CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

2003-04 CPP Record: 7-4. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 3-3

2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region Champions

Broncos Hope For A Successful Northern California Trip: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2002-03 NCAA Division II West Region champion, will try to put together a sustained winning streak when the Broncos head North for games against Sonoma State and San Francisco State this weekend. The Broncos are on their second straight conference road trip after splitting last week’s contests at UC San Diego and Canyon. The Broncos find themselves with a 3-3 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and three games behind first-place Cal State San Bernardino. After this weekend’s games, the Broncos will return home to Kellogg Gym for the first time since Jan. 2. Cal Poly Pomona will host Cal State L.A. on Friday, Jan. 23 and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday, Jan. 24. 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 saw any momentum generated from their sweep over Chico State and UC Davis get stopped in a hurry when they lost a disappointing 65-64 decision to UC San Diego last Friday in La Jolla. The Tritons were able to hold on to the victory despite an impressive comeback by the Broncos that saw them slice an eight-point lead down to two points in the final minute. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) and David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) trimmed a 63-55 deficit to just 63-61 with 28 seconds left. Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) then made a steal, but had his shot blocked. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) came up with the loose ball and got off a shot, which missed and went out of bounds. Despite what appeared to be plenty of contact, no foul was called and the Tritons got possession of the ball. After two UC San Diego free throws, Bonds hit a 3-pointer to make it 65-64 with five seconds to go. The Broncos fouled with 1.7 seconds left, but the clock ran out after two missed free throws by the Tritons. Bonds had 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the Broncos, while Sybesma had nine points and seven rebounds. Williams had eight points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) had seven points and eight rebounds. The Broncos bounced back with a 74-55 win over Grand Canyon on Saturday. The Broncos scored the first 10 points of the game and were never threatened. Cal Poly Pomona led 38-27 at halftime and held leads as large as 21 points in the second half. Sybesma led the Broncos with 15 points and five rebounds, while Bonds had 14 points and three rebounds. Williams had 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX, Lamar University) and Beahm had eight points each, while Melvyn Nicholson (So., Long Beach, Millikan HS) had seven points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 14-7 all-time against Sonoma State and the two teams split two contests last year. The Seawolves came into Kellogg Gym on Jan. 24 and handed the Broncos a 62-48 loss. Cal Poly Pomona won the rematch, 62-60, on March 1 in Rohnert Park on a last-second shot by Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS). Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) had 17 points to lead the Broncos. Both teams later advanced to the NCAA Division II West Regional. Cal Poly Pomona is 17-6 all-time against San Francisco State and won both meetings a year ago. The Broncos won the first game, 71-53, on Jan. 25 in Kellogg Gym behind 19 points and seven rebounds from Bonds and then edged the Gators in San Francisco on Feb. 28, 55-54, on two last-minute free throws by Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda 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 65-30 overall record. His winning percentage of .684 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 200 points in the Broncos’ first 11 games. Bonds leads the team in scoring (18.2 points per game) and rebounding (5.2 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 17 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. He is second on the team in scoring (13.8 points per game) and he shares the team lead in rebounding (5.2 per game).

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) is playing some important minutes at point guard and Jason Burrell (Fr., Rancho Cucamonga, St. Mark’s Prep) is another freshman who has seen playing time 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 69.5 points per game and opponents are shooting 47.6 percent (220-442). 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 10 points, five assists, three assists and three steals against Grand Canyon on Saturday; had eight points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals against UC San Diego on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring, leads in assists and is tied for the lead in steals. Also leads the team in 3-pointers made with 22.

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: Went scoreless with one rebound and one assist against Grand Canyon on Saturday; DNP-CD against UC San Diego on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 0.3 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.1 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 at Grand Canyon (1-10-04), vs. Chico State (1-2-04), at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); Assists – 1 at Grand Canyon (1-10-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

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

Last Week: Went scoreless with one rebound and two assists against Grand Canyon on Saturday; went scoreless with one assist against UC San Diego on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 1.1 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.6 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 six points, four rebounds and a career-high four assists against UC San Diego on Friday; had four points, three rebounds and three assists against Grand Canyon on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Has started seven times in the Broncos’ first 11 games. Is fifth on the team in scoring, tied for second in assists and second 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 four points, two rebounds and one assist against Grand Canyon on Saturday; had three points, one rebound and two assists against UC San Diego on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Sixth on the team in scoring and third in steals.

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 against UC San Diego on Friday; had four points, two rebounds and one steal against Grand Canyon on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 3.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 6 at UC San Diego (1-9-04), 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 eight points and two rebounds against Grand Canyon on Saturday; had seven points and a season-high eight rebounds against UC San Diego on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 7.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Is fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 12 vs. UC Davis (1-3-04); Rebounds – 8 at UC San Diego (1-9-04); 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 eight rebounds against UC San Diego on Friday; had 14 points and three rebounds against Grand Canyon on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 18.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding and steals. Has scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 17 games dating back to last season.

Season Highs: Points – 26 at Hope International (11-22-03); Rebounds – 8 at UC San Diego (1-9-04); 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 a team-high 15 points, five rebounds and one assist against Grand Canyon on Saturday; had nine points and seven rebounds against UC San Diego on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring and shares the team lead in rebounding. Is tied for second on the team in assists.

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: Tied a career high with seven points and six rebounds against Grand Canyon on Saturday; had six points and two rebounds against UC San Diego on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 3.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. Has made 18 of 25 field-goal attempts.

Season Highs: Points – 7 at Grand Canyon (1-10-04), vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Assists – 1 at Grand Canyon (1-10-04), vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03).

Career Highs: Points – 7 at Grand Canyon (1-10-04), vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Chico State (1-2-04); Assists – 1 at Grand Canyon (1-10-04), vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03).

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

Last Week: Had eight points and two rebounds against Grand Canyon on Saturday; went scoreless with one rebound against UC San Diego.

2003-04: Averaging 3.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 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 (1-13-04)

CCAA Overall

W L Pct. W L Pct.

CS San Bernardino 6 0 1.000 10 1 .909

Cal State Bakersfield 5 1 .833 9 2 .818

UC San Diego 4 2 .667 4 7 .364

San Francisco State 4 2 .667 6 4 .600

Cal Poly Pomona 3 3 .500 7 4 .636

UC Davis 3 3 .500 6 5 .545

CS Dominguez Hills 3 3 .500 5 6 .455

Cal State L.A. 2 4 .333 5 6 .455

Chico State 2 4 .333 5 6 .455

Sonoma State 2 4 .333 3 8 .273

CS Stanislaus 1 5 .167 3 8 .273

Grand Canyon 1 5 .167 2 9 .182