonoma State               10         12         .455                  11         16         .407

UC San Diego               9          13         .409                  9          18         .333

San Francisco State      8          14         .364                  10         16         .385

Cal State L.A.                6          16         .273                  9          18         .333

CS Dominguez Hills      6          16         .273                  8          19         .296

Cal State Stanislaus       6          16         .273                  8          19         .296

Grand Canyon               2          20         .091                  3          24         .111