December 2007 Archives
Cal Poly Pomona forward Larry Gordon has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 24-30.
Gordon, a 6-foot-5 junior from Pomona, Calif., recorded his fifth consecutive double-double of the season on Sunday after scoring 21 points and totaling 10 rebounds in a 68-64 victory over Le Moyne College.
Gordon currently ranks third in the CCAA in scoring with 17.9 points a contest and second in rebounding with 8.9 boards a game.
Cal Poly Pomona resumes CCAA play on Friday when it hosts Cal State Dominguez Hills beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The weekly honor on the women's side went to Sonoma State's Danae Wellender.
When you’re struggling, nothing is easy. So the Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team was happy with a win no matter what it looked like.
Larry Gordon and Angelo Tsagarakis combined for 41 points to lead the Broncos to a 68-64 nonconference win over LeMoyne (NY) on Sunday at Kellogg Gymnasium. The victory helped erase the memory of a poor performance in Las Vegas two weeks ago that resulted in two losses by a combined 27 points.
It also proved something to build on as the Broncos (2-5, 1-1) get back to conference play next weekend.
“We had a better fighting spirit tonight,” said Broncos coach Greg Kamansky, who has been critical of his team’s lack of heart this season. “We made some free throws down the stretch when it was close and we could have folded the tents. So that was encouraging. We just need to be more consistent.”
Gordon, a Montclair High School product, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth consecutive double-double. Tsagarakis had 20 points, six assists and four steals.
Kevin Neveau and Kyle Krause shared playing time in place of Kaelen Daniels, who was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected from the Broncos’ second game in Las Vegas. Krause scored 10 points and Neveau had six, although both fouled out.
Players said they were only concerned with what they could contol - their own effort level.
“We haven’t been doing what we needed to do,” Gordon said. “It wasn’t about what the other team was doing. It was about us playing harder and being more aggressive. You may not always be playing your best but if you play hard, things still might go your way.”
LeMoyne (6-6), a Division II school out of Syracuse, N.Y., led only once at 2-0.
The Broncos were ahead by 14 points after an 11-0 run made it 30-16 with 2:31 left in the first half. The Dolphins answered that with a 7-0 run and trailed at the half, 30-23.
Cal Poly’s biggest lead in the second half was 10 at 41-31 but the Broncos couldn’t put the game away.
Gordon scored on a putback with 4:47 left that gave the host team a 49-43 lead. The Broncos then tallied 17 of their last 19 points from the free-throw line, missing just four tries in that stretch with Tsagarakis going 6-for-6. It was a significant accomplishment since the Broncos entered the game hitting just 58 percent from the line.
The Broncos were up 64-60 when LeMoyne’s Laurence Ekperigin, who led the Dolphins witrh 23 points, hit two free throws to close the gap to two with 22 seconds left. But Pomona’s Rich Collins hit two at the other end to put the game away.
“I wasn’t surprised it was a close game because I know where we are right now,” Kamansky said. “Hopefully we can get something positive out of this and go from here.”
The Broncos shot 51.3 percent (20-for-39) while the Dolphins hit just 47.1 (24-for-51) including a woeful 39.1 (9-for-23) in the first half. The Broncos finished with a 30-25 edge in rebounds despite Daniels’ absence. Each team had 16 turnovers.
The Broncos play host to Dominguez Hills on Friday and Cal State Los Angeles on Saturday. The Dolphins played Cal State L.A. last Friday and were beaten by the Eagles by 20.
“We know that anything can happen once conference play starts again,” Gordon said. “We’re looking at it as a chance to start over because we’re still only 1-1 in conference.”
SAN BERNARDINO — Senior center Vanessa Wilt was the logical choice for the last shot, but she wasn’t open. Junior forward Jaclyn Rainville was and Ashlee Ford spotted her just in time.
Rainville got a pass from the sophomore point guard, then hit a jumper right in front of the basket as time expired, boosting Cal State San Bernardino to a 75-74 non-conference win over Ferris State (Mich.) on Saturday at Coussoulis Arena.
It was perhaps the biggest win of the season thus far for the Coyotes (8-1). And it came over a foe that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
“This will be a big confidence builder for us,” Wilt said. “It lets us know we can play with anyone, even teams that made the NCAA Tournament. We can make the tournament too.”
Wilt scored 32 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and and blocked three shots to give her a double-double for the ninth consecutive game, but it was Rainville delivering at the last second.
The Bulldogs (7-4) had taken a 74-73 lead on a 3-point play by Teghan Thelen with 26 seconds left.
The Coyotes’ Shanae Blake missed a 3-pointer on the other end and a scramble for a loose ball ensued.
The alternate possession arrow pointed to Cal State San Bernardino, and coach Kevin Becker called a timeout to set up a play. But when the teams came out of the break, officials said the arrow was incorrect and gave the ball to the Bulldogs.
That meant the Coyotes had to foul, with Ford getting a hand on Katie Loosvelt with nine seconds left. She missed the free throw and Rainville grabbed the loose ball. Rainville unleashed the pass to Ford who drove down court, then went to the baseline.
“I was open and she (Ford) made a great pass,” Rainville said. “I’m sure everyone thought we were going to Vanessa, but I had a good, open shot.”
It ended a competitive game that featured nine ties, the last one at 71-71 with 2:37 left. Other than 3-0 to start the game, Cal State’s biggest lead was two points at 25-23. Ferris State led by as many as seven in the opening half at 16-9 and by eight in the second half at 47-39 at the 16:08 mark.
