CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

2004-05 CPP Record: 4-0. CCAA Record: 2-0

2004-05 National Ranking: 25

 

Broncos Set For The Classic Western Shootout: After winning its first two California Collegiate Athletic Association contests, Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team will participate in the Classic Western Shootout at Cal State Bakersfield this weekend. The Broncos will face NCAA Division II West Region foe Northwest Nazarene on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and then face No. 12 Glenville State on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Both games will be played in Cal State Bakersfield’s on-campus Icardo Center. The Broncos, who have won a record 18 CCAA titles, opened conference play with victories over Sonoma State and San Francisco State last weekend. Cal Poly Pomona will not play another conference games until Jan. 7 when the Broncos will be at Cal State L.A. Cal Poly Pomona is coming off another outstanding season. The Broncos reached the NCAA Division II West Region championship game at Seattle Pacific and became the only Division II program to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in the past five years. Cal Poly Pomona also posted playoff wins over Chico State and Cal State Bakersfield, giving the Broncos 48 postseason wins, which is the most among all Division II programs. Cal Poly Pomona remains tied with North Dakota State for most national championships won (5). The Broncos won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. The Broncos have three starters returning, including Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona), the 2004 CCAA Player of the Year and the leading scorer in the NCAA Division II. Other starters back are Brandi Fletcher (Jr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS), a second-team All-CCAA forward in 2003, and Shanika Perkins (Jr., Oakland, Oakland HS).

 

About Last Week: The Broncos opened California Collegiate Athletic Association play with a pair of lopsided victories over Northern California foes. Cal Poly Pomona scored the first seven points and never trailed in a 104-85 win over Sonoma State on Friday in Kellogg Gym. The Broncos led by as many as 28 points and never by less than 17 points in the second half of the game. Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) led the Broncos with 30 points and four Broncos reached double figures in scoring. Lauren Stayton (Jr., Inglewood, Fresno State) and Brandi Fletcher (Jr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS) had 16 points each and Natasha Reed (Fr., San Francisco, Deer Valley HS) had 10 points. The Broncos shot 53 percent and hit eight of their 13 attempts from behind the 3-point arc. Allen hit four of six 3-point attempts, while Stayton nailed three of four tries. Shanika Perkins (Jr., Oakland, Oakland HS) hit her only 3-point attempt. The script was pretty much the same on Saturday night as the Broncos raced to a big early lead and beat San Francisco State, 93-61. The Broncos fell behind 1-0, but went on a 20-5 run over the next nine minutes to take control of the game. Cal Poly Pomona led by as many as 25 points in the first half before settling for a 41-21 halftime lead. The Broncos led by as many as 34 points in the second half and never by fewer than 18 points. Allen led the way with 31 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Stayton added 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. Fletcher had 12 points and eight rebounds.

 

Allen Named CCAA Player Of The Week: Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona), the reigning California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year, was named the Wilson CCAA Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 29 – Dec. 5. Allen led the Broncos to a pair of conference victories last week. Allen scored 30 points in a 104-85 win over Sonoma State on Friday and then added 31 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 93-61 victory over San Francisco State on Saturday. For the week, Allen averaged 30.5 points per game on 57.5 percent shooting (23-40). She also averaged 4.5 points, 4.0 steals and 2.5 assists for the week. Allen, who led the nation in scoring last season with 24.5 points per game, is averaging 29.3 points per game this season after four games. She is shooting 52.4 percent from the field (43-82) and has made a remarkable 10 of her 13 attempts from behind the 3-point arc. Allen also leads the Broncos in rebounding (5.8 per game) and assists (3.0 per game).

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona will be meeting Northwest Nazarene for the first time. The Crusaders were 15-12 overall last season and are off to a 4-2 start this year. Northwest Nazarene finished fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and are picked by the conference coaches to finish fourth this season behind Seattle Pacific, Western Washington and Central Washington. Cal Poly Pomona is 1-0 against Glenville State after beating the Lady Pioneers, 74-62, in the 2002 Elite Eight. The Broncos won that game behind 27 points and 13 rebounds from Lauri McIntosh. The Broncos trailed by one at halftime, 29-28, but outscored Glenville State, 46-33, in the second half. Cal Poly Pomona enjoyed a 52-33 rebounding edge in the victory, which sent the Broncos to their second consecutive NCAA Division II Championship Game. Glenville State is ranked 12th in the country and is 3-0 so far this season.

