February 2008 Archives
DIVISION II
WEST REGION POLLS
MEN
1. Alaska-Anchorage
2. Cal State San Bernardino
3. Seattle Pacific
4. Chaminade (Hawaii)
5. Central Washington
6. Humbdolt State
7. Brigham Young-Hawaii
8. Seattle University
9. CS Dominguez Hills
10. UC San Diego
WOMEN
1. Seattle Pacific
2. Chico State
3. Cal State San Bernardino
4. Alaska-Anchorage
5. UC San Diego
6. Sonoma State
7. Northwest Nazarene
8. Central Washington
9. St. Martin’s
10. Seattle University
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
One can excuse Cal State San Bernardino men’s basketball coach Jeff Oliver for looking for a positive omen as his team heads into the most important game of the season.
The Coyotes (21-5, 14-4) will play at Humboldt State (18-7, 13-5) Thursday with a win over the defending champions giving the Coyotes their seventh CCAA title in nine years.
Because of the importance of the game and the 700-mile distance, the Coyotes left Tuesday - a day earlier than is typical. But a series of delays resulted in the team not arriving until noon Wednesday, not much earlier than the women’s team which left Wednesday and bussed to Oakland.
Oliver tried to take the delay in stride.
“We’re staying in the same hotel and I have the same room that I did last year when we won the West Region here,” Oliver said. “That has to be a good sign.”
The men’s team had a 7:30 p.m. flight out of LAX Tuesday. It was delayed a half hour. Then, after it did leave, had to return to Los Angeles after an emergency light went on.
The problem couldn’t be fixed and another flight was not available so the team ended up checking into a hotel after midnight.
Wednesday morning all went well until it came time to land in Arcata, located on the coast about 50 miles from the Oregon border. Heavy fog made it necessary to circle for more than an hour before finally landing.
Such are the problems when playing a school so remotely located.
The week won’t get any easier. After the tonight’s game the Coyotes will charter a bus and make a 230-mile trip to Rohnert Park to play Sonoma State Friday. That trip can take five hours, even if the weather is good. Oliver is hoping the team can arrive at the second destination by 2 a.m.
Cal Poly Pomona will play the teams in the opposite order. The Broncos (11-12, 10-8) flew into Oakland Wednesday. Coach Greg Kamansky said after tonight’s game with the Seawolves, his team will drive halfway, then make the other half of the trek Thursday morning.
“It is by far the worst trip,” Kamansky said. “It really isn’t safe to be doing it that late at night. And you really don’t want to have to do it the day you play. There is no easy way to do it.”
Last year the conference gave schools a day in between those games because of the hazards, not present in any of the other road trips between conference schools.
The situation was addressed at a meeting of athletic directors and the vote favored returning to the back-to-back nights. Cal Poly, Cal State and UC San Diego were the schools voting against that, citing safety concerns.
Cal State Los Angeles and Dominguez Hills were the lone South schools who voted for the back to backs.
“It’s tough no matter what you do,” said Cal State L.A. athletic director Dan Bridges. “We felt it was an unfair advantage for those teams to have a day between games.”
But those against the move acknowledge that those schools also have an advantage if their opponent has to drive five hours after a game.
So the schools are doing the best they can to deal with the scenario. The Coyotes usually transport their teams in vans but athletic director Kevin Hatcher got a charter bus at a cost of about $4,000 - four times the cost of rental vans.
Bridges said his school did the same, even putting both the men’s and women’s team on one bus.
“Cost is not an issue,” Hatcher said. “We felt this was the safest thing to do. We don’t want our coaches having to drive their teams that late after a game, especially with the possibility of adverse weather conditions. At least with a charter you have a paid, professional driver trained to deal with all situations.”
The stakes are a bit higher for the Coyotes, but the Broncos also need wins.
Cal Poly has qualified for the conference tournament but needs to finish in the top four to host a tournament quarterfinal at Kellogg Gymnasium Tuesday. They’re currently tied with three teams for fourth.
Several north schools loom as a possible opponent for the Broncos. If they don’t get to host they could be faced with having to head north again on Monday, two days after returning home from Humboldt.
If that happens the Broncos might decide to stay up north.
Despite the tough journey, Oliver expects a memorable game between teams establishing one of the top rivalries in Division II basketball.
“I expect it to be every bit like the game we played in the regional final last year,” Oliver said. “It is a great atmosphere for college basketball, one our kids will never forget. They are very passionate and knowledegable about their basketball.”
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO _ The Cal State San Bernardino men’s basketball team knew better than to take Cal Poly Pomona lightly. The Coyotes had lost five straight games to the Broncos including the first this season, one in which the once-proud program has struggled.
But the No. 20 Coyotes (20-5, 13-4) righted that wrong, handing their area rival a 69-58 setback Thursday at Coussoulis Arena.
The win extended the Coyotes ' CCAA lead to one and a half games over both defending champion Humboldt State and UC San Diego.
“This was the monkey off my back,” Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. “I still don’t have a good feel on how to attack them but I think we’re getting closer.”
The Broncos (10-12, 9-8), who were picked to finish second in the conference in a preseason poll of member coaches, need one win in their last three games to earn a spot in the eight-team conference tournament. They have lost four of their last six contests.
Jason Gilzene is among the handful of Coyote seniors who had not beaten the Broncos and he came up big with a team-high 17 points, highlighted by 8-for-8 shooting from the field.
“We talked about it all day,” he said of the Coyotes’ bad showing against the Broncos recently. “We had to get that monkey off our back and it was our last chance to do it. Today the game just came to me.”
The Broncos only lead of the first half came at 2-0. The Coyotes biggest lead came at 35-26 on a 3-pointer by Marlon Pierce. They led 36-28 at the intermission.
Cal State then scored five of the first seven points in the second half with a runner by Gilzene giving the Coyotes a 38-28 lead and a 3-pointer by Lance Ortiz extending it to 41-30.
