CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

2004-05 CPP Record: 7-2. CCAA Record: 2-0

2004-05 National Ranking: 18

Broncos Look To Get Back On Track After Rough Trip: After dropping its first two games of the season, Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team will try to get back on track when California Collegiate Athletic Association play resumes in earnest this week. The Broncos, who are off to a 2-0 start in conference, will play their next four games on the road, beginning with a Friday contest at Cal State L.A. The Broncos will then face Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday night. Cal Poly Pomona will be at Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus the following week before returning home for Pack The Gym Night against Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, Jan. 21. 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 endured a miserable week away from home, both on and off the court. Cal Poly Pomona lost both games in the CCAA/GNAC Classic and had lengthy travel delays going to and leaving from Seattle. The Broncos had their original flight from Ontario to Seattle cancelled and had to fly from Orange County to Portland instead late Tuesday night. After landing in Portland, the Broncos had to take a two-hour bus ride to Seattle, arriving after 1 a.m. The Broncos had a 1 p.m. tip-off against Western Washington on Wednesday and were beaten, 78-64. Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) had 23 points and six steals, but was hampered by foul trouble throughout the game and played only 28 minutes before fouling out. Brandi Fletcher (Jr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS) had 10 points and four rebounds, while Shanika Perkins (Jr., Oakland, Oakland HS) had nine points and five steals. Cal Poly Pomona shot just 22 percent in the opening half and trailed at halftime, 36-28. Things got a little better in the second half and the Broncos rallied to take a 57-56 lead after a four-point play by Allen with 8:36 to go. Cal Poly Pomona led one more time, 59-58, after a put-back by Porsche’ Kirksey (Fr., Gardena, Junipero Serra HS) with 8:05 remaining, but Western Washington went on a 12-3 run over the next four minutes to take control of the game. The Vikings owned a hefty 59-35 edge in rebounds. Cal Poly Pomona then lost to tournament host No. 4 Seattle Pacific on Thursday, 90-65, in a battle of national powers. The Broncos trailed by just seven points at halftime, 44-37, but were outscored, 46-28, in the second half. Allen had 30 points and six rebounds to lead the Broncos, while Lauren Stayton (Jr., Inglewood, Fresno State) had 12 points and eight rebounds. Fletcher had eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Cal Poly Pomona shot just 32 percent for the game and was on the short end of a 46-41 rebounding count.

Allen Leading CCAA In Scoring Once Again: Kodak All-American Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona), the reigning California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year, is off to a sensational start in the 2004-05 season. After leading the nation in scoring last season by averaging 24.5 points per game, Allen is leading the CCAA in scoring this year at 30.3 points per game. National statistics have not been posted yet. Allen is shooting 50 percent from the field (98-192) and has knocked down 55 percent of her 3-point attempts (16-29). She has also made 65 of 78 free-throw tries. Allen has already been named the Wilson CCAA Women’s Basketball Player of the Week twice this season. She was the Co-Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 6-12. Allen set a new Cal Poly Pomona and California Collegiate Athletic Association record by scoring 50 points to lead the Broncos past No. 9 Glenville State and also had 32 points to lead the Broncos past Northwest Nazarene. For the week, Allen averaged 41.0 points per game on 54.7 percent shooting. She also averaged 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 steals. She shared the honor with Chico State guard Kim Abts, who tied a conference record with 16 assists. Allen was also honored for the week of Nov. 29 – Dec. 5. Allen scored 30 points in a 104-85 win over Sonoma State and then added 31 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 93-61 victory over San Francisco State. 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.

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona is 59-4 all-time against Cal State L.A and won both games against the Golden Eagles last season. The Broncos rallied for a tense 75-73 victory in Kellogg Gym on Jan. 23 behind 22 points and nine rebounds from Brandi Fletcher (Jr., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS). The Broncos also won the second meeting in Los Angeles, 81-69, behind 27 points and eight rebounds from Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona). Cal Poly Pomona is 6-4 all-time against Cal State Bakersfield and won two of three meetings last year. The Broncos won in Bakersfield, 71-64, on Jan. 30 behind 28 points from Allen and 15 rebounds from Keila Beachem. Cal State Bakersfield then beat the Broncos in Kellogg Gym, 87-80, on Feb. 7, which was the Broncos’ last regular-season defeat until the loss to Western Washington last Wednesday. Cal Poly Pomona won the third meeting last year between the two programs, 87-84, in the NCAA Division II West Region playoffs behind 28 points and 20 rebounds from Beachem.