Ferris State shot 50 percent (30-for-60) for the game and a sizzling 58 percent (17-for-29) in the opening half. It had balance with 11 players figuring in the scoring and led by senior Rachel Folcik, who had 23. She also grabbed seven rebounds.
Only five players factored in for the Coyotes, but four of them accounted for 73 of the team’s 75. Sophomore Krystal Urzua had 19, including three 3-pointers, Rainville scored 13 points and Blake scored nine as the Coyotes shot only 37.3 percent (28-for-75).
The Coyotes trailed 67-64 when they turned up the pressure defensively and forced Ferris into turnovers on back-to-back possessions. Blake then hit a 3-pointer to tie it with 4:25 left. It was tight the rest of the way.
“We went more to the press. That takes some of the thinking out of it,” Becker said. “We were able to make some things happen and took advantage of that on the offensive end.”
“Coach is always telling us we own the last five minutes,” Rainville said. “Tonight we really did.”
The Coyotes return to conference play next weekend in hosting Cal State Los Angeles Friday and Dominguez Hills on Saturday.
LA JOLLA - Prior to Saturday night's game, Cal Poly Pomona coach Scott Davis said No. 15 Seattle Pacific is a strong contender for this season's Division II women's basketball title. The Falcons and Broncos played a close first half, but Seattle Pacific pulled away in the final 20 minutes to win 77-58 in the second day of the CCAA/GNAC Challenge, played at UC San Diego.
"The fight we showed tonight against an unbeaten team, and one that probably will be ranked in the top 10 this week pleases me,'' said Davis, whose team saw a two-game winning streak end. "Our execution needs to be better, but overall, we fought real well and didn't give in.''
Junior Andrea Ohlssen led the Broncos, now 3-5 overall, with a career-high 21 points that included a 5-for-7 effort from the 3-point line. Senior Vanessa Dominguez put together her second successive positive night with 18 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Her efforts followed a 19-point effort in the Broncos' 68-62 win over Western Washington on Friday.
Cal Poly Pomona stayed with the unbeaten Falcons (9-0) and trailed just 30-28 at halftime on the strength of an 80-percent effort from the free throw line (4 of 5) and a 4-of-7 showing from the 3-point line.
Cal Poly Pomona's Natasha Reed hit three free throws in the first two minutes of the second half to tie the game at 31-31, but that tie would not last long as the Falcons would go on a 15-3 run over the next six minutes to pull away for good.
After Ohlssen and Dominguez, Reed was next in scoring with five points.
Kelsey Burns sparked the SPU surge with three 3-pointers over that span, the last of which put the Falcons up by a 46-34 score with 12:18 to go in the game.
"In the second half, their maturity and composure took over,'' Davis said. "For 25 minutes, we stood up and played awfully well. They're a pretty complete team.''
Burns scored a team-high 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half, while Melissa Reich added 12 points and five rebounds. Jackie Hollands added 10 points and Beth Christensen posted nine points, six rebounds and six assists, giving her 14 assists in the tournament.
Two stats showed the difference in the game. The Falcons' bench outscored CPP - 43-9 - and their inside players owned a 26-12 scoring advantage in the paint.
The Broncos return to the court Friday night when they play host to CS Dominguez Hills. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Staff Writer
POMONA - The season is starting to wear on Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball coach Greg Kamansky. And it is only six games old.
The Broncos are just 1-5, their worst start since going 1-6 to start the 1981-82 campaign. They have a chance to get back on track tonight as LeMoyne (6-5), a Division II school out of Syracuse, N.Y. stops in for a 4 p.m. game at Kellogg Gymnasium. It will be the final non-conference tune-up for the Broncos, who resume CCAA play the following weekend.
The record isn’t what bothers the veteran coach the most. It is the way his team has looked in those losses. He sees a lack of competitiveness, heart and organization, especially on the offensive end of the court.
“We don’t have the most talent so we can’t afford to play stupid,” he said. “We have to go out there and want to compete. The way things have been going lately, if one thing goes bad, it completely breaks our spirit and we’re not able to bounce back.”
Kamansky would like to think his team has a shot at turning things around but nothing he has seen leads him to believe that will happen.
“There’s blood in the water and the sharks are circling and we’re looking like good bait,” he said. “I’m sure our opponents can’t wait to get their hands on us, especially the teams we have had our way with the last few years.”
The Broncos lack of depth will be further tested tonight as they will be without 6-foot-7 senior center Kaelen Daniels (6.8 ppg, 3 rpg) who was ejected from Cal Poly’s last game against Central Washington in Las Vegas for throwing a punch.
Senior Kevin Neveu (6.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg) will inherit the majority of the playing time in Daniels’ absence.
The Broncos have gotten solid play out of junior forward Larry Gordon (17.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg), who earned all-tournament honors in Las Vegas despite the 0-2 showing. He ranks fifth in the conference in socring and second in rebounding.
But the Broncos will need a steadier effort from erratic senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis (13.8 ppg), as well as sophomore Donnelle Booker (6.6 ppg), who thus far has looked little like the player who earned CCAA Freshman of the Year honors last season.
Kamansky said the next three games will prove crucial. After today the Broncos, who were picked to finish second in the conference, get back to CCAA play with home games Friday and Saturday against Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles. Despite the poor start Cal Poly is still just 1-1 in conference.
