CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2003

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

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

 

Broncos Hope To Keep Winning Ways Going: After winning its first two games of the 2003-04 season, Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team will try for three in a row against Pt. Loma University Saturday night in Kellogg Gym. The 2-0 start is a welcome sight: when the Broncos failed last year in their attempt to win a third straight national championship, they stumbled out of the gate with a 1-3 start. This will be the final tuneup for the Broncos before they open CCAA play at Cal State San Bernardino on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The Broncos will then host the Coyotes in Kellogg Gym on Dec. 13. Cal Poly Pomona is tied with North Dakota State for most national championships won in Division II (5) and still holds the record for most postseason wins (46) in Division II. The Broncos have three starters returning from last year’s team, including second-team All-CCAA forward Brandi Fletcher (So., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS), four-year standout Marisa Lattin (Sr., Oceanside, El Camino HS) and second-year guard Tami Swanson-Cades (Sr., Nevada City, Sierra College). Seven players in all return from last year’s squad.

 

About Last Week: Cal Poly Pomona faced a pair of quality teams last week in Kellogg Gym and came away with two hard-fought victories. The Broncos opened their season with an 86-74 victory Friday over Abilene Christian, a team that went 16-13 last season. The Broncos trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half and were down 37-27 at halftime. Cal Poly Pomona, though, outscored Abilene Christian, 59-37, in the second half to win going away. Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) was sensational in her Cal Poly Pomona debut, pouring in 35 points. She also had 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals. She had 24 of her 35 points in the second half. Keila Beachem (Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas) had 21 points and seven rebounds. The Broncos shot 64.7 percent in the second half. Cal Poly Pomona then came back on Saturday and handed a rested Azusa Pacific team its first loss of the season, 73-66. Allen led the way again with 20 points and 11 rebounds. She was the only Bronco player to reach double figures in a game that saw 12 Cal Poly Pomona players  score. Tami Swanson-Cades (Sr., Nevada City, Sierra College) and Brandi Fletcher (So., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS) had nine points each.

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 3-0 all-time against Pt. Loma Nazarene. The two teams haven’t met since the Broncos won in 1998, 83-71. Cal Poly Pomona also won games in the 1996-97 (73-57) and 1997-98 (72-59) seasons. The Crusaders are off to a 2-2 start and are coming off a 79-69 double-overtime win over Westminster College of Utah last Saturday. The Broncos beat Westminster, 61-50, last season in Kellogg Gym.

 

Let Us Introduce Ourselves: Cal Poly Pomona has several new players on its roster, including a pair of student-athletes from Division I programs. The Broncos welcome local high-school star Candice Allen (G, Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona), who played at Ayala High School and Keila Beachem (F, Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas), who started nine games for the Jayhawks last season. Khiara Ferguson (Fr., Gardena, Bishop Montgomery HS) is a top freshman newcomer. Leanne Jenkins (G, Fr., Selma, Selma HS) is also expected to assume a significant role after missing last season with a leg injury.

 

Where We Left Off: The Broncos lost its final two road games at Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Bakersfield and finished the 2002-03 season with a 13-14 overall record. It was only the second time in the program’s history that Cal Poly Pomona had a non-winning record. The Broncos were unsuccessful in their bid for a first-ever third consecutive NCAA Division II championship. When Cal Poly Pomona won national titles in 2000-01 and 2001-02, it marked the second time in the program’s history that the Broncos had won back-to-back championships. Previously, Cal Poly Pomona had won consecutive titles in 1985 and 1986. The Broncos also saw their three-year reign atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association come to an end with a sixth-place finish. The Broncos, who have won 18 CCAA titles, had won five titles in the previous six years.

