February 2009 Archives
Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team to its ninth straight game. Jahn was one of four player indouble figures. Austin Swift contributed 13, Robert Summers 12 and
Larry Gordon 11. Gordon also turned in a game-high 11 rebounds.
The win keeps the Broncos (18-6, 14-5) tied for second with Cal
State San Bernardino, one game behind Dominguez Hills, a 70-60 winner
over Sonoma State. The win also avenges a 66-62 loss to the Gators at
Kellogg Gymnasium as the Gators were the last team to beat the
Bronvos.
Cal Poly shot 48.9 percent from the field (22-for-49) and finished
with a huge 44-23 advantage on the boards.
Robert Hayes of San Francisco State (14-12, 8-11) led all scorers
with 22.
Clutch free-throw shooting and some key shots from long distance made
the difference as the Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team
turned back Cal State Monterey Bay 85-77 Thursday at the Kelp Bed.
The win keeps the Coyotes (16-9, 14-5) tied with Cal Poly Pomona one
game behind Cal State Dominguez Hills with one game left in the
regular season.
Michael Frazier came off the bench with a carer-high 27 points,
including an impressive 7-for-9 showing from long distance. Brandon
Brown added 24 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Devin
Montgomery also came up big with 14 points and eight assists.
Frazier's seventh 3-pointer of the night came with 3:21 left and gave
the Coyotes a 76-75 lead. They were up 79-77 when Brown hit a jumper
to give the visitors an 81-77 lead wth 1:47 to play.
Both teams missed shots their next possession. The Coyotes put the
game away at the free-throw line where they have had trouble in the
last four games.
The Otters' Steve Monreal shot an air ball on a
3-pointer and the Coyotes grabbed the rebound. Lawrence Tyson made a
pair of free throws and Tim Denson sealed the victory with a pair
seconds later.
The Coyotes ended up going 21-for-22 from the line. They shot 50
percent from the field (27-for-54).
Cal State San Bernardino guard Devin Montgomery has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of February 16-22.
Montgomery, a 6-foot senior from Los Angeles, Calif., played a key role in helping the Coyotes to a pair of victories that enabled them to stay within one game of the CCAA lead heading into the final week of the season. The CSUSB senior averaged 27.0 points and 4.5 assists as Cal State San Bernardino posted wins over Humboldt State and Sonoma State.
In Friday's 86-84 overtime victory over Humboldt State, Montgomery scored 25 points, collected three assists and a steal in 43 minutes. He scored the Coyotes last six points of the game, making four free throws and scoring on lay-up following a steal.
Montgomery came back on Saturday to tally a career-high 29 points, including 21 in the second half, and totaled five assists in a 92-83 come-from-behind victory over Sonoma State.
Cal State San Bernardino concludes the regular season this week with road contests at Humboldt State and Sonoma State on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Wilson CCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week:
Nov. 17-23: Matt Ibewiro (Cal State Stanislaus);
Nov. 24-30: Andy Bocian (Chico State);
Dec. 1-7: Alex Thomas (San Francisco State);
Dec. 8-14: Robert Hayes (San Francisco State);
Dec. 15-21: Larry Gordon (Cal Poly Pomona);
Dec. 29 - Jan. 3: Brandon Brown (Cal State San Bernardino);
Jan. 4-11: Joe Mitchell (Cal State Monterey Bay);
Jan. 12-18: Austin Swift (Cal Poly Pomona);
Jan. 19-25: Jerrell Smith (Cal State Dominguez Hills);
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Brandon Brown (Cal State San Bernardino);
Feb. 2-8: Brandon Brown (Cal State San Bernardino);
Feb. 9-15: Michael Hernandez (Cal State Dominguez Hills);
Feb. 16-22: Devin Montgomery (Cal State San Bernardino).
Staff Writer
POMONA - The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos were hoping to send their
four seniors off in grand fashion. They did just that upending
visiting Humboldt State 68-59 Saturday at Kellogg Gymnasium.
It was the Broncos eighth straight win and gave coach Greg
Kamansky his 100th on his home floor in 118 tries. It also kept Cal
Poly tied for second in the CCAA with Cal State San Bernardino, one
game behind Dominguez Hills.