“If we can win two out of three then we’ll at last have something to hang our hat on,” he said. “But the the way we have been playing we’re just as capable of losing all three. I don’t know what to expect.”
LeMoyne, which plays in the Northeast-10 conference, arrived earlier in the week and squared off Thursday against Cal State Los Angeles, losing 76-57.
Sophomore forward Laurence Ekperigin (17.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is the Dolphins top player. Two others - senior guard Jason Holmes (13.4 ppg) and senior forward Jonathan Joshua (10.8 ppg) - are also averaging double figures.
Ekperigin had 12 points and nine rebounds in Thursday’s game against the Golden Eagles.
That could loom large down the stretch because the California Collegiate Athletic Association, GNAC and Pacific West conferences all are battling for the same spots in the Division II West Regional come March. More impressive is the fact that all four victories came on a neutral court.
"That is going to help us down the road but we still have to take care of business in the conference," coach Jeff Oliver said. "The conference is very deep this year. There aren't going to be any easy games."
Oliver saw a huge bright spot in each of the games. Central Washington went in averaging 92.8 points per game and were held to 60 by the Coyotes' "monster" defense. The Wildcats managed only that many because Oliver emptied his bench early.
Then against Western Washington, the Coyotes bounced back from a 13-point, first-half deficit to pull out the game in the last two minutes.
"We showed a lot of character and really kept our composure down the stretch," Oliver said. "Our guys made the plays in the end when they had to."
Six of the Coyotes' nine victories and 7 of 10 games have come against teams with a winning record. Cal State's seven above-.500 foes have a combined 38-15 record, and two teams have lost only to the Coyotes.
The team's balance is paying off as six different players have led the Coyotes in scoring in the 10 games. Senior guard Lance Ortiz leads Cal State (13.4 points per game) but is followed closely by senior center Michael Earl (12.4 ppg) and senior backcourt mate Marlon Pierce (10.2 ppg). Ortiz and Pierce are the only Coyotes to have started all 10 games.
Earl leads the CCAA in field-goal percentage (.703) and blocked shots (30); Ortiz leads in steals (28), is second in assists (5.40 pg) and third in free-throw percentage (.875).
The Coyotes will return to action Jan. 4-5, hosting games back-to-back nights against Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills, bottom-tier teams in the past which had great recruiting classes and are expected to contend this season.
After that, the Coyotes will play 8 of 10 on the road.
Undeterred by the scenic backdrop and tropical climate of Cancun, Mexico, the University of La Verne women’s basketball squad kept its focus to deliver an 82-54 triumph over King’s College (PA) on Day 2 of the Caribbean Hoops Showdown at the Moon Palace Resort.
Marissa Raya continued her momentum from a night earlier and sparked the Leopards offensively with a game-high 30 points on the evening. Raya finished 13-of-21 from the field including a 4-of-10 effort from three-point range.
Trenecca Jones collected 10 points along with 14 rebounds to post her third consecutive double-double and fourth overall this season. Ashley Paul tallied 14 points while Lindsey Shiomi distributed a career-high 13 assists.
The Leopards dominated the opening 20 minutes and rode the hot hand of Raya, who torched the Monarchs for 16 first half points to help stake the Leopards to a 39-13 halftime advantage.
La Verne grabbed an early lead of 14-5 in the first four minutes and never looked back. ULV would extend its advantage to 27-9 at the 9:34 mark behind the hot shooting of Raya and Ashley Paul, who totaled 11 points in the opening frame. Moreover, La Verne enjoyed a decisive 25-12 edge on the boards and limited the Monarchs to a shooting percentage of 21.4% in the opening stanza.
After King’s scored the first 6 points of the second half to get within 20 points, the Leopards responded with 10-0 run to build a 49-19 advantage. A Charleen Guerrero jumper with 2:29 remaining gave La Verne its biggest lead of the game (35) at 82-47.
With the win, La Verne joined seventh-ranked Messiah College (PA) as the only teams to go undefeated during the six-team, two-day holiday tournament. It opened the tournament the previous day with a 60-56 win over Carnegie-Mellon, led by Jones and Raya.
ULV returns to action on Dec. 29th to host Transylvania University as part of a Leopard men’s and women’s doubleheader. Tip-off is 3 p.m.