The Coyotes took control midway through the second half. Cal Poly was still in striking distance at 46-39 but Gilzene got the next two buckets, making it 50-39.
Cal State led by as many as 14 twice, the last time coming at 58-44 with 6:57 left only to have the Broncos cut it to single digits with six straight points from the line.
A Cal State turnover led to a bucket by Kyle Krause that closed the gap to seven at 60-53 with 3:01 left but the Coyotes answered on their end with a putback by Gilzene off a Pierce miss, making it 62-53.
The Broncos were also within seven at 62-55 with 2:01 left but Michael Earl scored inside and was fouled on the play. He missed the free throw but the Coyotes corraled the rebound and ran enough time off the clock to put the game away.
Gilzene was followed in the scoring column by Renardo Bass with 13. Pierce had eight points and a team-high six assists.
The Coyotes did an extraordinary job on Broncos junior Larry Gordon, who was second in the conference in scoring and had reached double digits in every game. Gordon scored 12 points but all of those came from the line. He was 0-for-4 from the field.
Angelo Tsagarakis had 19, including four 3-pointers. He made his first four free-throws on the night to extend his streak to 25 straight but missed on his fifth of the night.
The Broncos attempted only 27 shots and were outrebounded 28-17.
Broncos coach Greg Kamansky said the Coyotes bench play made the difference.
“Their bench is one of the better ones in the league. I don’t know that Oliver’s saying his team played that much better. It’s a late-season game and they got it done.”
Added Oliver, “We did a good job of knowing where he (Gordon) was and defending him but we didn’t do a good job of spotting Tsagarakis.''
UC San Diego (15-7, 11-5), which is one game behind the Coyotes, is the next foe for both teams. The Tritons will play Cal State at Coussoulis Arena tonight, then move on to Kellogg Gymnasium to play the Broncos on Saturday. The Tritons beat both teams in the first round of conference play.
|
Pos. |
Institution (1st Place) |
Previous |
W-L |
Pts |
| 1. | Delta State (24) |
1 |
22-0 |
622 |
| 2. | Seattle Pacific |
2 |
22-0 |
599 |
| 3. | North Dakota |
3 |
23-1 |
565 |
| 4. | South Dakota (1) |
4 |
22-1 |
554 |
| 5. | Concordia (Minn.) |
5 |
24-1 |
520 |
| 6. | Drury |
6 |
20-2 |
488 |
| tie | Holy Family |
7 |
24-0 |
488 |
| 8. | Fort Lewis |
8 |
24-1 |
449 |
| 9. | Indiana (Pa.) |
9 |
22-2 |
421 |
| 10. | West Georgia |
10 |
23-2 |
408 |
| 11. | Alaska-Anchorage |
11 |
22-3 |
374 |
| 12. | Arkansas Tech |
12 |
20-3 |
345 |
| 13. | Stonehill |
15 |
20-4 |
291 |
| 14. | Valdosta State |
14 |
20-4 |
284 |
| 15. | Anderson |
16 |
22-2 |
269 |
| 16. | West Texas A&M |
17 |
19-4 |
243 |
| 17. | Washburn |
18 |
19-4 |
221 |
| 18. | Emporia State |
20 |
18-5 |
156 |
| 19. | Hillsdale |
22 |
21-3 |
154 |
| 20. | Franklin Pierce |
21 |
20-4 |
150 |
| 21. | Chico State |
13 |
20-5 |
127 |
| 22. | Tusculum |
NR |
21-3 |
93 |
| 23. | Francis Marion |
25 |
18-5 |
49 |
| 24. | Cal State-San Bernardino |
NR |
19-4 |
43 |
| 25. | Fairmont State |
19 |
20-5 |
42 |
Dropped Out: Augustana, Michigan Tech
Others Receiving Votes: Augustana 33; Missouri Science & Technology 25; Assumption 18; Augusta State 17; Michigan Tech 14; West Liberty State 13; Clayton State 12; St. Mary's 12; South Carolina-Aiken 10; California (Pa.) 4; Shepherd 3; Indianapolis 3; American International 2; Bowie State 1; Lander 1; Nebraska-Kearney 1; Tampa 1.
The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team dropped to No. 20 in this's week's NABC national ranking.
The Coyotes, who have been as high as No. 4, were No. 18 last week but fell two places after last Friday's 63-60 loss to lowly Chico State.
The poll is released every Tuesday.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||
 | ||
| ||
|
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Cal State San Bernardino senior guards Marlon Pierce and Lance Ortiz stood outside the Coyotes lockerroom Saturday after their team dismantled Cal State Stanislaus. The conversation quickly turned to their next opponent - Cal Poly Pomona.
“We can’t leave here without beating them,” Pierce said, looking over at his backcourt mate. “And this is our last chance.”
The duo has one more shot. That will come tonight when the Coyotes (19-5, 12-4) entertain the Broncos (10-11, 9-7) in a 7:30 p.m. CCAA showdown at Coussoulis Arena.
Cal Poly has won four straight meetings with the Coyotes, including a 65-62 overtime game at Kellogg Gymnasium earlier this season. The Broncos swept both in 2006-07 and won the final meeting the previous season.
Even in a down year Cal Poly has had the upper hand.
“Weird things happen in rivalries,” Pierce said. “It goes in cycles. Right now they’re getting the best of us. We need to change that.”
The Coyotes are ranked No. 20 nationally and remained No. 2 in the West Region poll released Wednesday despite their inexplicable loss to last-place Chico State Friday.
The Broncos are looking to advance to the postseason for the fifth time in six years but will need to win the conference tournament to have a chance. First they have to qualify. Coach Greg Kamansky doesn’t think that is a given even though they need just one win in their last four games to do so.
