CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Monday, Jan. 31, 2005

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

Schedule of upcoming events:

MEN’S BASKETBALL:

at San Francisco State on Friday, Feb. 4 at 8:00 p.m.

at Sonoma State on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL:

at San Francisco State on Friday, Feb. 4 at 6:00 p.m.

at Sonoma State on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

BASEBALL:

vs. Biola University on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 2:00 p.m.

at Azusa Pacific on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m.

vs. Chico State (DH) on Friday, Feb. 5 at 11:00 a.m.

vs. Chico State on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m.

M/W TENNIS:

W/Ten at UC Riverside on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 2:00 p.m.

W/Ten at Cal State L.A. Tournament on Fri-Sun, Feb. 4-6, TBA

M/Ten at Cal State L.A. Tournament on Fri-Sun, Feb. 4-6, TBA

TRACK & FIELD:

at Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers Meet on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 9:00 a.m.

FOLLOW THE BRONCOS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

http://www.csupomona.edu/~athletic

MEN’S BASKETBALL: BRONCOS SETTLE FOR CONFERENCE SPLIT

2004-05 Record: 12-5. 2004-05 CCAA Record: 7-3

2004-05 Regional Ranking: 6

BRONCOS BEAT TOROS, THEN STUMBLE TO OTTERS: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team picked up an important California Collegiate Athletic Association victory last Wednesday at Cal State Dominguez Hills, but the Broncos couldn’t duplicate that success against conference newcomer Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday. The Broncos remain one game out of first place in the conference with 10 games remaining. The Broncos opened the week with a 75-65 win at Cal State Dominguez Hills. David Sybesma (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 19 points, five rebounds and four assists to lead the Broncos, while Jonathan Boyd (Jr., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) had 14 points and knocked down four 3-pointers. Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) recorded a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 10 assists, while Dion Cook (So., Canoga Park, Chaminade HS) had 12 points and a career-high seven rebounds. The Broncos shot 50 percent and made 16 of 17 free throws. It was a topsy-turvy first half. The Broncos scored the first five points of the game before Cal State Dominguez Hills went on a 21-5 run and opened up a 21-10 advantage. The Toros led 23-12 before the Broncos settled down and went on a 22-4 spurt to grab a 34-27 lead. The Broncos held a 36-32 advantage at halftime. The Broncos opened the second half with a 16-5 run to take a 52-37 lead and then opened up their biggest lead, 62-44, with 11:32 to go. The Toros made a strong rally and cut the deficit to six points, 66-60, but Hervey Malone II (Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:47 left to put the game out of reach. Malone finished with nine points, while Kaelen Daniels (Fr., Compton, Mayfair HS) and Kevin Neveu (Fr., San Leandro, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS) had four points each. The Broncos then had a five-game winning streak snapped in Seaside as Cal State Monterey Bay held on for a 54-53 win. Sybesma had 16 points, six rebounds and two assists for the Broncos, while Bonds had 10 points and four rebounds. Malone had nine points and two assists. The Broncos shot just 33 percent in the first half and fell behind, 31-23 at halftime. The Otters scored the opening basket of the second half to open a 33-23 advantage, only to see the Broncos score the next 14 points to take a 37-33 lead. A 3-pointer by Sybesma tied the game and a three-point play by Cook and a free throw by Bonds gave the Broncos the edge. Cal State Monterey Bay, though, roared back and led by five points on three occasions, the final time at 54-49 with 2:12 to go. A jumper by Sybesma and a layup by Sybesma made it 54-53 in the final minute, but the Broncos were unable to pull out the win. The Broncos were pounded on the boards, 40-24, and were only nine of 15 from the free-throw line.

