CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

2003-04 CPP Record: 4-0. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 1-0

 

Broncos Try To Continue Their Perfect Start: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball program, which has won two NCAA Division II championships in the past three years, will shoot for its fifth straight victory this week when the Broncos host rival Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 5:30 p.m. in Kellogg Gym. Cal Poly Pomona is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since the 1998-99 season after the Broncos upended the Coyotes, 79-64, last Tuesday in San Bernardino, in the California Collegiate Athletic Association opener for both schools. The Broncos opened the 2002-03 season with a 1-3 record and lost to the Coyotes twice. Cal Poly Pomona is tied with North Dakota State for most national championships won in Division II (5) and 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 rolled to its fourth straight victory, handling Cal State San Bernardino, 79-64, on Dec. 2 in San Bernardino. Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) led the Broncos for a fourth straight game, pouring in a game-high 27 points. Allen had 18 of her 27 points in the second half, as well as five of her game-high six steals. Cal Poly Pomona forced 26 Cal State San Bernardino turnovers and committed only 12. The Coyotes enjoyed a narrow 39-35 edge on the boards. The Broncos shot 40 percent from the floor, while the Coyotes made 42 percent. Allen led four Broncos in double figures. Keila Beachem (Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas) had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Shanika Perkins (So., Oakland, Oakland HS) had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. Tami Swanson-Cades (Sr., Nevada City, Sierra College) had 10 points and six rebounds. Cal Poly Pomona’s bench enjoyed a significant 26-10 advantage over its Coyote counterpart.

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 19-7 all-time against Cal State San Bernardino after last Tuesday’s 79-64 victory in San Bernardino. The Coyotes, though, won both early-season contests last year. The Coyotes prevailed, 72-68, on Dec. 7 in Kellogg Gym and won, 71-67, in San Bernardino on Dec. 14. Prior to last season, the Broncos had won nine straight games against Cal State San Bernardino. The Coyotes finished fifth in the CCAA last year with a 12-10 record and were 16-11 overall. So far this season, Cal State San Bernardino is 1-3.

 

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.

 

Broncos Picked To Finish Second In CCAA: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball program, which has won a record 18 California Collegiate Athletic Association championships, has been picked to finish second in the conference this season in voting by the conference coaches. Chico State, which finished second last season and has three starters returning, has been tabbed as the conference favorite. Defending conference champion Cal State Bakersfield was picked third and Cal State Stanislaus is fourth.

 

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 185-77 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 are tied with North Dakota State for the most postseason victories (46) in NCAA Division II and 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-America 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 27 points, five rebounds, two assists and six steals at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and 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 three points, one assist and one steal at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 4.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.3 assists per game. Hit go-ahead 3-pointer in second half in win over Azusa Pacific and hit a career-high three 3-pointers in win over Pt. Loma Nazarene.

Season Highs: Points – 11 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Rebounds – 2 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Assists – 2 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03).

Career Highs: Points – 11 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); 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: DNP-CD. Is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

2003-04: Averaging 5.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist per game. Is fifth on the team in scoring.

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 five points, two rebounds and one blocked shot at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 4.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Rebounds – 6 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); 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 one rebound at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut against Abilene Christian on Nov. 22.

Season Highs: Points – 5 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Rebounds – 4 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Assists – 0.

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

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

Last Week: Had 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists in just 19 minutes at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 21 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Rebounds – 11 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 2 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03), vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03), vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03)

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

           

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

Last Week: Had four points and one rebound at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 5.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists per game. Is sixth on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 9 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Rebounds – 7 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); 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 two points and one rebound at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.7 points and 1.0 rebound per game. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut against Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03).

Season Highs: Points – 5 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Rebounds – 2 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos

 

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

Last Week: Had season-high 10 points and six rebounds at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Is third on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 10 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); Rebounds – 6 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); 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: Went scoreless with two rebounds at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Is 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 career-high 12 points, four rebounds and four assists at Cal State San Bernardino on Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Is fourth on the team in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 12 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); Rebounds – 6 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 4 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03).

Career Highs: Points – 12 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03); Rebounds – 7 vs. Westminster College (12-21-02); Assists – 4 at Cal State San Bernardino (12-2-03).

 

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

Last Week: DNP-CD.

2003-04: Averaging 1.0 point, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists per game. Made her Cal Poly Pomona debut against Azusa Pacific on Nov. 22.

Season Highs: None.

Career Highs: First year with Bronco.

 

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

Last Week: Went scoreless with two rebounds at Cal State San Bernardino last Tuesday.

2003-04: Averaging 2.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 6 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Rebounds – 3 vs. Abilene Christian (11-21-03); Assists – 1 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03).

Career Highs: Points – 6 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Rebounds – 4 at Western Washington (12-28-02); Assists – 1 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03), vs. Cal State L.A. (2-7-03).