“Obviously this will be a tough one,” he said. “Then we get San Diego who we have already lost to. Then we’re on the road at Humboldt State and Sonoma. So no it isn’t a given.”
But first the Broncos must deal with their neighborhood rival. The Coyotes rank first in the conference in scoring defense (62.2) while the Broncos are last in scoring offense (64.2).
The Coyotes are fifth in scoring offense (71.8) while the Broncos are second in defense (63.3).
Coyotes coach Jeff Oliver thinks they key will be pressure, both offensively and defensively. His team needs to create offense by forcing turnovers. When the teams first played his team forced 21 but they had 17 themselves.
“We have to do pressure the ball and force turnovers but we also have to do a better job handling their press which is underrated. It is very good,” he said.
The Broncos rely on one player - junior Larry Gordon (17.8 ppg, 10 rpg) with senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis (14.9 ppg) a formidable threat from long distance.
Cal State is more balanced although Pierce (13 ppg, 4 apg, 2 spg) has been carrying the Coyotes lately. Senior center Michael Earl (13 ppg) and Ortiz (12.3 ppg, 4.5 apg) are the otyhers averaging double figures.
The women’s game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. The Coyotes (19-4, 13-3) are tied with Chico State atop the CCAA standings after a stunning win over the then-No. 13 Wildcats. That win propeled the Coyotes into the national rankings at No. 24.
The Broncos (10-12, 7-9) are also playing for a CCAA tournament berth and are seventh, just one game ahead of eighth-place Dominguez Hills. Eight of the 11 will qualify.
The Coyotes are led by senior Vanessa Wilt who leads the conference in scoring (20.9), rebounding (13.7), blocks (2.35) and field goal percentage (.584).
But the team’s success depends on its perimeter shooting. The Broncos kept Wilt in check in a 78-64 loss earlier this season but junior Rachel Johnson lit them up for a career-high 24 that included five 3-pointers.
Senior reserve guard Leslie Pickron has emerged as a threat in the last week, draining a total of 10 3-pointers in the Coyotes two games last weekend. That showing earned her conference player of the week honors.
“When they’re shooting well from the outside they’re capable of beating anybody,” Broncos coach Scott Davis said of the Coyotes. “And they have a lot of players who can shoot it from out there.Iit definitely presents a problem for us.”
KEVIN NEVEU
Cal Poly Pomona
Basketball
The lowdown: The 6-foot-7 senior forward is averaging 5.1 points and 3 rebounds and has started 10 of 19 games. Has appeared in 105 games in his career, ranking him ninth in school history. Had 10 points in Cal Poly’s win this season over defending conference champion Humdbolt State. Recorded a career-high of 20 points against Northwest Nazarene his sophomore season. Was a 2003 McDonald’s All-American nominee in high school. Earned all-league honors twice in basketball and once in volleyball.
Age: 23
Hometown: San Leandro
High school: St. Joseph’s Notre Dame
Major: Business management and human resources
Favorite athlete: Shaquille O’Neal
Favorite team: Oakland Raiders
Role model: My parents (Kevin and Pam Neveu) and both sets of grandparents.
Can’t miss TV show: Entourage
Most embarrassing moment: It has to be when I airballed a free throw last year at Cal State Los Angeles. I still get reminded about it.
Most memorable sports moment: Making the Elite Eight in 2005.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My dad. He coached me in all sports while I was growing up.
Celebrity you most want to meet: Jessica Beal
Favorite food: My grandparents seafood gumbo
Favorite movie: Anything with action and comedy.
Last good book you read: DaVinci Code
Other hobbies: Video games (X-box 360’s Call of Duty).
What’s in your CD player/iPOD: E-40
Best advice anyone has given you: Don’t sweat the small stuff!
Pre-game ritual or superstition: If Jello is on the menu or available, I have to have it.
What do you want to be doing in five years: Earning my MBA and working in the entertainment industry or sports franchise.
SHANAE BLAKE
Cal State San Bernardino
Basketball
The lowdown: The 5-foot-5 junior point guard is averaging 10.7 points and helped the Coyotes (19-4, 13-3) to a share of first place in the CCAA. Recorded a season-high of 20 points against Chico State earlier this season on the road. Totaled 17 with fie rebounds in Cal State’s most recent win. Redshirted last season at Cal State after coming over from Chaffey College where she played for two seasons and earned all-conference and all-state honors. Competed in basketball and track in high school, earning all-league honors in both.
Age: 22
Hometown: Pomona
High school: Chino High School, 2003
Major: Psychology
Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan
Favorite team: Cal State San Bernardino
Role model: My parents (Alvin and Tawana Blake)
Can’t miss TV show: Maury
Most embarrassing moment: Airballed two free throws in a row my freshman year in high school.
Most memorable sports moment: Being named MVP at the Orange Coast Tournament (while at Chaffey).
Person most influential in your athletic success: My parents
Celebrity you most want to meet: Michael Jordan/Cynthia Cooper
Favorite food: Shrimp
Favorite movie: Love and Basketball
Other hobbies: sleeping
What’s in your CD player/iPOD: Destiny’s Child
Best advice anyone has given you: Do what makes you happy. Don’t let other people make decisions for you.
What do you want to be doing in five years: Working withg disabled and disadvantaged youths.
- Compiled by Michelle Gardner
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Cal State San Bernardino senior Leslie Pickron picked up where she left off Friday night, tossing in 20 points and leading the Coyotes to a 74-60 win over Cal State Stanislaus Saturday at Coussoulis Arena.
The Riverside native went 7-for-9 from the field, including a stellar 6-for-8 from 3-point range. Her career-high point total was six points more than her previous best which came 24 hours earlier in the Coyotes upset of No. 13 Chico State. Her six 3-pointers tied a school record set by Christina Day in 2006.
“I had a good night last night but I rushed a few and missed some I should have made,” Pickron said. “So I came out today and worked a little on that and it paid off.”