| 1. | UC San Diego | 2-0 | 1.000 | 9-1 | .900 | W1 | 3-0 | 0-0 | 6-1 |
| Cal State San Bernardino | 2-0 | 1.000 | 7-1 | .875 | W1 | 3-0 | 2-0 | 2-1 | |
| Sonoma State | 2-0 | 1.000 | 6-1 | .857 | W2 | 1-0 | 2-1 | 3-0 | |
| 4. | Chico State | 1-1 | .500 | 7-2 | .778 | W1 | 2-0 | 3-2 | 2-0 |
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | 1-1 | .500 | 6-2 | .750 | W2 | 1-1 | 3-0 | 2-1 | |
| San Francisco State | 1-1 | .500 | 4-4 | .500 | W1 | 0-0 | 4-3 | 0-1 | |
| Cal State L.A. | 1-1 | .500 | 3-4 | .429 | W2 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | |
| CSU Monterey Bay | 1-1 | .500 | 2-6 | .250 | L2 | 1-0 | 1-4 | 0-2 | |
| 9. | Humboldt State | 0-2 | .000 | 4-5 | .444 | L1 | 2-1 | 1-3 | 1-1 |
| Cal Poly Pomona | 0-2 | .000 | 2-4 | .333 | W1 | 0-3 | 1-1 | 1-0 | |
| Cal State Stanislaus | 0-2 | .000 | 2-6 | .250 | L1 | 1-3 | 0-3 | 1-0 |
| School | CCAA | Pct. | Overall | Pct | Streak | Home | Away | Neutral | |
| 1. | Cal State San Bernardino | 2-0 | 1.000 | 9-1 | .900 | W2 | 2-1 | 1-0 | 6-0 |
| Humboldt State | 2-0 | 1.000 | 7-2 | .778 | W2 | 3-0 | 2-1 | 2-1 | |
| UC San Diego | 2-0 | 1.000 | 5-2 | .714 | W5 | 5-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | |
| 4. | Sonoma State | 1-1 | .500 | 5-1 | .833 | W2 | 2-0 | 1-1 | 2-0 |
| Cal State L.A. | 1-1 | .500 | 6-2 | .750 | W3 | 5-2 | 1-0 | 0-0 | |
| San Francisco State | 1-1 | .500 | 6-3 | .667 | W2 | 3-0 | 2-2 | 1-1 | |
| Cal State Stanislaus | 1-1 | .500 | 2-6 | .250 | L3 | 2-1 | 0-4 | 0-1 | |
| Cal Poly Pomona | 1-1 | .500 | 1-5 | .167 | L2 | 1-1 | 0-2 | 0-2 | |
| 9. | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 0-2 | .000 | 5-3 | .625 | W1 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 2-0 |
| Chico State | 0-2 | .000 | 4-5 | .444 | W1 | 3-1 | 0-3 | 1-1 | |
| CSU Monterey Bay | 0-2 | .000 | 1-7 | .125 | L3 | 0-0 | 0-6 | 1-1 |
Cal State San Bernardino forward Vanessa Wilt has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 17-23. It marks the third time this season Wilt has been honored.
Wilt, a 6-foot-1 senior from Hesperia, averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds in helping the Coyotes post a 1-1 record at the Dixie State College Tournament last week.
In a 75-54 loss to No. 15 Seattle Pacific, Wilt scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. She followed up that performance with 32 points and 16 points in an 89-84 overtime victory over Northwest Nazarene.
On the season, Wilt has recorded double-doubles in all eight games while averaging 20.6 points and 13.6 rebounds. She leads the conference in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots.
The men's Player of the Week is senior Grayson Moyer of Humboldt State, the MVP of a tournament the Lumberjacks hosted last week.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Several local basketball standouts earned All-Tournament honors at the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas Tuesday and Wednesday at the Centennial Hills Center. The tournament featured four men's team's and four women's teams with each game pitting a team from the California Collegiate Athletic Conference against one from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
On the men's side each conference won two games with Cal State San Bernardino going 2-0 and Cal Poly Pomona going 0-2 and both the GNAC teams - Western Washington and Central Washington - going 1-1.
The Coyotes' Michael Earl was named Most Valuable Player. Other all-tournament selections were Marlon Pierce of Cal State, Larry Gordon of Cal Poly Pomona, Calin Schell and Fontana native Ira Graham of Western Washington and Jake Beitinger of Central Washington.
On the women's side the GNAC fared better, winning three of four games with Central Washington going 2-0, Western and UC San Diego going 1-1 and Monterey Bay going 0-2.
Hanna Hull of Central Washington was named tourney MVP. She was joined on the team by Amanda Dunbar of Western, Michelle Osier and Alexis Gaskin of UCSD, Jenn Jacobs of Central Washington and Ja'Nae Westmoreland of Monterey Bay.
Westmoreland is a graduate of Rialto High School and San Bernardino Valley College.
|
By Michelle Gardner Oliver said he believed that Cal Poly Pomona was invited back to the CCAA vs. GNAC event with Cal State Stanislaus, traditionally a middle tier team, replacing the Coyotes. |
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS - Cal Poly basketball coach Greg Kamansky buried his
head in his hands and stared at the floor in disbelief. Two of his
players had just bobbled a loose ball and a Central Washington player
scooped it up for an easy put back giving the Wildcats a 14-point
lead.
There were still 12 minutes left but Kamansky knew his team wasn't
coming back. That premonition proved true as the reeling Broncos
suffered a 84-66 loss in their second game of the Great Western
Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center in Las Vegas Wednesday.
The loss dropped the Broncos to 1-5 on the season, although the
good new is that an 0-4 part of that is non-conference play. It is
the worst start for the school since going 1-6 to start the 1981-82
season.
After the game Kamansky kept his team in the lockerroom for 90
minutes. There was considerable shouting audible from the adjacent
hallway.
``In all of these games we have had leads,'' Kamansky said. ``But
in every one we have a good 10 minutes and then self destruct. We
don't have that mentality that allows us to respond when things get
tough. Instead we just fall apart. That has to change soon.''
Even though it is early the frustration is showing on the court as
well. Senior center Kaelen Daniels was ejected with 7:15 left in the
first half and the Broncos up 21-20. Donnelle Booker had just been at
the free-throw line and Daniels got tangled up with a Wildcat player
underneath and was said to have thrown a punch.
Kamansky argued vehemently and was assessed a technical foul. Matt
Penoncello only made two of four technicals tosses but Giovonne Woods
drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, giving Central a 25-21
lead.