 

Let Us Introduce Ourselves: Cal Poly Pomona has several new players on its roster, including six freshmen. Sahfiya Brown (Fr., Fontana, Etiwanda HS), Ashley Moody (Fr., Carson, King Drew HS), Unique Anderson (Fr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS), Sasha Goldkorn (Fr., Moreno Valley, Canyon Springs HS), Porsche’ Kirksey (Fr., Gardena, Junipero Serra HS) and Natasha Reed (Fr., San Francisco, Deer Valley HS) give the Broncos one of their best and deepest freshman classes in several years. Shyrah Thomas (Sr., Inglewood, San Francisco State) joins the active roster after being a redshirt last season and Lauren Stayton (Jr., Inglewood, Fresno State) returns after one year away from competition.

 

Look Who’s Back: Leading the list of talented players returning this year for the Broncos is the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year, Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona). Allen led the NCAA Division II in scoring with a 24.5 points per game average. She was also second on the team in rebounding with 6.1 per game and second in assists with 2.9 per game. Allen also led the team in steals with 77 or 2.6 per game. Brandi Fletcher (Jr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS), who was third on the team in scoring last year with 10.2 points per game, is back and so is starting guard Shanika Perkins (Jr., Oakland, Oakland HS), who averaged 6.7 points per game. Britt Sumida (Sr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS), one of the leaders of the team, is another key returner, Alexis Wilson (Jr., Wayzata, MN, Wayzata HS) is back for her third year and Khiara Ferguson (So., Gardena, Bishop Montgomery HS) and Ge’Yanni Polk (So., San Leandro, San Lorenzo HS) return for their second seasons with the Broncos.

 

Where We Left Off: The Broncos completed another successful season in 2003-04 with a 23-7 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Division II West Region championship game. Cal Poly Pomona reached the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in the past five seasons, a total unmatched by any other Division II program. Included in that run, of course, are national championships in 2001 and 2002. Cal Poly Pomona was 17-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and finished second. The Broncos, the No. 3 seed in the West Region, won its first-round game against No. 6 Chico State, 74-70. Cal Poly Pomona got 30 points and six assists from Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) and 10 points and 17 rebounds from Keila Beachem (Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas). The Broncos then rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to beat Cal State Bakersfield, 87-84, in the second round. Beachem had a huge game with 28 points and 20 rebounds, while Allen contributed 26 points. After the Roadrunners took an 84-83 lead on a pair of free throws with five seconds left, Allen was inexplicably fouled while trying to catch an inbounds pass. She hit both free throws to give the Broncos an 85-84 lead and then, after a Cal State Bakersfield turnover, was fouled hard from behind, but picked herself up to hit two more free throws with one second left to account for the final margin. Cal Poly Pomona then fell to undefeated tourney host Seattle Pacific, 80-63, in the championship game. The Broncos shot just 33 percent. Marisa Lattin capped her Cal Poly Pomona career with a team-high 20 points, while Allen had 16.

 

The Thomas Guide: Paul Thomas is in his 11th 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 208-84 at Cal Poly Pomona and has guided the Broncos into the postseason in seven out of the past eight seasons. Cal Poly Pomona has a 14-5 record in the NCAA Division II playoffs under Thomas and has won 12 of its last 13 postseason games. The Broncos have also won five CCAA titles during the Thomas years, including three in the past five seasons.

 

How About Those Rings: You’d be hard-pressed to find a more star-studded coaching staff in the NCAA Division II. 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 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.

 

Program History: The Broncos’ two postseason wins in 2004 and the back-to-back national championships in 2001 and 2002 have just added to the program’s rich history. The Broncos have the most postseason victories (48) in NCAA Division II and are tied with North Dakota State for the most national championships (5).  The Broncos have also reached the regional championship game in four of the past five years, which is more than any other Division II team. Their 19 NCAA postseason appearances are second overall to Bentley and the .774 postseason winning percentage leads all Division II programs. 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), 36 All-American awards earned by 20 different players, 18 CCAA titles and 10 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

 

2          SAHFIYA BROWN (F, Fr., Fontana, Etiwanda HS)

Last Week: Had six points and four rebounds against Sonoma State on Friday; went scoreless with one rebound in one minute against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 7 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04). Assists – None.

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

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

Last Week: Had 30 points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals against Sonoma State on Friday; had 31 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 29.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Leads the team and CCAA in scoring. Shooting 52.4 percent and has made 10 of 13 field-goal attempts from behind the 3-point arc.

Season Highs: Points – 31 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Rebounds – 7 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04), at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 5 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: Points – 40 vs. UC Davis (1-3-04); Rebounds – 11 vs. Azusa Pacific (11-22-03); Assists – 7 at Cal State Bakersfield (1-30-04), vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-6-04).

 

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

Last Week: Had six points, two rebounds and two assists against San Francisco State on Saturday; had two points, one rebound and three assists against Sonoma State on Friday.