 

The Thomas Guide: Paul Thomas is in his 10th season as Cal Poly Pomona’s head coach. Thomas was named the 2001-02 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year by the WBCA and by the Division II Bulletin. He was also the WBCA District 8 Coach of the Year and the CCAA Co-Coach of the Year. He has won four conference Coach of the Year awards. Thomas has a record of 183-77 at Cal Poly Pomona and has guided the Broncos into the postseason in six out of the past seven seasons. The Broncos have also won five CCAA titles during the Thomas years, including three in the past four seasons.

 

How About Those Rings: You’d be hard-pressed to find a more star-studded coaching staff in the NCAA Division II than the one at Cal Poly Pomona. Head Coach Paul Thomas has a pair of championship rings he earned while guiding the Broncos to back-to-back national titles in 2001 and 2002. He was named the 2001-02 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association and the Division II Bulletin. Assistant coach Heather Jacobsen has a pair of national championship rings she earned while part of the coaching staff in 2001 and 2002. Jacobsen also played for the Broncos and was a three-sport standout in high school, competing in basketball, volleyball and track and field. Assistant coach Tasha Burnett has a championship ring she earned as a Bronco player in 2001. She tied an NCAA record by hitting all 11 of her field-goal attempts in a national quarterfinal victory over Pace University. She made the All-Elite Eight Tournament team. And the newest assistant coach, Lauri McIntosh, has a pair of championship rings she won while playing for the Broncos. McIntosh finished her career after the 2002 title run and is completing her degree at Cal Poly Pomona. She was the NCAA Division II Player of the Year in 2002 and finished her career as the No. 2 scorer in Cal Poly Pomona history with 2,176 points.

 

Program History: The Broncos’ back-to-back national championships in 2001 and 2002 have just added to the program’s rich women’s basketball history. The Broncos have the most postseason victories (46) in NCAA Division II and are tied with North Dakota State for the most national championships (5).  Their 18 NCAA postseason appearances are second overall to Bentley and the .780 postseason winning percentage is second to North Dakota State’s .804. Cal Poly Pomona has also reached the national title game eight times, has five national Player of the Year winners (Jackie White, 1983; Vickie Mitchell, 1986; Debra Larsen, 1987; Cathy Gooden, 1989 and Lauri McIntosh, 2002; five Most Outstanding Players in the NCAA Tournament (Jackie White, 1982; Vickie Mitchell, 1985; Debra Larsen, 1986; Aprile Powell, 2001; Lauri McIntosh, 2002), 30 All-American awards earned by 19 different players, 18 CCAA titles and 9 CCAA Player of the Year awards. Counting the five SCCA titles the Broncos won before joining the CCAA, Cal Poly Pomona has captured 23 conference titles.

 

PLAYER NOTES

 

4          CANDICE ALLEN (G, Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona)

Last Week: Had 35 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals against Abilene Christian on Friday; had 20 points, 11 rebounds and one steal against Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists and is second in steals.

Season Highs: Points – 35 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Rebounds – 11 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 5 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

5          BRITT SUMIDA (G, Jr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS)

Last Week: Had four points, one rebound and one assist against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; went scoreless with one rebound and one assist against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.0 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist per game. Hit go-ahead 3-pointer in second half in win over Azusa Pacific.

Season Highs: Points – 4 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 1 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03), Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Assists – 1 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03), vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03).

Career Highs: Points – 4 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 3 vs. UC San Diego (2-21-03), Assists – 3 vs. UC San Diego (2-21-03), at UC San Diego (1-18-03).

 

 

14        LEANNE JENKINS (G, Fr., Selma, Selma HS)

Last Week: Had six points, two rebounds and one assist against Abilene Christian on Friday; had five points and one assist before injuring her knee against Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist per game. Is tied for fourth in scoring on the team. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut on Friday.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Rebounds – 2 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Assists – 1 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03), vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

21        JAIDA WILLIAMS (F, Sr. Opalocka, Fla., Barry University)

Last Week: Had six points, three rebounds and three assists against Abilene Christian on Friday; had four points and four rebounds against Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Rebounds – 4 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 3 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03).