Kamansky said he didn't see what was called. He thought Daniels
had been being held all game by Central's Bryce Daub, something a
Bronco assistant had asked the referees to watch. The coach thought
Daniels was only trying to clear some room but will watch the video
to see exactly what happened.
``I don't want to say that cost us the game, but it was a momentum
changer,'' Kamansky added. ``And we don't have the kind of team that
answers adversity in a positive manner.''
The Broncos were within two at 25-23 seconds later but it was all
Wildcats (4-3) after that. Central outscored Cal Poly 14-7 the rest
of the half and led 39-30 at the intermission.
Things didn't get any better after that. The Wildcats started the
second half with an 11-4 run and never looked back.
Junior forward Larry Gordon made up for a poor showing in the first
half of Tuesday's loss to Western Washington with 23 points, 10
rebounds,four blocks and two assists.
But he didn't have a lot of help. Senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis
netted 10 but six of those were from the free-throw line. He went
just 2-of-8 from the field including an 0-for-5 from long distance.
The numbers actually made the contest look closer than it was with
Central Washington shooting 48.3 percent (25-for-58) and Cal Poly
Pomona managing 44 (22-for-50). Central went 17-for-26 for the line
while the Broncos went 19-for-28 but the Wildcats were aided by an
11-for-23 effort from 3-point range compared to a 3-of-15 for the
Broncos.
Central Washington had four players finish in double figures led
by Penoncello with 18 and Nate Jackson with 17.
Next up for the Broncos is non-conference game against Division II LeMoyne on Dec. 30. Kamansky said he is not sure whether the ejection means Daniels will have to sit out that game.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS - Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky wasn't quite sure
whether or not the 17-day layoff would help or hurt his team heading
into the Great Western Shootout. It didn't take him long to find out.
The Broncos were soundly beaten by Western Washington 73-64 Tuesday
at the Centennial Hills Center in a game that wasn't as close as the
score indicates. They will be looking for a better outcome in today's
2 p.m. game against Central Washington.
``We just got thrashed from top to bottom,'' Kamansky said. ``They
were the better team, no doubt about it. We went completely blank on
offense. We did that against San Francisco State. We did it against
Vanguard and we did it again tonight.''
The Broncos (1-4) led early at 14-8 but that lead lasted only
seven minutes. The Vikings pulled even when junior center Zach Bruce
scored inside to tie the game at 19. The Vikings (7-1) took the lead
for good moments later on a put back by junior forward Calin Schell.
Western Washington, which has won seven straight games since
losing its season opener to Cal State San Bernardino, led 23-19 when
Kevin Neveau scored inside with 6:12 left in the half to cut the
deficit to two, 23-21.
But the Vikings reeled off the last 10 points of the half and the
first eight of the second half, going up 41-21 on a jumper from the
baseline by Derrick Webb. The scoring drought of 9:35 finally ended
on two free throws by Larry Gordon but the Broncos were never in
striking distance again.
Western Washington, out of the Great Northwest Athletic
Conference, maintained a double-digit lead most of the second half.
The Broncos didn't get within single digits until Gordon hit a pair
of free throws with 30 seconds left.
Cal Poly Pomona shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) but managed just 36
percent (9-for-25) in the first half. Angelo Tsagarakis had a
team-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers. He also snagged
eight rebounds and had four assists. Gordon added 15 with 10 rebounds
but all of his points and seven boards came in the second half.
Kamansky cited the layoff for the sluggish performance.
``I hate to use that as an excuse but we definitely looked like we
haven't played in two weeks,'' he said. ``Our schedule has been
erratic and we just haven't been able to get in a rhythm.''
Western Washington, which shot 474 percent (27-for-57) was sparked
by a local product as former Fontana High standout Ira Graham who
tallied 14 points, 12 of those in the first half. He also collected
five assists and a steal.
Graham, who leads the GNAC in scoring, admits he likes playing
against the local teams.
``I definitely get more focused, more excited when I play the
local teams,'' the junior guard said. ``I had a lot of family here so
it made it even better.''
Kamansky added that the pressure is on to win the second game in
the tournament. Teams from the CCAA and the GNAC battle for playoff
berths in the Division II West Regional in March so this weekend's
games will have an impact.
``We aren't leaving ourselves a lot of room for error,'' he said.
``Right now we don't look like a good team.''
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS - Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky wasn't quite sure
whether or not the 17-day layoff would help or hurt his team heading
into the Great Western Shootout. It didn't take him long to find out.
The Broncos were soundly beaten by Western Washington 73-64 Tuesday
at the Centennial Hills Center in a game that wasn't as close as the
score indicates. They will be looking for a better outcome in today's
2 p.m. game against Central Washington.
``We just got thrashed from top to bottom,'' Kamansky said. ``They
were the better team, no doubt about it. We went completely blank on
offense. We did that against San Francisco State. We did it against
Vanguard and we did it again tonight.''
The Broncos (1-4) led early at 14-8 but that lead lasted only
seven minutes. The Vikings pulled even when junior center Zach Bruce
scored inside to tie the game at 19. The Vikings (7-1) took the lead
for good moments later on a put back by junior forward Calin Schell.
Western Washington, which has won seven straight games since
losing its season opener to Cal State San Bernardino, led 23-19 when
Kevin Neveau scored inside with 6:12 left in the half to cut the
deficit to two, 23-21.
But the Vikings reeled off the last 10 points of the half and the
first eight of the second half, going up 41-21 on a jumper from the
baseline by Derrick Webb. The scoring drought of 9:35 finally ended
on two free throws by Larry Gordon but the Broncos were never in
striking distance again.