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 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 211-86 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: DNP-CD. Is sidelined for the year with a knee injury.

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 and six rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Thursday; had 23 points and six steals against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2004-05: Averaging 30.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Leads the team and CCAA in scoring. Shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. Set new Cal Poly Pomona and CCAA single-game record with 50 points against Glenville State on Dec. 11. Also leads the team in assists and steals.

Season Highs: Points – 50 vs. Glenville State (12-11-04); Rebounds – 9 vs. Glenville State (12-11-04); Assists – 5 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: Points – 50 vs. Glenville State (12-11-04); 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 three points, two rebounds and two assists against Western Washington on Wednesday; went scoreless with one assist against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 2.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Is second on the team in assists.

Season Highs: Points – 8 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 3 vs. Glenville State (12-11-04); Assists – 5 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: Points – 11 vs. Pt. Loma Nazarene (11-29-03); Rebounds – 3 vs. Glenville State (12-11-04), 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 two points and one steal against Western Washington on Wednesday; went scoreless with one assist and one rebound against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 3.0 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 7 vs. San Francisco State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 3 vs. San Francisco State (12-3-04); Assists – 1 at Seattle Pacific (12-30-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.

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

Last Week: Had four points and six rebounds against Western Washington on Wednesday; had four points and two rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 6.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Leads the team in rebounding and is fourth in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 10 vs. Northwest Nazarene (12-10-04), vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04), at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 9 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04); Assists – 3 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04).

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

Last Week: Had nine points and two rebounds against Western Washington on Wednesday; went scoreless with four rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 5.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Is tied for third on the team in assists and is fifth in scoring.

Season Highs: Points – 12 vs. Northwest Nazarene (12-10-04); Rebounds – 5 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 5 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04).

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. Grand Canyon (12-14-04), vs. Chico State (1-2-04).

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

Last Week: Went scoreless in three minutes against Western Washington on Wednesday; DNP-CD against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 1.3 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 3 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04); Rebounds – 1 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04), 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: Went scoreless with one rebound against Western Washington on Wednesday; went scoreless against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 2.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 8 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 7 vs. Glenville State (12-11-04); Assists – 1 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04).

Career Highs: Points – 8 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 7 vs. Glenville State (12-11-04); 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: Had two points and two rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Thursday; went scoreless with one rebound against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2004-05: Averaging 1.0 point, 1.0 rebound and 0.4 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 3 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04); Rebounds – 2 vs. Seattle Pacific (12-30-04); Assists – 1 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos

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

Last Week: Had 10 points and four rebounds against Western Washington on Wednesday; had eight points and nine rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 8.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring and fourth in rebounding.

Season Highs: Points – 16 vs. Sonoma State (12-3-04); Rebounds – 9 at Seattle Pacific (12-30-04); Assists – 2 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04), Northwest Nazarene (12-10-04), 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 12 points, eight rebounds and one assist against Seattle Pacific on Thursday; had seven points, four rebounds and one assist against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2004-05: Averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Is second on the team in scoring, third in rebounding and tied for third in assists.

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 two rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Thursday; had two points and five rebounds against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2004-05: Averaging 2.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.0 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 5 vs. Western Washington (12-29-04), 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 four points, three rebounds and two assists against Western Washington on Wednesday; had two points and two rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

2004-05: Averaging 2.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 7 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Rebounds – 6 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04); Assists – 2 vs. Western Washington (12-29-04), 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: Went scoreless with one rebound against Seattle Pacific on Thursday; went scoreless with one rebound against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2004-05: Averaging 1.2 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.2 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 two points and one rebound against Seattle Pacific on Thursday; went scoreless with one rebound against Western Washington on Wednesday.

2004-05: Averaging 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 7 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04); Assists – 1 at Azusa Pacific (11-19-04).

Career Highs: Points – 7 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04); Rebounds – 4 vs. Grand Canyon (12-14-04), 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).