CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

2003-04 CPP Record: 4-3. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 0-2

2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region Champions

And Now For A Break In The Action: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region champion, will have a lengthy 16 days between games before resuming California Collegiate Athletic Association action with an important weekend of basketball against Chico State and UC Davis. When they do return to action, the Broncos will be coming off an important 100-91 victory over Western Washington on Dec. 17 in Kellogg Gym. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak and pushed the Broncos back above the .500 mark. The Broncos will host the Wildcats on Friday, Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and then entertain UC Davis on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m. After those two home games, the Broncos won’t play again in Kellogg Gym until Jan. 23. 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 finally got their offense untracked and it came at an opportune time as they outscored Western Washington, 100-91, last Wednesday in Kellogg Gym. Cal Poly Pomona scored 100 points in a game for the first time since a 100-70 victory over Division III La Verne on Dec. 2, 2000. The two teams combined for a staggering 120 points in the second half: 61 by Cal Poly Pomona and 59 by Western Washington. The Broncos shot 65.6 percent in the second half and 59 percent for the game, while the Vikings, who came into the game with a 7-1 record, shot 58.8 percent in the second half and 47 percent for the game. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led the Broncos with 21 points and six rebounds. All five Cal Poly Pomona starters scored in double figures. Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) had a season-high 20 points and four assists and knocked down five 3-pointers. David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 17 points, three rebounds and four assists, Hervey Malone II (So., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) scored a career-high 16 points and Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) had a career-high 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Cal Poly Pomona held a 39-32 lead at halftime and opened up an 18-point advantage, 62-44, with 12:01 to go. Western Washington was able to cut the margin to seven points, 77-70, with 4:53 remaining, but the Broncos never allowed the Vikings to get any closer.

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 9-9 all-time against Chico State, but lost both games to the Wildcats last season. The Broncos fell, 88-84, at Chico State on Jan. 10. David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) and Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) had 18 points each. Chico State completed the season sweep with a 73-72 victory in Kellogg Gym on Feb. 15. Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) had 19 points to lead the Broncos. Chico State finished in a tie for third in the CCAA last season with a 15-7 conference mark. The Wildcats are 1-1 so far this season in conference after splitting games with UC Davis. Cal Poly Pomona is 12-12 all-time against UC Davis and swept a pair of games from the Aggies last season. The Broncos prevailed, 77-64, at UC Davis on Jan. 11 behind 21 points and six rebounds from Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX., Lamar University). Cal Poly Pomona also won in Kellogg Gym, 65-43, on Feb. 14 behind 13 points and eight rebounds from Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS).

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 62-29 overall record. His winning percentage of .681 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 named to the All-CCAA first team. He has gotten his 2003-04 season off to a quick start, scoring 132 points in the Broncos’ first seven games. Bonds leads the team in scoring (18.9 points per game) and rebounding (5.1 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. 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. Bonds has scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 13 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 contest. 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. He had another strong game against Cal State San Bernardino on Dec. 13 with 19 points and he had 17 points in the win over Western Washington on Dec. 17.

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 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) is another freshman who should 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. So far this season, the Broncos are allowing 71.9 points per game and opponents are shooting 50 percent (176-352). 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: Tied a career-high with 20 points and also had four assists and two steals against Western Washington on Wednesday. Hit five 3-pointers in the contest.

2003-04: Averaging 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring, third in rebounding and first in assists. Also leads the team in 3-pointers made with 19.

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: DNP-CD against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 0.2 points, 0.2 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 – 1 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); Assists – 0.

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

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

Last Week: Had four points, one rebound and two assists in a season-high 12 minutes against Western Washington

2003-04: Averaging 1.5 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.3 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. Western Washington (12-17-03), at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); Assists – 2 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), at Hope International (11-22-03).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

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

Last Week: Set a new career high with 13 points, five rebounds and one assist against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Has started four times in the Broncos’ first seven games.

Season Highs: Points – 13 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 5 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 2 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03), vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03).

Career Highs: Points – 13 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 5 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), 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 a career-high 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Fifth on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 16 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); Rebounds – 4 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03), at Hope International (11-22-03); Assists – 5 at Hope International (11-22-03).

Career Highs: Points – 16 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); 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 three points, one rebound and one assist in 12 minutes against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists 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 four points and one rebound against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Is fourth on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 11 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03), 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 21 points, six rebounds and three assists against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding and steals. Has scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 13 games dating back to last season.

Season Highs: Points – 26 at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 7 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03), vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 4 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 17 points, three rebounds and four assists against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring and rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 21 at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 9 vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 4 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03).

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 two points in three minutes against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. Has made nine of 12 field-goal attempts.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-21-03); Rebounds – 3 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03), at Vanguard (11-25-03); Assists – 1 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03).

Career Highs: Points – 6 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-21-03); Rebounds – 3 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03), at Vanguard (11-25-03); Assists – 1 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03).

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

Last Week: Went scoreless with five rebounds and three assists against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2003-04: Averaging 3.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Has made three 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 – 9 at Vanguard (11-25-03); Rebounds – 5 vs. Western Washington (12-17-03); 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).