Western Washington, out of the Great Northwest Athletic
Conference, maintained a double-digit lead most of the second half.
The Broncos didn't get within single digits until Gordon hit a pair
of free throws with 30 seconds left.
Cal Poly Pomona shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) but managed just 36
percent (9-for-25) in the first half. Angelo Tsagarakis had a
team-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers. He also snagged
eight rebounds and had four assists. Gordon added 15 with 10 rebounds
but all of his points and seven boards came in the second half.
Kamansky cited the layoff for the sluggish performance.
``I hate to use that as an excuse but we definitely looked like we
haven't played in two weeks,'' he said. ``Our schedule has been
erratic and we just haven't been able to get in a rhythm.''
Western Washington, which shot 474 percent (27-for-57) was sparked
by a local product as former Fontana High standout Ira Graham who
tallied 14 points, 12 of those in the first half. He also collected
five assists and a steal.
Graham, who leads the GNAC in scoring, admits he likes playing
against the local teams.
``I definitely get more focused, more excited when I play the
local teams,'' the junior guard said. ``I had a lot of family here so
it made it even better.''
Kamansky added that the pressure is on to win the second game in
the tournament. Teams from the CCAA and the GNAC battle for playoff
berths in the Division II West Regional in March so this weekend's
games will have an impact.
``We aren't leaving ourselves a lot of room for error,'' he said.
``Right now we don't look like a good team.''
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS - The last thing Cal State San Bernardino men's
basketball coach Jeff Oliver wanted was a shootout. His team has not
played well on the offensive end of the floor and opponent Central
Washington came in averaging 92.8 points.
It was indeed a shootout but only one team participated as the
Coyotes cruised past the Wildcats 83-60 Tuesday in the Great Western
Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center.
The defense was as tenacious as always. But it was one of the more
complete efforts for the No. 10 Coyotes this season as they hit 50.8
percent from the field and came within a point of their season high.
But the perfectionist in Oliver still came out despite the
comfortable win.
``It was a great defensive effort. For us to guard a team like that
and to limit them like we did was fantastic,'' he said.
``Offensively, we're doing better but it was far from good. Maybe I'm
just a nitpicker.''
The point total was a season low for the Wildcats (3-3) and matched
their season low of a year ago. It was also their least productive
outing since 2004 when they were held to 47 once.
The Coyotes forced 22 turnovers and held their foe to 34 percent
(16-for-47) from the field. Central had 24 points from the free-throw
line so they got just 36 from the field.
``I thought they were going to be better than that, just by the
numbers they were putting up,'' senior center Michael Earl said.
``But I guess you can contribute that to us playing well.''
Cal State blew the game open in the second half. It was even at 12
but the Coyotes tallied 10 of the next 12 points, surging out to a
24-14 lead on a driving layup by Marlon Pierce. The first half ended
with the same point differential, the Coyotes up 39-29.
The Coyotes started the second half the way they ended the first.
Reggie Brown hit a 3-pointer to give the Coyotes a 45-30 lead three
minutes into the second half and Steve Gaston drained one the next
trip down the floor to give Cal State a 48-30 lead that just got
bigger.
Oliver used 15 players and 12 of those scored. Earl led the way
with 19, on 8-for-9 shooting from the field despite being slowed this
week by the flu.
Pierce and Lance Ortiz also came up big. Pierce totaled 12 with
five assists, four rebounds and two steals while Ortiz managed 11
with seven assists and four steals. The Coyotes chalked up 21 assists
as a team.
There were also some big contributors off the bench as Philip Jones
grabbed seven rebounds. Gaston added seven points, five assists and
two steals.
All said the team came off Friday's 78-75 overtime loss to NAIA
Azusa Pacific more focused.
``We worked on passing the ball hard. We had gotten
lackadaisical and were not getting guys open,'' Ortiz said. ``We came
in here focused, ready to bounce back because we knew these were big
games.''
The Coyotes play their second game of the tournament at 5 tonight
against Western Washington (7-1) which turned back Cal Poly Pomona
73-64 earlier in the day. Western Washington's only loss this season
was to Cal State in the season opener played in Seattle.
Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS - The last thing Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver wanted was a shootout. His team has not played well on the offensive end of the floor and opponent Central Washington came in averaging 92.8 points.
It was indeed a shootout, but only one team participated as the Coyotes cruised past the Wildcats 83-60 Tuesday in the Great Western Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center.
The Coyotes' defense was as tenacious as always, but it was one of the more complete efforts for the No. 10 Coyotes this season as they hit 50.8 percent from the field and came within a point of their season high.
But the perfectionist in Oliver still came out despite the comfortable win.
"It was a great defensive effort. For us to guard a team like that and to limit them like we did was fantastic," he said.
"Offensively, we're doing better, but it was far from good. Maybe I'm just a nitpicker."
The point total was a season low for the Wildcats (3-3) and matched their season low of a year ago. It was also their least-productive outing since 2004, when they were once held to 47.
The Coyotes forced 22 turnovers and held their foe to 34 percent (16-for-47) from the field. Central had 24 points from the free-throw line, meaning they got just 36 from the field.
"I thought they were going to be better than that, just by the numbers they were putting up," senior center Michael Earl said. "But I guess you can contribute that to us playing well.''