The Coyotes (19-4, 13-3), who share first place with Chico State, trailed early 7-5 four minutes into the game but dominated after that. A putback by Shanae Blake tied the score and the host team went ahead for good on a free throw by Vanessa Wilt, making it 10-7.
Wilt scored inside and Pickron drained her first 3-pointer after that to make it 15-7 and Cal State never looked back.
The Coyotes led 36-24 at the half and stretch that in the early stages of the second half with Pickron’s presence paying off for the other Coyotes.
Her fifth bomb made it 51-37 with 12:12 left. Her success helped spread the Warriors defense and paved the way for two easy inside buckets by Wilt that gave the Coyotes an insurmountable 55-37 lead and the rout was on.
Pickron was followed closely in the scoring column by Wilt with 18 and Blake with 17. Blake hit a variety of shots but many came on dribble drives. Rachel Johnson also hit double figures with 10.
Wilt had a team-high 11 rebounds and three blocks with Krystal Urzua paving the way in assists with six.
All were glad to a solid performance following the upset the previous night that could help the Coyotes earn a spot in this week’s national rankings.
“We talked about not letting up after a game where we were on such an emotional high,” Pickron said. “To conme out tonight and lose would have made last night’s win pointless.”
The Warriors (6-16, 4-12) got 14 from Katie Busi and 12 points and eight boards by Christin Gowan.
Next up for the Coyotes is a Thursday home game against Cal Poly Pomona.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Pity the Cal State Stanislaus men’s basketball team.
It was the Warriors with the misfortune of squaring off against an angry Cal State San Bernardino team that was embarrassed by lowly Chico State 24 hours earlier.
The Coyotes looked more like their normal selves, walloping the visiting Warriors 89-68 Saturday at Coussoulis Arena. The win put the Coyotes (19-5, 12-4) back in first place by a game over UC San Diego and Humboldt State.
Cal State coach Jeff Oliver admitted Friday’s 63-60 loss was the most disappointing in his six-year tenure. The Wildcats were last in the 11-team conference, on an 11-game losing streak, winless on the road and had beaten only two Division II teams this season.
It was a definite blow to the storied program which is less than a year removed from an appearance in the national semifinal.
“My mind still isn’t quite right,” Oliver said. “I still can’t stop playing that one through my mind. It will sit with me for quite some time. But it wasn ice to come back the way we did.”
Players were thinking about it too.
“It was real quite in the shootaround today,” senior point guard Marlon Pierce said. “It was like everyone saw a ghost. We couldn’t believe that happened.”
The host team sent a message from the opening tip, starting the game with an 8-0 run. The Coyotes also led 24-4 nine minutes into the contest after a 3-pointer by David Reichel.
The Warriors (5-18, 4-12) made a run to cut it to 10 at 27-17 but the Coyotes finished the half with a 19-4 and held a commanding 46-21 cushion at the intermission.
“The energy was key,” senior Lance Ortiz added. “We came out quickly and sent a message. Getting off to a good start helped us settle down.”
Several statistics told the story as the No. 18 Coyotes vaunted defense forced 16 turnovers and held the Warriors to 32 percent (8-for-25) shooting from the field. The visitors ended up with 25 turnovers, with the Coyotes ceasing the full-court pressure in the last 15 minutes.
The Coyotes shot 47.2 percent (17-for-36) and had 14 assists with six just turnovers. The ended up 47.1 percent (32-for-68) for the game with Ortiz tallying 17 with eight assists, Pierce 15 and seldom-used reserve Ryan Kinney chipping in with a carfeer high 12.
The Coyotes led by as many as 34 at 65-31 afer a shot by Renardo Bass with 12 minutes left. The game got a little ragged after that with both teams substituting freely. Oliver used 15 players, 11 of whom figured in the scoring.
“Today it didn’t matter who it was,” Pierce added. “It could have been San Diego, Humboldt, whoever. We were on a mission.”
The Coyotes remain at home to face local rival Cal Poly Pomona Thursday. Cal State lost to their nemesis 66-6 in overtime earlier this season.
|
Cal State San Bernardino guard Leslie Pickron has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 11-17. The player of the week on the men's side is senior Devin Peal of Humboldt State.
|
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
The Cal State San Bernardino women’s basketball team will need to reverse a trend if it is to win its first California Collegiate Athletic Association title.
The Coyotes have lost eight straight games to Chico State and only one of those was competitive. But that is the foe that will be marching into Coussoulis Arena for a 5:30 showdown Friday.
The stakes are high with the Coyotes (17-4, 11-3) one game behind frontrunner Chico State (19-4, 12-2) in the CCAA standings. The Wildcats also are ranked 13th nationally and second in the Division II West Region poll, one spot ahead of Cal State.
Even the typically reserved Coach Kevin Becker acknowledges the importance of the game.
“A lot of times a game may not seem important at the time, then you look back on it,” he said. “But if you just look at the standings and what is on the line it probably is the biggest game any of these girls have played here.”
Chico leads the all-time series 16-7, with Cal State’s last win coming Feb. 27, 2004. Five of the eight in that stretch have been decided by 19 points or more.
In the first round of conference play the Wildcats defeated the Coyotes 70-59, a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Chico led 35-12 at the half and scored the first 10 points of the second half with the Coyotes missing their first nine shots from the field.
Becker doesn’t think there will be any lingering effects.
“We have played a lot of games since then,” he said. “You look at what you did wrong and move on. These girls aren’t the kind that are losing sleep over it.”
Becker concedes that it’s a tough matchup for his team, which relies on a finesse game. The Wildcats are bigger, stronger and deeper at every position. They are led by guard Audriana Spencer (14.3 points per game), last week’s conference player of the week.
