CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

2003-04 CPP Record: 6-3. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 2-2

2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region Champions

 

Broncos Set To Begin Four-Game Road Swing: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region champion, will try to extend its current three-game winning streak on the road. The Broncos will continue California Collegiate Athletic Association action with games this weekend at UC San Diego on Friday and Grand Canyon on Saturday. Cal Poly Pomona’s next four games will be away from Kellogg Gym. After this weekend’s road games, the Broncos will be at Sonoma State on Friday, Jan. 16 and San Francisco State on Saturday, Jan. 17. Cal Poly Pomona’s next home game won’t be until Friday, Jan. 23 against Cal State L.A. 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 swept weekend games against Chico State and UC Davis in Kellogg Gym and climbed back to the .500 mark in the CCAA. Cal Poly Pomona started the weekend with an 89-75 victory over Chico State on Friday. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led a balanced Bronco attack with 19 points. All 11 Broncos who played scored points in the contest. Bonds was one of four Cal Poly Pomnona players to reach double figures. David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists, Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) had 13 points and five rebounds and Hervey Malone II (So., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) had 10 points and six rebounds. The Broncos led for nearly the entire game and enjoyed a 41-25 edge in rebounds. The Broncos led, 38-29, at halftime and held leads as large as 19 points in the second half. Cal Poly Pomona had a much more difficult time on Saturday, but escaped with a 69-67 overtime win over UC Davis. Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) hit an off-balanced layup with four seconds left while being fouled to give the Broncos the victory. Williams missed the free throw, but UC Davis was unable to get off a final shot before time expired. The Broncos started slowly and trailed by 12 points, 22-10, midway through the first half. They still trailed by nine points, 33-24, at halftime, but turned things up a notch in the second half. A 15-3 run turned a 41-34 deficit into a 49-44 advantage. The Broncos led by five points, 56-51, with 2:02 to go and were up, 59-55, with 18 seconds left. UC Davis, though, hit a 3-pointer and, after Sybesma hit one of two free throws with 10 seconds left, the Aggies nailed two free throws to send the game into overtime. The extra period was extremely tight and neither team was able to build a lead larger than two points. Williams broke the 67-67 tie with his acrobatic layup. UC Davis advanced the ball to midcourt after his missed free throw and called timeout, but an inbounds pass was knocked away by Sybesma as time ran out. Bonds had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Broncos, while Sybesma had 12 points and seven rebounds. Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) added 12 points, Williams had nine points and two assists and Boyd had eight points and three assists.

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 6-4 all-time against UC San Diego and swept a pair of games from the Tritons last season. The Broncos won the first meeting, 88-62, in La Jolla behind 17 points and seven assists from Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS). The Broncos also won the rematch in Kellogg Gym, 57-41. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led all scorers with 20 points. Cal Poly Pomona is 12-11 all-time against Grand Canyon and won both games against the Antelopes last season. The Broncos won the first meeting in Phoenix, 86-56. Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX, Lamar University) and David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 14 points each to lead the Broncos. Cal Poly Pomona also took the second game between the two programs, 63-56, in Kellogg Gym. Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) had 15 points.

 

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 64-29 overall record. His winning percentage of .688 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. He has gotten his 2003-04 season off to a quick start, scoring 167 points in the Broncos’ first nine games. Bonds leads the team in scoring (18.6 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 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. Bonds has scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 15 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. Sybesma is currently 30th in the NCAA Division II in shooting percentage (49-82, 59.8 percent).

 

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 71.7 points per game and opponents are shooting 49.8 percent (220-442). Cal Poly Pomona is 33rd in the country in shooting percentage, knocking down 49.2 percent of its shots. 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: Hit the game-winning layup with four seconds remaining in the Broncos’ 69-67 overtime win over UC Davis on Saturday; had six points, two rebounds and five assists against Chico State on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring and leads in assists. Also leads the team in 3-pointers made with 20.

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 one point and one rebound against Chico State on Friday; DNP-CD against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 0.3 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game. Made Cal Poly Pomona debut against Azusa Pacific on Nov. 21.

Season Highs: Points – 1 vs. Chico State (1-2-04), at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 1 vs. Chico State (1-2-04), 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 three points, one rebound and three assists against Chico State on Friday; went scoreless with two assists against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 1.5 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.7 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. 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: Tied his career high with 13 points, five rebounds and one assist against Chico State on Friday; had eight points, one rebound and three assists against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 7.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Has started six times in the Broncos’ first nine games. Is fifth on the team in scoring.

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 – 2 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03), vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03).

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 – 3 vs. Chico State (2-15-03).

 

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

Last Week: Had 10 points, six rebounds and one assist against Chico State on Friday; had six points, two rebounds and two assists against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Sixth 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: Tied a season-high with six points and two rebounds against Chico State on Friday; went scoreless with two assists against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. Chico State (1-2-04), at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 4 at Hope International (11-22-03); Assists – 2 vs. UC Davis (1-3-04), at Vanguard (11-25-03)

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

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

Last Week: Had a season-high 12 points and two rebounds against UC Davis on Saturday; had four points, seven rebounds and two assists against Chico State on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Is fourth on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 12 vs. UC Davis (1-3-04); Rebounds – 7 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); 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 a team-high 19 points and three rebounds against Chico State on Friday; had a team-high 16 points and seven rebounds against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 18.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding and steals. Has scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 15 games dating back to last season.

Season Highs: Points – 26 at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 7 vs. UC Davis (1-3-04), 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 13 points, five rebounds and five assists against Chico State on Friday; had 12 points and seven rebounds against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring and rebounding. Leads the team and is 30th in the nation in shooting percentage (59.8 percent).

Season Highs: Points – 21 at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 9 vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03); Assists – 5 vs. Chico State (1-2-04).

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 career-high seven points and four rebounds against Chico State on Friday; had two points against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. Has made 13 of 17 field-goal attempts.

Season Highs: Points – 7 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Assists – 1 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03).

Career Highs: Points – 7 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Assists – 1 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03).

 

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

Last Week: Had seven points, three rebounds and two assists against Chico State on Friday; had four points and one rebound against UC Davis on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 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).

 

2003-04 CCAA STANDINGS (1-6-04)

CCAA                                                    Overall

                                                W            L             Pct.                         W            L             Pct.

Cal State Bakersfield     4          0          1.000                8          1          .889

CS San Bernardino        4          0          1.000                8          1          .889

CS Dominguez Hills      3          1          .750                  5          4          .556

UC San Diego               3          1          .750                  3          6          .333

Cal Poly Pomona          2          2          .500                  6          3          .667

San Francisco State      2          2          .500                  4          4          .500

Cal State L.A.                1          3          .250                  4          5          .444

Chico State                   1          3          .250                  4          5          .444

CS Stanislaus                1          3          .250                  3          6          .333

Grand Canyon               1          3          .250                  2          7          .286

Sonoma State               1          3          .250                  2          7          .286

UC Davis                      1          3          .250                  4          5          .444