2004-05: Averaging 5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Is fifth on the team in scoring and third in assists.

Season Highs: Points – 8 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 2 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Assists – 5 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: Points – 11 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Rebounds – 3 vs. UC San Diego (2-21-03); Assists – 5 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

 

10        ASHLEY MOODY (G, Fr., Carson, King Drew HS)

Last Week: Had season-high seven points and three rebounds against San Francisco State on Saturday; had two points and one rebound against Sonoma State on Friday.

2004-05: Averaging 2.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 7 vs. San Francisco State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 3 vs San Francisco State (12-3-04); Assists – None.

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

 

14        NATASHA REED (F, Fr., San Francisco, Deer Valley HS)

Last Week: Had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists against Sonoma State on Friday; had six points and three rebounds against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Is fourth on the team in scoring and tied for third in rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 10 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04), at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 6 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 3 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04).

           

20        SHANIKA PERKINS (G, Jr., Oakland, Oakland HS)

Last Week: Had five points, two rebounds and two assists against Sonoma State on Friday; had one point, five rebounds and two assists against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 4.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 11 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 5 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 2 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04), vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: Points – 17 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (12-13-03); Rebounds – 10 at Cal State Dominguez Hills (2-13-04); Assists – 5 vs. Chico State (1-2-04).

 

21        SASHA GOLDKORN (G, Fr., Moreno Valley, Canyon Springs HS)

Last Week: Had one point and one rebound against San Francisco State on Saturday; DNP-CD against Sonoma State on Friday.

2004-05: Averaging 1.0 point, 1.0 rebound and 0.0 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 1 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Rebounds – 1 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Assists – None.

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

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

Last Week: Had career-high eight points and two rebounds against Sonoma State on Friday; had two points and three rebounds against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 4.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 8 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 3 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04); Assists – 1 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04).

Career Highs: Points – 8 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 5 vs. Seattle Pacific (12-20-03); Assists – 1 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), at UC San Diego (1-9-04).

 

23        SHYRAH THOMAS (F, Sr., Inglewood, San Francisco State)

Last Week: Went scoreless in three minutes against San Francisco State on Saturday; DNP-CD against Sonoma State on Friday

            2004-05: Averaging 0.0 points, 0.0 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game.

            Season Highs: Points – 0; Rebounds – 0; Assists -- 0

            Career Highs: First year with Broncos

 

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

Last Week: Had season-high 16 points, four rebounds and two assists against Sonoma State on Friday; had 12 points and a season-high eight rebounds against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 16 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 8 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Assists – 2 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04).

Career Highs: Points – 25 at Sonoma State (3-1-03); Rebounds – 10 at Chico State (2-28-04), vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-24-04), vs. UC Davis (1-3-04), at Cal State L.A. (2-7-03); Assists – 4 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-6-04).

 

32        LAUREN STAYTON (G, Jr., Inglewood, Fresno State)

Last Week: Had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists against Sonoma State on Friday; had 13 points, three rebounds and three assists against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 21 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 7 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 5 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04).

Career Highs: Points – 21 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 7 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 5 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04).

 

34        PORSCHE’ KIRKSEY (F, Fr., Gardena, Junipero Serra HS)

Last Week: Had five points and seven rebounds against Sonoma State on Friday; had three points and three rebounds against San Francisco State on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 3.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 5 vs. Sonoma State (12-4-04); Rebounds – 7 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Assists – None.

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

40        UNIQUE ANDERSON (G, Fr., Lake Elsinore, Temescal Canyon HS)

Last Week: Had three points, three rebounds and two assists against San Francisco State on Saturday; had two points and one rebound against Sonoma State on Friday.

2004-05: Averaging 3.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

Season Highs: Points – 7 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 6 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 2 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

 

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

Last Week: Had one point in seven minutes against San Francisco State on Saturday; DNP-CD against Sonoma State on Friday.

2004-05: Averaging 1.7 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 4 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04); Rebounds – 2 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04); Assists – 1 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04).

Career Highs: Points – 4 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04); Rebounds – 2 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04), at Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-24-04); Assists – 1 vs. St. Thomas (11-20-04).

 

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

Last Week: Had a career-high seven points in seven minutes against San Francisco State on Saturday; had two points and two rebounds against Sonoma State on Friday.

2004-05: Averaging 2.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.3 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 7 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Rebounds – 2 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Assists – 1 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: Points – 7 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. San Francisco State (2-20-04), at Sonoma State (1-16-04), at Western Washington (12-28-02); Assists – 3 at UC San Diego (1-9-04).