“Their wings are 5-9, 5-10 and they’re strong. Their guards may be 5-5 or 5-6 but they’re solid,” he said. “It definitely is a matchup problem for us.”
The Coyotes are led by senior center Vanessa Wilt (21.3 ppg, 13.6 rpg) who ranks second in the nation in rebounding and fourth in scoring and has 20 double-doubles in 21 outings. But she is averaging just 11 points and seven rebounds in four previous games against the Wildcats, fouling out of three of them.
The formula for success is simple: Becker will be looking for his perimeter shooters to knock down some shots to take the pressure of Wilt inside. The key trio there consists of juniors Rachel Johnson (7.4 ppg) and Shanae Blake (10.5 ppg) and sophomore Krystal Urzua (8.3 ppg). Blake knocked down 20 in the first meeting, all of those coming in the last 14 minutes of the game.
Meanwhile the goal for men’s coach Jeff Oliver’s team will be to not get complacent. Ranked second in the region and 18th nationally, the Coyotes (18-4, 11-3) will be facing a Wildcat team (5-16, 1-13) that has dropped 11 straight games and has not yet won on the road.
The Coyotes currently have a one-game lead over UC San Diego and a two-game edge over defending champion Humboldt State and surprising San Francisco State.
“The bottom line is if we take care of business on our home floor we can do no worse than a tie for the conference championship. That is the light at the end of the tunnel,” Oliver said.
Senior point guard Marlon Pierce has been the catalyst, averaging 15.5 points and shooting 48 percent from long distance in conference play.
Cal State Stanislaus will come in for a doubleheader on Saturday.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
At this point of the season, Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball coach Greg Kamansky is realistic. His Broncos aren’t going to win a conference title and they aren’t likely to finish ranked in the West Region.
But they will still have some something to play for when they square off with Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State this weekend at Kellogg Gymnasium.
The Broncos (9-10, 8-6) head into play tonight against Stanislaus (4-17, 3-11) fifth in the 11-team California Collegiate Athletic Association with six games left, including three at home.
The top eight teams will make the conference tournament but the top four get to host a first-round game. That is important for the Broncos because the tournament openers will be held Tuesday and they end the regular season on the road the previous weekend far north at Humboldt State.
Winning the conference tournament is the Broncos’ only chance at a berth in the regional now.
“We’re not looking ahead,” Kamansy said. “I know the cliche and it sounds corny, but we are only thinking about one game at a time. We’re not good enough to be thinking that far ahead. We need to win this one, then worry about the next one.”
The Broncos rely on their defense, which ranks second in the conference (64 points per game). The offense has struggled, ranking last (63.9 ppg) despite having one of the conference’s premier scorers.
Junior forward Larry Gordon is still among the contenders for conference player of the year honors, although his candidacy will be hurt if the Broncos keep sinking in the standings.
The Montclair High School alum is second in the conference in scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.8) and fourth in free-throw shooting (.838).
The only other player in double figures is senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis (15 ppg). Others have had some solid moments but have not been consistent.
The Broncos have lost three of their last four games, splitting last weekend’s road trip. The Broncos beat Cal State Los Angeles for the second time but lost to Dominguez Hills, also for the second time.
The biggest problem has been ballhandling.
“We had 16 turnovers in the first half of our last game. That isn’t acceptable,” Kamansky said. “If we solve that problem we can play with anyone but I don’t know if it’s solvable.”
The seventh-place Cal Poly women are playing for much the same thing under first-year coach Scott Davis. The Broncos (9-11, 6-8) have been stellar in wins over quality foes such as defending West Region champion UC San Diego and Sonoma State, both of whom were nationally ranked earlier this season.
They also played an outstanding half against undefeated Seattle Pacific, which is currently ranked first in the region.
But the Broncos also have an unexplainable loss one to Cal State Monterey Bay (2-19, 1-13).
Senior Vanessa Dominguez (13.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.2 spg) has been the Broncos’ most consistent player. Freshman Reyana Colson (11.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.9 spg) and Andrea Ohlssen (10.1 ppg) are also in double figures.
The Broncos are 10th in shooting percentage (.364) and ninth in field-goal percentage defense (.417).
Tonight’s men’s game will be simulcast on the Broncos’ athletic department Web site. The game Saturday night will not be but can be heard through the Chico State Web site.
The Golden Eagles’ pitching woes continued as the staff gave up ten or more runs for the fourth time in their last five games.
Cal State L.A. shortstop Darrick Hale led the contest off with a homer to right, his third round-tripper of the season before Max Moya belted a two-run shot, his second of the year, later in the inning.
The Golden Eagles would pick up another run as Tyler Warmerdam singled home designated hitter Noe Flores with two outs in the fifth.
Golden Eagle starter Isaac Morales put on an outstanding performance allowing just four hits and one run in six and two third innings on the hill, before giving way to Cal State L.A.’s bullpen.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Cal State San Bernardino began to chip away at the Golden Eagles’ lead, scoring three runs before the stretch.
CSULA would briefly retake the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Hale, who singled earlier in the frame, scored his second run of the game on Moya’s single to left center. Moya added an insurance run, scoring on Christian Ramirez’ double down the line.
In the eighth inning, Nico Moreno came in from his familiar spot at third base to take over pitching duties for Cal State L.A. He would get through the inning allowing only two hits and took the mound at the top of the ninth.
With the Golden Eagles up, 6-4, heading into the final inning, the Coyotes’ Johnnie Haas connected off of Moreno to begin Cal State San Bernardino’s final assault on Cal State L.A. The Coyotes went on to score five more runs before Moreno moved back to third base to make way for Yuichiro Fujiwara. Fujiwara was able to work his way out of the inning, but the damage was done and Cal State LA. was unable to retaliate in their final at-bats.
