CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA
Bronco Sports News
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003
Contact: Paul Helms
(909) 869-2812
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEDIA NOTES
2003-04 CPP Record: 3-1. 2003-04 CCAA Record:
0-0
2003-04 Preseason National Ranking: 5
2002-03 NCAA Division
II West Region Champions
Broncos Set To Tip-Off CCAA Schedule On
Tuesday: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2002-03 NCAA Division
II West Region champion, will open California Collegiate Athletic Association play
Tuesday night at Cal State San Bernardino. The Broncos and Coyotes will be
meeting for the first time since the 2003 NCAA Division II West Regional
championship game, which was won by Cal Poly Pomona, 91-84, in double overtime,
at BYU-Hawaii. The Coyotes are the four-time defending CCAA champions and have
won 21 consecutive home games. That streak is the second longest in the nation
behind District of Columbia, Northwest
Missouri State
and Nebraska-Kearney’s 22 straight, according to the Division II Bulletin. The
Coyotes are 2-1 so far this season, including a last-second victory over Dominican
University on Saturday courtesy of
a tip-in by freshman Yoseph Yaisrael.
Cal Poly Pomona is 3-1 and has won three straight, including an amazing 80-74
overtime victory over North Dakota State
on Saturday. Cal Poly Pomona is ranked fifth in the nation in a pair of
preseason polls and second by Street & Smith’s. 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, also return.
About Last Week:
The Broncos survived a pair of tough tests last week and improved to 3-1 on the
season. Cal Poly Pomona overpowered Vanguard University, 68-50, last Tuesday in
Costa Mesa to start the week. The
Broncos trailed early, 15-8, but took the lead for good, 17-16 on a 3-pointer
by Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC). The
Broncos led by as many as 13 points in the first half and had a 40-30 edge at
halftime. Cal Poly Pomona’s offense went ice-cold to start the second half and
Vanguard pulled to within two points, 44-42, with 11:47 to go. Cal Poly Pomona’s defense then went to
work, limiting the Lions to only two points over the next nine minutes. A 20-2
run gave the Broncos a 64-44 lead, which was their biggest advantage of the
game. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) had 15
points, four rebounds and three assists to lead the Broncos, while Beahm added 11 points, two rebounds and five assists. David
Sybesma (Jr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS) and Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston,
TX, had nine points each, while Jonathan
Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) had seven points and five assists. Cal
Poly Pomona then entertained North Dakota
State on Friday in its home opener
and put on quite a show. Thanks to a miraculous, buzzer-beating 3-pointer by
Bonds that sent the game into overtime, the Broncos outlasted the Bison, 80-74,
in overtime. After a North Dakota State
3-pointer put the Bison ahead by three with just two seconds remaining, Bonds
caught a length-of-the-court inbounds pass from Ridgway,
quickly dribbled behind the 3-point line and launched a shot from in front of
the Bronco bench that hit nothing but net. The Broncos then outscored the
Bison, 16-10, in the overtime period. Cal Poly Pomona trailed by as many as
seven points in the first half and was down, 30-27, at halftime. North
Dakota State then
built a nine-point lead, 40-31, with 17:48
to go. The Broncos responded with a 15-2 run that included a 3-pointer by Bonds
that gave Cal Poly Pomona the lead, 44-42, and an inside basket by Sybesma that made it 46-42. A 3-pointer by Williams gave the
Broncos a 57-53 edge with 5:19 to go
and the two teams were tied, 58-58, going into a hectic final minute. There
were four 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation, including one by Sybesma that tied the game at 63-63 with 35 seconds
remaining and the one by Bonds that sent the game into overtime. Bonds hit two
free throws and Ridgway hit an 8-foot jumper to start
the overtime period and the Broncos never looked back. Bonds finished with 24
points and seven rebounds, while Sybesma had 20
points and nine rebounds. Williams had 14 points and three assists. Jonathan
Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) had five of his seven points in the overtime
period.
Head To Head: Cal
Poly Pomona is 15-12 all-time
against Cal State San Bernardino and won two of the three meetings last season,
including the big one: a 91-84 decision in the NCAA Division II West Regional
championship game that sent the Broncos to the national quarterfinals (Elite
Eight) for the first time since 1964. The Broncos won at Kellogg Gym, 68-64,
and Cal State San Bernardino prevailed in San Bernardino, 72-64. The third
meeting, at BYU-Hawaii, was a classic and the Broncos won thanks to a huge game
from tourney MVP Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) and a last-second shot
by David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS)
at the end of regulation that sent the game into overtime. Cal State San
Bernardino, which has won four straight CCAA titles, is 2-1 so far this 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 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 61-27 overall record. His winning percentage of .693 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 upend 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 named to the All-CCAA first team. He has
gotten his 2003-04 season off to a quick start,
scoring 85 points in the Broncos’ first four games. 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 Friday. He has led the
Broncos in scoring in all four games so far this season. Bonds
has scored 20 or more points in seven of his last 10 games dating back
to last season.
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
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 game. Sybesma was also
named to the All-CCAA second team. He, too, has started well this season. He
had a career-high 21 points against Hope International and he added 20 points in
the Broncos’ overtime win over North Dakota
State on Friday.
Look Who’s
New: The Broncos are welcoming four players to their program this season. Dion Cook (Fr., Canoga
Park, Chaminade
HS) is a 6-foot-4 guard who is expected to make an immediate impact. Billy Hofman (Fr., Sierra Madre, La Canada HS) is expected to see
playing time at point guard. Jason Burrell (Fr., Rancho Cucamonga,
St. Mark’s Prep) and Sinqua Walls (Fr., El Segundo,
El Segundo HS) are two other freshman who will make a difference for the
Broncos.