``It was ugly but effective,'' Kamansky said. ``We'll take it. It
was pretty physical and we got a lot of guys banged up but we might
as well learn how to play like that because when you get to the
playoffs they tend to let things go.''
The contest pitted two top-notch CCAA foes battling for position
in the West Region poll which determines the eight postseason
qualifiers. The Broncos (17-6, 13-5) started the week fourth while
the Lumberjacks (19-9, 12-6) were sixth so the win is big for Cal
Poly's postseason hopes.
``It was our last game against a ranked foe and that mean a lot,''
Kamansky added. ``We still have to go on the road for the last two
but winning this puts us in good shape if we can take care of
business the last weekend.''
Junior wing Austin Swift scored a team-high 16 points and snagged
eight rebounds. Walter Thompson, one of four seniors playing their
last home game, added 15 points, including a big 3-pointer late in
the game. Larry Gordon was held to nine but grabbed his usual 11
rebounds and had three steals.
The pivotal run came with the Broncos nursing a 43-41 lead and 7:49
to go. Cal Poly tallied the next six points, aided by two Humboldt
turnovers. A putback by Gordon off a miss by Swift made it 49-41.
Again the Lumberjacks came back via the long ball with a trey by
Zac Teidman getting the visitors closer at 49-44 with 4:26 to play.
But the Broncos answered with another, this one giving them
breathing room for good. Dwayne Fells scored on a putback and the
Broncos got a chance to add to their lead when the Lumberjacks Kyle
Baxter missed two free throws.
Seconds later Thompson drained a 3-pointer with 2:43 left to put
the Broncos up 54-44. The home team was never really threatened again.
The Broncos shot 45.2 percent and finished the game off at the
free-throw line. They made 27 of 34 tries for the game, many of those
coming late with Humboldt trying to stop the clock.
The Broncos got off to a quick start and led 12-2 five minutes
into the game. But the Lumberjacks struck back via the long ball
getting three 3-pointers in the span of 70 seconds, two of them by
Kevin Atkins, getting with one at 12-11.
The first half was later tied at 26 with 4:25 to go but the
Lumberjacks reeled off the last five points of the half and led 31-26
at the break.
The Lumberjacks tallied 19 turnovers, one night after totaling 23
in an overtime loss at Cal State San Bernardino.
The Broncos finish the season on the road, traveling to San
Francisco State on Thursday and Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday.
|
CAL STATE SB 92
The win keeps the Coyotes (15-9, 13-5) in second |
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team rode the strength of inside play from sophomore Tobias Jahn and the Broncos earned a 59-41 victory over Sonoma State before a crowd of 609 at Kellogg Gym on Friday night.
The victory was CPP's seventh straight, its best winning streak since the 2006-07 season when it won eight in a row. The Broncos are 16-6 overall and 12-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Sonoma State, which entered play with a four-game winning streak, is 11-13, 7-10.
Jahn hit 5-of-7 from inside the paint in the first half as the Broncos took a 28-17 halftime lead. Senior Larry Gordon added nine points in the opening 20 minutes and freshman Dwayne Fells added seven.
The Broncos began the second half solid defensively as Sonoma State went scoreless until Ben Washington hit a layup with 12:04 remaining and CPP led 32-19.
Cal Poly Pomona held leads as large as 20 on three separate occasions to post the comfortable win.
The only question was if CPP could hold an opponent to less than 40 points for the second straight night and third time this season. Prior to this season, CPP had held an opponent to less than 40 only seven times since the school began its recorded history with the 1961-62 season.
Steven Pratt hit a 3-pointer with 9 seconds left to lift Sonoma State above the 40-point mark.
Leading the way for the Broncos was Gordon, who finished with a game-high 15 points with seven rebounds. Jahn finished with 12 points - his only points of the second half came on a breakaway slam dunk. He also had nine rebounds. Seven players played at least 20 minutes.