The same two teams will be in non-conference action in San Bernardino with single games on Friday and Saturday.
| Rank | Institution (1st Place) |
Previous |
W-L |
Pts |
| 1. | Delta State (26) |
1 |
20-0 |
673 |
| 2. | Seattle Pacific |
2 |
20-0 |
647 |
| 3. | North Dakota |
3 |
21-1 |
611 |
| 4. | South Dakota (1) |
4 |
20-1 |
600 |
| 5. | Concordia (Minn.) |
5 |
22-1 |
567 |
| 6. | Drury |
6 |
19-2 |
529 |
| 7. | Holy Family |
7 |
22-0 |
522 |
| 8. | Fort Lewis |
9 |
22-1 |
471 |
| 9. | Indiana (Pa.) |
T10 |
20-2 |
440 |
| 10. | West Georgia |
T10 |
21-2 |
433 |
| 11. | Alaska-Anchorage |
8 |
20-3 |
430 |
| 12. | Arkansas Tech |
15 |
18-3 |
329 |
| 13. | Chico State |
14 |
19-4 |
317 |
| 14. | Valdosta State |
13 |
19-4 |
310 |
| 15. | Stonehill |
16 |
18-4 |
288 |
| 16. | Anderson |
17 |
20-2 |
273 |
| 17. | West Texas A&M |
12 |
17-4 |
233 |
| 18. | Washburn |
19 |
17-4 |
206 |
| 19. | Fairmont State |
21 |
19-4 |
144 |
| 20. | Emporia State |
22 |
16-5 |
138 |
| 21. | Franklin Pierce |
23 |
19-4 |
129 |
| 22. | Hillsdale |
NR |
19-3 |
98 |
| 23. | Augustana |
25 |
20-5 |
91 |
| 24. | Michigan Tech |
20 |
18-5 |
81 |
| 25. | Francis Marion |
18 |
17-4 |
67 |
Dropped Out: Minnesota State-Mankato
Others Receiving Votes: Tusculum 42; Assumption 20; Columbus State 18; Missouri Science & Tech 11; Augusta State 9; St. Mary's 9; Clayton State 8; Indianapolis 8; Minnesota State-Mankato 7; Wingate 6; Bowie State 3; Tampa 3; California State-San Bernardino 2; Texas A&M-Commerce 1; South Carolina-Aiken 1.
|
Rank |
Institution (1st place) | W-L | Pts | Previous |
| 1 | Bentley (6) | 22-0 | 198 | 1 |
| 2 | Grand Valley State (2) | 26-0 | 194 | 2 |
| 3 | Winona State | 25-1 | 184 | 3 |
| 4 | Alaska-Anchorage | 19-3 | 176 | 5 |
| 5 | Northern State | 22-2 | 166 | 6 |
| 6 | South Carolina-Aiken | 19-2 | 162 | 7 |
| 7 | Findlay | 20-3 | 149 | 8 |
| 8 | Gannon | 21-2 | 140 | 10 |
| 9 | Drury | 18-3 | 130 | 11 |
| 10 | South Dakota | 19-2 | 128 | 4 |
| 11 | West Liberty State | 17-2 | 102 | 13 |
| 12 | Augusta State | 17-4 | 95 | 16 |
| 13 | Tampa | 16-4 | 91 | 17 |
| 14 | C.W. Post | 20-2 | 90 | 14 |
| 15 | Southwest Baptist | 17-4 | 80 | 15 |
| 16 | Mount Olive | 17-4 | 79 | 18 |
| 17 | Tarleton State | 19-3 | 78 | 12 |
| 18 | Cal State-San Bernardino | 18-4 | 72 | 19 |
| 19 | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 18-4 | 55 | 9 |
| 20 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 17-3 | 44 | 23 |
| 21 | Rollins | 17-4 | 42 | 21 |
| 22 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 21-3 | 27 | 24 |
| 23 | Florida Southern | 18-6 | 22 | NR |
| 24 | Nebraska-Omaha | 18-4 | 13 | NR |
| 25 | Fort Lewis | 18-4 | 11 | 20 |
Others Receiving Votes: Minnesota State-Mankato 10, North Alabama 10, California (Pa.) 8, Central Oklahoma 8, Chaminade 8, Northwest Missouri State 6, St. Rose 6, Benedict 5, Virginia Union 5, Seattle Pacific 4, Wingate 4, Pittsburgh-Johnstown 1.
In four games against the Golden Eagles, Puckett batted .467 (7-for-15) with six runs scored and six RBI while slugging 1.067 and posting a .579 on-base percentage. Additionally, Puckett hit safely in all four games and had three multiple-hit games while also clubbing three home runs, including two in the series finale.
The Toros, who improved to 3-4 with the three wins over their cross-town rival, take to the air next, making the trip across the Pacific to take on Hawai’i Pacific for a six-game set in Honolulu before returning home on March 1 to host a twinbill against Cal State San Bernardino.
SAN BERNARDINO - Senior guard Marlon Pierce (San Diego / Helix HS / Cuyamaca College) today was selected as the Wilson / CCAA conference mens basketball player of the week for his efforts in leading Cal State San Bernardino to two wins over the weekend.
Pierce averaged 21.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and shot 70 percent from three-point range in helping the Coyotes sweep Cal State Dominguez Hills (67-58) and Cal State L.A. (80-70) to protect their one-game lead in the CCAA standings with six games remaining in the regular season.
In the win over the Toros, Pierce scored 26 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished off two assists and made two steals in 31 minutes. He was nine of 15 from the field, including four of six from three-point range and he sank all four free throw attempts.
With the Coyotes ahead by only three points at 55-52 in the final minutes, Pierce hit three straight shots from beyond the arc to boost CSUSB into a 64-54 lead to ice the game with 2:19 remaining.
On Saturday, against Cal State L.A., Pierce contributed 17 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal in the win over the Golden Eagles. He made five of 10 shots from the floor, including three of four attempts from downtown and again made all four of his foul shots.