SYBESMA EARNS CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: David Sybesma (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) was named the Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 17-23. Sybesma led the Broncos to victories over Cal State San Bernardino and UC San Diego. Sybesma scored a game-high 20 points against Cal State San Bernardino, including a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left that broke a 54-54 tie and gave the Broncos the lead for good in a 60-57 win. Sybesma then added a game-high 18 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals to lead the Broncos past UC San Diego, 71-55. For the week, Sybesma averaged 19.0 points per game on 56.5 percent shooting. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

BRONCOS WANT TO “BRING BACK THE PACK!”: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s basketball programs are hoping to “Bring Back The Pack” for a key California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader against Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, Feb. 11. The response was so great from Bronco fans for Pack the Gym Night against Cal State San Bernardino on Jan. 21 that everyone is invited back for more exciting basketball action as the Broncos battle for first place in both the men’s and women’s division. A free tailgate party will once again be held for all Cal Poly Pomona students, staff and faculty beginning at 4:30 p.m. There will be free pizza, a live disc jockey and drinks. There will also be free giveaways during the games and live performances by the Cal Poly Pomona cheer squad and the Bronco Pep Band and also special dance performances during the halftimes. There will also be free face-painting by Cal Poly Pomona student-athletes and the games will be aired on Adelphia cable channel 10 as well as campus channel 33. It’s also Greek Night, so wear your letters!

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: BRONCOS GET BIG CONFERENCE SWEEP

2004-05 Record: 13-4. 2004-05 CCAA Record: 8-2

2004-05 National Ranking: 18

2004-05 Regional Ranking: 7

BRONCOS MOVE INTO A TIE FOR FIRST WITH TWO ROAD WINS: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team moved into a three-way tie for first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with a pair of road wins last week. The Broncos knocked Cal State Dominguez Hills out of sole possession of the conference lead with a thrilling 85-78 double-overtime win Wednesday in Carson. The Broncos watched a 15-point second-half lead slip away, but finally got the important victory after two overtime periods. Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) led the way with 38 points and 12 rebounds while playing 49 of a possible 50 minutes. Shyrah Thomas (Sr., Inglewood, San Francisco State) had 10 points, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer that put the Broncos ahead for good in the second overtime period. The Toros trailed by one point, 78-77, with 2:42 to go, but baskets by Brandi Fletcher (Jr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS) and Allen and a pair of free throws by Allen put the game out of reach. Fletcher finished with nine points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Cal Poly Pomona held a 30-21 halftime lead and extended its advantage to 15 points, 38-23, with 16:48 to go after a jumper by Shanika Perkins (Jr., Oakland, Oakland HS). Cal State Dominguez Hills responded with a 16-0 run over a 4:30 span to take a 39-38 lead. The Toros led by as many as four points, 63-59, with 2:59 left in regulation, but a layup by Fletcher, a 3-pointer by Allen and a layup by Allen gave the Broncos a 66-63 edge. The Toros sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer in the final minute. A layup by Allen with 23 seconds remaining in the first overtime sent the game into a second extra period and Thomas’ 3-pointer from the top of the arc put the Broncos ahead for good. The Broncos then posted their fifth win in a row with an 85-72 decision over Cal State Monterey Bay. Allen had another big game, recording 32 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five steals in 33 minutes. Natasha Reed (Fr., San Francisco, Deer Valley HS) had a career-high 16 points to go along with nine rebounds, while Fletcher contributed 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals. The Broncos owned a 49-39 rebounding edge. The Broncos led nearly the entire way. Cal Poly Pomona had a 42-33 lead at halftime and held leads as large as 25 points in the second half. Unique Anderson (Fr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS) made her first career start for the Broncos and had six points, two rebounds and two steals.

BRONCOS WILL FACE YET ANOTHER ROAD TRIP BEFORE NEXT HOME GAME: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team, ranked 19^th in the NCAA Division II, will play two more California Collegiate Athletic Association games on the road this week. The Broncos will be at San Francisco State on Friday and at Sonoma State on Saturday before returning home for a showdown with Cal State Bakersfield on “Bring Back The Pack!” night on Friday, Feb. 11. The Broncos are in a three-way tie for the conference lead with Cal State Dominguez Hills and Chico State.