Career Highs: Points – 10 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-7-02); Rebounds – 9 at Azusa Pacific (11-23-02); Assists – 3 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03).

 

22        KHIARA FERGUSON (C, Fr., Gardena, Bishop Montgomery HS)

Last Week: Had two points and two rebounds against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; went scoreless in one minute against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 1.0 point, 1.0 rebound and 0.0 assists per game. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut on Friday against Abilene Christian.

Season Highs: Points – 2 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 2 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 0.

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

23        KEILA BEACHEM (F, Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas)

Last Week: Had 21 points, seven rebounds and two assists against Abilene Christian on Friday; had eight points and 11 rebounds against Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Is second on the team in scoring and second in rebounding. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut on Friday against Abilene Christian.

Season Highs: Points – 21 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Rebounds – 11 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 2 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03)

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

           

 

24        BRANDI FLETCHER (F, So., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS)

Last Week: Had nine points and three rebounds against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; had two points and three rebounds against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game. Is tied for fourth on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 9 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 3 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03), vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Assists – 3 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03).

Career Highs: Points – 25 at Sonoma State (3-1-03); Rebounds – 10 at Cal State L.A. (2-7-03); Assists – 3 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03), Cal State San Bernardino (12-7-02).

 

25        RACHEL GATDULA (G, Fr., Covina, St. Lucy’s Priory HS)

Last Week: Had one point in two minutes against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; DNP-CD against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 0.5 points per game. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut on Saturday.

Season Highs: Points – 1 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03)

Career Highs: First year with Broncos

 

32        TAMI SWANSON-CADES (G, Sr., Nevada City, Sierra College)

Last Week: Had nine points, three rebounds and two assists against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; had six points and one assist against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Third on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 9 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 3 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 2 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03).

Career Highs: Points – 18 vs. Westminster College (12-21-02); Rebounds – 10 vs. Cal State Bakersfield (1-31-03); Assists – 8 vs. Chico State (2-15-03).

 

34        MARISA LATTIN (F, Sr., Oceanside, El Camino HS)

Last Week: Had six points and eight rebounds against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; had four points, six rebounds and two assists against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Third on the team in rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 8 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 2 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03) .

Career Highs: Points – 38 vs. UC Davis (2-14-03);  Rebounds – 13 vs. UC Davis (2-14-03); Assists – 3 vs. UC San Diego (2-21-03), at Cal State San Bernardino (2-14-02), at San Francisco State (3-02-02) vs. Cal State L.A. (1-28-00).

 

40        SHANIKA PERKINS (G, So., Oakland, Oakland HS)

Last Week: Had five points and one steal against Abilene Christian on Friday; had three points, six rebounds, two assists and five steals against Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

2003-04: Averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Leads the team in steals (3.0 per game).

Season Highs: Points – 5 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Rebounds – 6 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 2 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03).

Career Highs: Points – 10 at Cal State Stanislaus (3-7-03); Rebounds – 7 vs. Westminster College (12-21-02); Assists – 3 at Cal State Bakersfield (3-8-03), at San Francisco State (2-28-03), vs. Western Washington (12-28-03).

 

42        GE’YANNI POLK (G, Fr., San Leandro, San Lorenzo HS)

Last Week: Went scoreless in two minutes against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; DNP-CD against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 0.0 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists per game. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut on Saturday against Azusa Pacific.

Season Highs: None.

Career Highs: First year with Bronco.

 

54        ALEXIS WILSON (F, So., Wayzata, MN, Wayzata HS)

Last Week: Had two points and one rebound against Azusa Pacific on Saturday; had one point and three rebounds against Abilene Christian on Friday.

2003-04: Averaging 1.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 2 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 3 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Assists -- 0.

Career Highs: Points – 5 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-7-02); Rebounds – 4 at Western Washington (12-28-02); Assists – 1 vs. Cal State L.A. (2-7-03).