Overall, he was 14 of 25 from the field, seven of 10 from the three and 8-8 from the foul line.
In his last five games, Pierce has shot 60 percent from the three (18 of 30) and made 14 of 16 free throws (87 percent). He is averaging 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and four assists per game in 22 games this season with 42 steals. He is shooting 44 percent from the three (40 of 91) and 78 percent from the foul line (49 of 63).
He scored a career-high 29 points in CSUSBs loss at UC San Diego on Jan. 19.
In 14 CCAA contests, Pierce is averaging 15.5 points a game to lead the team and had made 33 of 68 three-pointers (48 percent), has an overall field goal percentage of 49.7 and his accuracy at the foul line in CCAA play is 82.4 percent (28 of 34).
The Coyotes, 18-4 overall and 11-3 in the CCAA, are ranked No. 2 in the West Region and No. 19 in the nation heading into this week's home games against Chico State on Friday and Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday night.
Pierce averaged 21.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and shot 70 percent from three-point range in helping the Coyotes sweep Cal State Dominguez Hills (67-58) and Cal State L.A. (80-70) to protect their one-game lead in the CCAA standings with six games remaining in the regular season.
In the win over the Toros, Pierce scored 26 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished off two assists and made two steals in 31 minutes. He was nine of 15 from the field, including four of six from three-point range and he sank all four free throw attempts.
With the Coyotes ahead by only three points at 55-52 in the final minutes, Pierce hit three straight shots from beyond the arc to boost CSUSB into a 64-54 lead to ice the game with 2:19 remaining.
On Saturday, against Cal State L.A., Pierce contributed 17 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal in the win over the Golden Eagles. He made five of 10 shots from the floor, including three of four attempts from downtown and again made all four of his foul shots.
Overall, he was 14 of 25 from the field, seven of 10 from the three and 8-8 from the foul line.
In his last five games, Pierce has shot 60 percent from the three (18 of 30) and made 14 of 16 free throws (87 percent). He is averaging 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and four assists per game in 22 games this season with 42 steals. He is shooting 44 percent from the three (40 of 91) and 78 percent from the foul line (49 of 63).
He scored a career-high 29 points in CSUSBs loss at UC San Diego on Jan. 19.
In 14 CCAA contests, Pierce is averaging 15.5 points a game to lead the team and had made 33 of 68 three-pointers (48 percent), has an overall field goal percentage of 49.7 and his accuracy at the foul line in CCAA play is 82.4 percent (28 of 34).
The Coyotes, 18-4 overall and 11-3 in the CCAA, are ranked No. 2 in the West Region and No. 19 in the nation heading into this weeks home games against Chico State on Friday and Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday night.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
When Ivan Johnson played at Cal State San Bernardino, he often talked about playing in the NBA — so much so that it irritated Coyotes coach Jeff Oliver, who thought his star should be worried about getting through college first.
But a year later the 6-foot-8 center is close to realizing that dream. The San Antonio native is putting up solid numbers with the Anaheim Arsenal, the Clippers’ affiliate in the NBA’s Developmental League, including 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over the past 17 games.
Arsenal President Cliff Dochterman said the team has fielded calls from “several” NBA teams asking about the 23-year-old big man. Coach Reggie Geary, a former assistant at Arizona under Lute Olson, also thinks Johnson has that potential.
“If he keeps maturing as an individual and working hard on the court, the sky is the limit for Ivan,” Geary said. “He has the skills and has really started coming into his own here.”
A year ago Johnson shouldn’t have been thinking about the NBA. He had worn out his welcome at four colleges — two of them junior colleges and two of them Division I schools, although he only played at one of them.
His last stop on the major college circuit was the University of Oregon, but a verbal altercation with Ducks head coach Ernie Kent spelled the end of that stay.
He ended up in San Bernardino through an acquaintance of Oliver’s. The coach had changed his recruiting practices, putting more emphasis on character and team chemistry; adding Johnson to the mix seemed risky. But he thought he had quality individuals around Johnson that might serve as a positive influence.
Although there were struggles along the way, Oliver was confident Johnson would mature.
“I had leverage over him none of his other coaches had and that was the ability to end his career,” Oliver said. “He always found another school willing to take him because he was so talented. But he was a senior so it was the end of the line. He was out of options.”
Johnson weighed more than 300 pounds when he arrived at Cal State and his play suffered. That didn’t surprise Oliver, who said Division I bouncebacks often fail to live up to their billing in Division II — either because they’re sulking about playing at a lower level, or think they can get by with less effort because of the lower level.
Johnson seemed to fit that mold, too. Then one day Oliver called Johnson into his office and played a phone message from an NBA representative looking for film. Oliver emphasized that the only footage he had to send would hinder Johnson’s cause, not help it.
Slowly, Johnson became the player the Coyotes were hoping for. He scored in double figures the final 12 games of the season and worked his average up from 12 to 15.5 points a game. The effort led the Coyotes to a West Region championship and the national semifinals for the first time in the program’s history.
Not only did Johnson’s play improve, so did his demeanor and his once-combustable attitude. He stopped sniping at referees, opposing players and fans who heckled him. The more focused he became, the better he played.
“His biggest improvement was not in his skills. He was a good player before he got here,” Oliver said. “The biggest difference was his maturity and becoming a team player. Before it was always about Ivan but he finally learned to be a good teammate.”
After leaving Cal State, Johnson began debating his options.
“I really wanted to go play in Europe, but I didn’t think I was ready,” Johnson said after a recent practice at American Sports Center in Anaheim.
Geary remembered Johnson from his days in the Pac-10 so he knew of his physical talent. But he also knew his reputation. His first call was to Oliver.
“I didn’t sugarcoat it because it was my credibility at stake,” Oliver said. “I told him he will test you. But I also told him how much he matured in the short time he was here.”