BASEBALL: BRONCOS SET FOR 2005 SEASON OPENER

2004 Record: 26-25-2. 2004 CCAA Record: 19-20-1

BRONCOS HAVE A BUSY FIRST WEEK SCHEDULED: Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team gets its 2005 season underway this week and the Broncos will be busy. The Broncos will play five games this week, four of which will be at Scolinos Field. Cal Poly Pomona’s season opener will be on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. at Scolinos Field. The Broncos will be at Azusa Pacific on Wednesday and then will host conference rival Chico State in non-conference games this weekend. The teams will meet in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. and in a single game on Sunday at 11 a.m. Cal Poly Pomona returns 10 starters – six position players and four pitchers – from its 2004 squad that improved by 11 wins from 2003. Matt Stevens (Sr., Riverside, Rubidoux HS) and Matt Lopez (Sr., Lancaster, Quartz Hills HS) return for their fourth seasons with the Broncos, while veterans Taylor Wilding (Jr., Alta Loma, Etiwanda HS) and Luis Carreras (Jr., San Dimas, Walnut HS) will be back in the Bronco starting rotation. Top newcomers include Jake Mendrin (Jr., La Habra Heights, Cal State Fullerton), Chris Janowicz (Jr., Arroyo Grande, Oregon State), John Cross (Jr., La Palma, Long Beach CC), Matt Lusk (Jr., Bakersfield, Bakersfield JC), Bryan Jackson (Jr., Placentia, Orange Coast College) and Mike Quintal (Jr., Santa Clara, San Jose CC).

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: BRONCOS SET FOR SEASON OPENERS

Men’s Overall 2004 Record: 8-12.

Women’s Overall 2004 Record: 8-12

WOMEN’S TENNIS TO START SEASON IN RIVERSIDE: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s tennis team, which has made the NCAA Division II playoffs three seasons in a row, will open the 2005 season on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at UC Riverside. The Broncos will then compete in the Cal State L.A. Tournament beginning on Friday. Dehlia Feliz (Sr., San Gabriel, San Gabriel HS) is ranked 19^th in the nation in women’s singles, while Feliz and Katrina Holmberg (Jr., Pukalani, Maui, HI, King Kekaulike HS) are ranked eighth in the nation in women’s doubles. Feliz and Holmberg, the 2003 ITA Fall West Region doubles champions, reached the regional championship match for a second straight year in 2004, but lost to a team from BYU-Hawaii that is ranked first in the nation. Renee Paquillo (So., Fullerton, Rosary HS) and Erica Lin (So., Arcadia, Arcadia HS) also return for the Broncos, while Sara Jex (Sr., Los Olivos, Saddleback JC) is back after one year away from the program.

MEN’S TENNIS TO PLAY IN CAL STATE L.A. TOURNAMENT: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s tennis team, which has recorded 11 winning seasons in the past 12 years, will open its 2005 season in the Cal State L.A. Tournament beginning on Friday. Andy Chang (Sr., Torrance, Cal State L.A.) and Alan Chang (Sr., Torrance, Cal State L.A.) are the top returning players for the Broncos.

MORE NEWS

FORMER TENNIS ALL-AMERICAN TO HEADLINE “HER STORY” LUNCHEON: Tracy (Wills) Worley-Hagen, a two-time women’s tennis All-American, will be the featured speaker at Cal Poly Pomona’s Her Story luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 10 at the Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cal Poly Pomona President Dr. J. Michael Ortiz and his wife, Betty, will also be speaking at the salute to women in sports. The Broncos, of course, have a rich tradition in women’s athletics, including five national championships by the women’s basketball program and four national crowns by the women’s tennis program. Kristin Farmer, who competed for Cal Poly Pomona’s track and field, soccer and cross country teams, will be featured as well as Britt Sumida (Sr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS), who is in the midst of her fourth season with the women’s basketball team. For more information about the luncheon, contact Julie Hall at (909) 869-2825.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALUMNI NIGHT IS SET: All former Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball players are invited to participate in an evening honoring the student-athletes that have made the program the most successful in the NCAA Division II. All alumni are encouraged to join the team for the regular-season finale against Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday, March 4, for a special halftime reception in their honor. The former student-athletes are also invited to join the team for the Senior Night festivities immediately following the game. “We believe the strength of the program today and in the future has a direct correlation to the past. Each person who has worn a Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball jersey should be proud of their contribution to the program,” Cal Poly Pomona Head Coach Paul Thomas said.