Reggie Brown hit a 3-pointer to give the Coyotes a 45-30 lead three minutes into the second half, and Steve Gaston drained one the next trip down the floor to give Cal State a 48-30 lead that just got bigger.
Oliver used 15 players, and 12 of those scored. Earl led the way with 19, on 8-for-9 shooting from the field, despite being slowed this week by the flu.
Pierce and Lance Ortiz also came up big. Pierce totaled 12 with five assists, four rebounds and two steals, while Ortiz managed 11 with seven assists and four steals. The Coyotes chalked up 21 assists as a team.
There were also some big contributors off the bench; Philip Jones grabbed seven rebounds, and Gaston added seven points, five assists and two steals.
The Coyotes play their second game of the tournament at 5
tonight against Western Washington (7-1), which turned back Cal Poly
Pomona 73-64 earlier in the day. Western Washington's only loss this
season was to Cal State in the season opener played in Seattle.
MARLON PIERCE
Cal State San Bernardino
Basketball
The lowdown: The 6-foot-2 senior point guard is averaging 10
points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals in helping
the Coyotes to a 7-1 start and No. 6 national ranking. Season-high
thus far has been 22 points against Monterey Bay. Also has a high of
eight rebounds against Western Washington. Role as a junior was more
of a ball distributor but he still averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds,
2.8 assists and 1.9 steals depite sharing playing time at the
point. Came to the Coyotes from Cuyamaca Community College
in the San Diego area.
Age: 21
Hometown: San Diego
High school: Helix High School, 2004
Major: Commnications
Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan
Role model: My dad (Larry Pierce)
Most memorable sports moment: Winning the 2007 West Regional
championship game last year and winning a CIF championship game my
senior year of high school.
Most embarrassing moment: Disclocating my shoulder my sophomore year
of high school in the last practice of the season.
Last good book you read: The Bible
Favorite movie: American Gangster
Can’t miss TV show: The Wire
Celebrity you most want to meet: Actress Lauren London
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese, Mexican food (from San Diego taco
shops).
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Jay Z-American Gangster
Other hobbies: Poker, bowling and all other sports
Favorite vacation spot: Las Vegas
Best advice anyone has given you: You’ve got a lot of stuff ahead of
you, don’t let the past get in the way of it (my dad).
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Pray before every game and at
halftime.
What do you want to be doing in five years: Working in sports
broadcasting.
- Compiled by Michelle Gardner
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO — The Cal State San Bernardino men put their unbeaten record and lofty state ranking on the line again tonight but this time they will do so against an unfamiliar foe.
NAIA contender Azusa Pacific will march into Coussoulis Arena for a 7:30 p.m. contest. While the game won’t factor into the all-important regional rankings since the Cougars (5-4) are not a Division II school, it is counted in the overall record used for national ranking purposes.
Coach Jeff Oliver won’t take this game any differently however.
“It may not count in the region but we’re not taking it any differently than a conference game,” he said. “We’re going to go out there and try to win, whether it takes playing 12 guys, or shortening the bench and playing eight.”
The No. 6 Coyotes (7-0) have been idle for the last two weeks but swept Monterey Bay and San Francisco State to start CCAA play on Nov. 30. The team has been solid on defense, allowing an average of just 58 points a game and forcing an average of 19 turnovers. Now Oliver and assistant Paul Trevor have been focusing on offense where the Coyotes have struggled a bit. The bright spot is that the team has not been beaten despite being inconsistent there.
“I thought we made a lot of progress there the last two games,” said Oliver, the most successful coach in the program’s history. “But we have to keep fine-tuning. Even though we have gotten through unscathed, we know we have tougher games ahead of us.”
Unlike in years past, Oliver has used the same starting lineup in six of the seven games. That quintet includes senior guards Lance Ortiz (13.3 ppg, 5.3 apg) and Marlon Pierce (9.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.4 apg), junior guard-forward Renardo Bass, senior forward David Reichel (7.7 ppg) and senior center Michael Earl (10.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
Junior guard Steve Gaston has provided a spark off the bench, scoring 15 in the Coyotes last contest.
The Coyotes will also be bolstered by the return of 6-foot-5 senior forward-center Joseph Tillman. He had only one quarter of eligibility remaining so he sat out the fall but is now able to play with the posting of grades this week.
Azuza Pacific, which competes in the Golden State Athletic Conference, is coming off a 29-7 mark in 2006-2007. They are just above .500 this season despite boasting a roster that includes five Division I bouncebacks.
Among those is Upland High School product Todd Martin (9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg), a 6-7 senior forward who came over from Troy State after his sophomore year. Other key players are 6-5 senior Davon Roberts (13.3 ppg, 6 rpg), who played previously at Sacramento State, and 6-2 sophomore guard Mike Danielian (12.3 ppg), who moved over from Cal State Fullerton.
The Cougars are directed by first-year coach Justin Leslie who had been the top assistant the last five years and played for that head coach Bill Odell.
“Anyone that thinks this is going to be an easy game because it isn’t a CCAA school is wrong,” Oliver said. “They play in a very good conference. Those top teams are just as good as the better teams in ours.”
The Coyotes will then turn their attention back to Division II play with games Tuesday and Wednesday against Central Washington and Western Washington in the Great West Shootout in Las Vegas.
The next three games will not be aired on radio but are available on the Internet through the Coyotes athletic websight at http://athletics.csusb.edu.