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. 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.
PLAYER NOTES
3 JONATHAN
WILLIAMS (G, Sr., Pasadena,
Muir HS)
Last Week: Had 14 points,
three rebounds and three assists against North Dakota
State on Friday; had seven points,
two rebounds and five assists at Vanguard on Tuesday.
2003-04: Averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring, third in rebounding and first in
assists.
Season Highs: Points
– 19 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-21-03); Rebounds – 6 at Hope International (11-22-03); Assists
– 6 at Hope International (11-22-03).
Career Highs: Points
– 20 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: Went scoreless in three minutes against North
Dakota State on
Friday; went scoreless in two minutes at Vanguard on Tuesday.
2003-04: Averaging 0.2 points, 0.0 rebounds and 0.0 assists per
game. Made Cal Poly Pomona debut against Azusa Pacific on
Nov. 21.
Season Highs: Points – 1
at Hope International (11-22-03);
Rebounds – 0; Assists – 0.
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
10 BILLY HOFMAN (G, Fr., Sierra Madre, La Canada HS)
Last Week: Went scoreless in two minutes at Vanguard on Tuesday;
DNP-CD against North Dakota State
on Friday.
2003-04: Averaging 1.0 point, 0.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.
Made Cal Poly Pomona debut against Hope International on Nov.
22.
Season Highs: Points – 2
at Hope International (11-22-03);
Rebounds – 0; Assists – 2 at Hope International (11-22-03).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
11 JONATHAN
BOYD (G, So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS)
Last Week: Had seven points, including five in overtime, five
rebounds and two assists against North Dakota
State on Friday; had five points,
three rebounds and two steals at Vanguard on Tuesday.
2003-04: Averaging 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per
game. Made his third career start at Hope International on
Nov. 22.
Season Highs: Points – 7
vs. North Dakota State
(11-28-03); Rebounds – 5 vs. North
Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 2 vs. North Dakota
State (11-28-03).
Career Highs: Points –
11 vs. Alaska Fairbanks
(3-14-03); Rebounds – 5 vs. North
Dakota State (11-28-03), at San
Francisco State (2-28-03); Assists – 3 vs. Chico State
(2-15-03).
20 HERVEY MALONE II (G, So., Pittsburgh, Pittsburg HS)
Last Week: Had four points, three rebounds and one assist at
Vanguard on Tuesday; had two points and two rebounds against North
Dakota State on
Friday.
2003-04: Averaging 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per
game. Tied for fifth on the team in scoring.
Season Highs: Points – 8
vs. Azusa Pacific (11-21-03); Rebounds – 4 at Hope International (11-22-03); Assists
– 5 at Hope International (11-22-03).
Career Highs: Points –
13 at UC San Diego (1-18-03),
vs. Cal State L.A. (1-4-03),
vs. Saint Martin’s College (11-29-02); Rebounds
– 6 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (3-26-03);
at Western Washington (11-30-02); 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 at
Vanguard on Tuesday; went scoreless with one rebound and one assist against North
Dakota State on
Friday.
2003-04: Averaging 3.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist per
game.
Season Highs: Points – 6
at Hope International (11-22-03);
Rebounds – 4 at Hope International (11-22-03); Assists – 2 at Vanguard (11-25-03)
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
23 GUY BEAHM (F, Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC)
Last Week: Had 11 points, two rebounds and five assists at Vanguard
on Tuesday; had five points, five rebounds and two assists against North
Dakota State on
Friday.
2003-04: Averaging 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per
game. Is fourth on the team in scoring and second in assists.
Season Highs: Points –
11 at Vanguard (11-25-03);
Rebounds – 5 vs. North
Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 5 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, including a buzzer-beating, game-tying
3-pointer against North Dakota State
on Friday; had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists at Vanguard on
Tuesday.
2003-04: Averaging 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per
game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding and steals (2.0
per game). Has scored 20 or more points in seven of
last 10 games dating back to last season.
Season Highs: Points –
26 at Hope International (11-22-03);
Rebounds – 7 vs. North
Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 3 at Vanguard (11-25-03),
vs. Azusa Pacific (11-21-03).
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 20 points and nine rebounds against North
Dakota State on
Friday; had nine points, five rebounds and one assist at Vanguard on Tuesday.
2003-04: Averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist per
game. Is second on the team in scoring and second in
rebounding.
Season Highs: Points – 21
at Hope International (11-22-03);
Rebounds – 9 vs. North
Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 2 at Hope International (11-22-03).
Career Highs: Points –
21 at Hope International (11-22-03);
Rebounds – 10 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: Had four points and three rebounds at Vanguard on
Tuesday; went scoreless in 10 minutes against North
Dakota State on
Friday.
2003-04: Averaging 3.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.0 assists per
game. Has made seven of nine field-goal attempts.
Season Highs: Points – 6
vs. Azusa Pacific (11-21-03); Rebounds – 3 at Vanguard (11-25-03);
Assists – 0
Career Highs: Points – 6
vs. Azusa Pacific (11-21-03); Rebounds – 3 at Vanguard (11-25-03);
Assists -- 0
44 MICHAEL RIDGWAY (F, Sr., Houston, TX,
Lamar University)
Last Week: Had eight points, four rebounds and career-high four
assists against North Dakota State
on Friday; had nine points and four rebounds at Vanguard on Tuesday. Made length-of-the-court inbounds pass to Jeff Bonds for game-tying
3-pointer against North
Dakota State.
2003-04: Averaging 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per
game. Has made one start this season.
Season Highs: Points – 9
at Vanguard (11-25-03); Rebounds – 4 vs. North
Dakota State (11-28-03), at Vanguard (11-25-03); 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).