With some of those fears relieved, the Arsenal made Johnson their second-round draft pick. Geary, who took over as head coach 25 games into the 2006-2007 season, said many players in the league have similar backgrounds.
“This league is a league of second chances. We usually don’t have a problem with guys because they know they may not get a third,” he said. “We told him he was coming here with a clean slate and at this stage of his life he could still write his own story. It was up to him.”
Just when his professional career looked to be taking off, Johnson took another blow when his mother, Sandra, passed away while the team was in training camp. He was on a flight back to Texas when the word came.
Johnson’s father hadn’t been part of the picture, so she had been his sole source of support. The two spoke every day, Johnson said, and her picture is tattooed on his bicep with the words “Without you, there is no me.”
Life has been an emotional rollercoaster since then. He missed six games in the preseason but returned to the team determined to play well in her honor.
Like at Cal State, Johnson struggled early with the Arsenal, averaging 3.3 points in the first six games. He chalks that up to a difference in stature — he scrimmages against a 7-footer every day in practice, Marcus Campbell, and spent much of Friday’s game against the Lakers’ affiliate defending 6-11 Darryl Watkins.
“Dudes here are big,” said Johnson, now down to a playing weight of 240. “I am not the biggest guy anymore. It it changes your shot, everything. I have to be an energy guy now. It’s not just about being big.”
Johnson, who wears No. 32 just like he did at Cal State, is averaging 13.5 points and 7.1 rebounds for the season despite the slow start. He scored 43 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in two games last weekend.
Each season, the D-League holds a showcase in which all 14 teams play at the same location where NBA teams can scout future players. The Arsenal squared off with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Johnson stole the show with 26 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
This season, 44 players who spent last season in the D-League were on NBA opening-day rosters. A total of 11 have been called up NBA teams this season including Johnson’s teammate Guillermo Diaz, who got two 10-day contracts with the Clippers last month.
Geary said Johnson might get a 10-day look at the end of the season by a team out of contention. He would like to see Johnson compete in the NBA’s summer league next season to see how he does against more established players.
Johnson admits he thinks about how close he is.
“I think about it every day,” he said.
Some things never change.
Junior Larry Gordon (Pomona), the CCAA's leading scorer, earned his 16th straight double-figure scoring night with 12, but was held to just two points in the second half and without a field goal in the final 20 minutes. He had 10 rebounds to record his 10th double-double for the Broncos, who dropped to 8-8 overall and 7-4 in the CCAA.
Senior Angelo Tsagarakis (Auffreville, France) scored 11 points with three 3-pointers and sophomore Donnelle Booker (San Bernardino) had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Broncos, who saw their two-game winning streak snapped.
The Otters (5-12, 4-7) shot 58 percent from the floor (29-of-50) and totaled 17 assists. They grabbed the lead for good with 6 minutes and 27 seconds remaining in the first half at 21-20. They led 37-27 at halftime and enjoyed leads as large as 20 inside the game's final 10 minutes.
Augie Johnson scored a game-high 14 points for the Otters.
The Broncos, who were ranked eighth in Thursday's NCAA West Regional poll, take on San Francisco State on Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Drew Valenzuela’s two-run home run
in the second inning proved enough for Cal State San
Bernardino as the Coyotes defeated Cal State Dominguez
Hills, 2-1, Friday in the 2008 season opening baseball
game for both teams.
The non-conference mini-series continues Saturday
with a doubleheader at the Toros home field in Carson,
starting at 11 a.m.
The Coyotes got strong pitching from three hurlers.
Senior right-hander Matt Long went 7.2 innings,
yielding all seven Toros hits and one earned run while
striking out seven and walking just one. Michael Leal
came on in the eighth to get the third out with the
tying run at second. Ward Minich retired the Toros in
order in the ninth for the save.
Matt Hopps made one bad pitch for the Toros and it
cost him and his teammates. In the second inning Kyle
Walton led off with a single through the right side
and Valenzuela smoked a liner over the left-field wall
at Arrowhead Credit Union Park for a 2-0 Coyotes lead.
Hopps went 5.1 innings, gave up just four hits,
walked four and struck out six in a commendable
effort. Phillip Van Doren finished up with 2.2 innings
of work, allowing just two hits and striking out four
Coyotes without walking anybody.
The Toros got their only run in the eighth when
senior catcher Martin Conde (3 for 3) led off with a
two-strike double to right center. After two outs,
junior shortstop Cody Puckett brought Conde home with
a single to center to end Long’s bid for a shutout.
Leal came out of the bullpen, walked a batter to put
Puckett on second base, then struck out Jeff Cullen to
end the frame.
Dominguez Hills stranded seven runners and the
Coyotes eight. Puckett had seven assists at shortstop
for the Toros. Second baseman Brent Planck had five
for the Coyotes.
Left-hander Isaac Morales threw perfect baseball for 3 2/3 innings and Cal State Los Angeles scored two runs on consecutive sacrifice flies in the third inning as the visiting Eagles defeated Cal Poly Pomona 3-1 in a nonconference game Friday at Scolinos Field.
Morales, who earned all-region honors in 2007, struck out three without a walk and allowed two hits in six innings to pick up the win in the season opener for both clubs.
“Morales was as impressive as he was the last few years,’’ Bronco coach Mike Ashman said. “He’s a tough guy to start off the season against.’’
The Broncos (0-1) answered with their only run of the game in the seventh inning. Senior A.J. Cavaletto (
Cavaletto led the Broncos with a 3-for-4 performance, all singles. Sophomore Manny Navarro (
Bronco starter Jarrett Attard threw five innings, allowing three runs, two earned. He struck out three and allowed six hits without a walk. Relievers Sean Moreno (
“Our bullpen did a good job of keeping us in the game,’’ Ashman said. “Our bats will be better once we get some more at-bats.’’