LARRY GORDON
Cal Poly Pomona
Basketball
The lowdown: The junior forward ranks sixth in the CCAA in scoring (16.5 ppg), third in rebounding (8 rpg), fifth in free-throw percentage (.833), 10th in assists (3.25 apg) and 12th in field-goal percentage (.512). Has a high this season of 22 points (against UC Santa Barbara) and a best of 10 rebounds (twice). Was a first-team all-CCAA selection as a sophomore, averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. Averaged 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in his rookie year which earned him conference Freshman of the Year honors.
Age: 20
Hometown: Pomona
High school: Montclair High School, 2005
Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant
Favorite team: Dallas Mavericks
Role model: My mom Annie
Can’t miss TV show: Heroes
Most memorable sports moment: Being named CCAA Freshman of the Year in 2006.
Most embarrassing moment: I went up for a dunk and got it stuck on the rim.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My entire family. They’re the ones who drove me to games sat in the stands and watched and have supported me through everything.
Celebrity you most want to meet: Jessica Alba
Favorite Food: tacos
Favorite movie: Matrix Trilogy
Last good book you read: American Paradox: Young Black Men by Dr.
Renford Reece (faculty member at Cal Poly Pomona).
Other hobbies: Sleeping and video games (Madden, NBL Live)
Favorite vacation spot: Palm Springs
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Lil Wayne
Pre-game ritual or superstition: I always take a shower before the game and I always recite the Lord’s Prayer.
Best advice anyone has given you: “Never give up and play hard.” (That sticks with me all the time).
What do you want to be doing in five years: Playing pro ball anywhere. Getting paid to play would be pretty cool.
Vanessa Wilt today was named the Wilson/California
Collegiate Athletic Association women’s basketball player of the week for
the second straight week.
Wilt, a 6-1
senior center from Hesperia, was recognized for her double-double – 18
points and 18 rebounds – in a 68-50 Coyotes win over
Her 18
rebounds were a season high and her three blocked shots raised her 2007-08
total to 21 in six games, an average of 3.5 per game.
She has
helped the Coyotes to a 6-0 record to open the season, equaling the best start
ever by a CSUSB women’s basketball team. The only other team in the
history of the program to start 6-0 was the 2000-01 squad.
Thursday’s
performance by Wilt means that she has achieved a double-double (points and
rebounds) in all six games this season. She is the only player in the CCAA thus
far averaging a double-double
Wilt ranks
No. 2 in the CCAA in scoring at 19.2 points a game but leads the CCAA in
rebounding at 13.2 per game. She also ranks No. 1 in blocked shots with 21
(3.5/game). She is shooting 83 percent from the foul line (15 of 18) and 53
percent from the field (50 of 94).
The Coyotes
return to action on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 18-19, facing Seattle Pacific
and Northwest Nazarene in the Dixie State College Tournament in
SPU is 5-0
and coming off a 68-60 win over
The awards are voted upon by the student-based Bronco Athletics Association.
Diaz, a freshman from
Williams, a junior from
The Broncos finished the season 21-7 overall and tied for second in the CCAA with a 13-5 mark. They earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Pacific Regional, where they lost to Cal State Los Angeles 3-2 in the opening round Nov. 15.
Cal State San Bernardino stretched its
season-opening win streak to six straight Thursday
night with a 68-50 non-conference victory over
University of Redlands at the Bulldogs' Currier Gym.
The six wins equals the best start to a season in
the history of the program dating back to 1984-85. The
record of six was first set in 2000-01.
Senior center Vanessa Wilt, the CCAA conference
player of the week, dominated the inside with 18
points and a season-high 18 rebounds while blocking
three shots.
Guard Shanae Blake had 15 points, two blocked
shots and a steal while sophomore guard Krystal Ursua
came off the bench to score 16 points and grab eight
rebounds in the victory.
CSUSB darted out to a 14-0 lead before the
Bulldogs got untracked enough to trail only by eight,
28-20 at halftime.
After the break, Redlands made a run and got to
within four at 33-29 before the Coyotes opened up a
10-point advantage at 39-29 and were never threatened
thereafter.
CSUSB's largest lead, 22 points, came with just
1:41 left in the contest. Redlands' record dropped to
4-2.
It was the first meeting of the two schools in
women's basketball since 1989-90 when CSUSB was a NCAA
Division III independent. The Coyotes now lead the
all-time series 9-1.
CSUSB will be idle until playing in the Dixie
State College Tournament on Dec. 18-19 in St. George
Utah against Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene of
the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The Coyotes even got one first-place vote. The team received 162 votes, just four votes behind No. 4 Rollins University of Florida which is unbeaten at 5-0. Just ahead of them in the No. 5 spot is last year's NCAA runnerup
Bentley (Mass)., a quarterfinalist last year, is ranked No. 1 in the NABC poll at 6-0 followed by Grand Valley State (8-0) and South Dakota (7-0). The only other West Coast team in the top 10 is
BYU Hawaii holds down the 16th spot at 2-0 while Seattle Pacific is 4-1 and ranked No. 23. Its only loss was to the Coyotes on Nov. 17.
The Coyotes are idle this week for fall quarter finals and return to action on Friday, Dec. 14, in Coussoulis Arena against
NABC/ESPN DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES POLL
No. Team (1st pl votes) Record Points
1. Bentley, Mass (4) 6-0 190
2.
3.
4. Rollins 5-0 166
5.
6. COYOTES (1) 7-0 162
7. Emporia State 4-0 150
8. Drury 5-0 142
9.
10.
11.