The Broncos, who are ranked fourth in this week's NCAA West Region poll, take on No. 5 Humboldt State at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
CAL POLY POMONA 59, SONOMA STATE 41
SONOMA STATE (11-13, 7-10 CCAA)
PRATT, Steven 4-9 1-2 10; NELSON, Mike 2-5 0-0 6; WASHINGTON, Ben 3-4 0-0 6;
SANDOVAL, James 3-4 0-1 6; SHANDERA, Kyle 2-5 0-2 4; LINK, Gerred 1-4 0-0 3;
WRIGHT, Duane 1-4 1-2 3; GARNER, Keith 1-4 0-0 2; CALLEGARI, Stephen 0-0 1-2
1; HARRISON, Curtis 0-4 0-0 0; McROBERTS, Casey 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 17-48 3-9
41.
CAL POLY POMONA (16-6, 12-5 CCAA)
GORDON, Larry 6-11 2-3 15; JAHN, Tobias 6-9 0-0 12; NASSER, Dahir 2-6 3-4 8;
FELLS, Dwayne 3-6 1-2 7; SWIFT, Austin 1-3 3-5 5; SUMMERS, Robert 2-6 1-3 5;
THOMPSON, Walter 1-5 2-2 4; MIYASAKA, Jimmy 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 22-49 12-19
59.
Sonoma State.................. 17 24 - 41
Cal Poly Pomona............... 28 31 - 59
3-point goals--Sonoma State 4-15 (NELSON, Mike 2-4; LINK, Gerred 1-3; PRATT,
Steven 1-3; McROBERTS, Casey 0-5), Cal Poly Pomona 3-11 (MIYASAKA, Jimmy
1-2; NASSER, Dahir 1-2; GORDON, Larry 1-3; SWIFT, Austin 0-1; SUMMERS,
Robert 0-1; THOMPSON, Walter 0-2). Fouled out--Sonoma State-None, Cal Poly
Pomona-None. Rebounds--Sonoma State 30 (PRATT, Steven 6), Cal Poly Pomona 37
(JAHN, Tobias 9). Assists--Sonoma State 8 (NELSON, Mike 2; PRATT, Steven 2),
Cal Poly Pomona 16 (NASSER, Dahir 4; SWIFT, Austin 4). Total fouls--Sonoma
State 17, Cal Poly Pomona 13. Technical fouls--Sonoma State-None, Cal Poly
Pomona-None. A-609
Humboldt
The Lumberjacks improved to 18-6 on the season and 13-4 in the CCAA to remain in second place. The West Region No. 5-ranked 'Jacks were led by Brittney Taylor with 16 points and six rebounds. Andrea Bobic contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
It was the fifth straight win for HSU and their ninth in their last 10 games.
Katie Franci had another all around game with nine points, six assists and a team-high seven rebounds for
The Coyotes, coming off back-to-back wins over regionally-ranked UC San Diego and Cal Poly Pomona, dipped to 9-14 on the season and 7-10 in the CCAA. CSUSB was led by junior Krystal Urzua with 16 points and four steals. Jaclyn Rainville and Artaisha Waters each had eight points. Rainville led the team in rebounding with eight.
HSU shot 45 percent from the field (27 of 60) and outrebounded the Coyotes 41-37, forcing 16 turnovers. CSUSB had a miserable night from the field, shooting just 24 percent (12 of 50) but the CCAA's worst free throw shooting team (60%) came through at the foul line, sinking 22 of 29 (76 percent), factor that kept them in the game until the final minutes.
The 'Jacks bolted to a 22-9 lead with 11:30 left in the first half and led 31-15 with 7:44 to go before intermission, but the Coyotes went on a 10-0 run to close the gap to six (31-25) on a three-pointer by Urzua and a free throw by Emily Vore.
The Coyotes actually caught HSU and took the lead 35-34 at the 18:07 mark of the second half on a layup by Vore and Urzua sank a free throw at 15:26 for a 36-34 lead.
Paige Peterson hit a jumper to tie it at 36-all with 14:51 to go and then HSU went on to score the next 11 points for a 47-36 edge a Taylor's layup with 10:25 left. Alaba's three-pointer with 7:31 left booted the lead to 55-39 and the Coyotes never got closer than 13 points after that.
CSUSB will host
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - This season nothing has come easy for the Cal
State San Bernardino men's basketball team. So it probably isn't
surprising that the Coyotes lost a nine-point lead late and needed
overtime before prevailing 86-84 over visiting Humboldt State Friday
at Coussoulis Arena.
The Coyotes (14-9, 12-5) came in desperate for a win after losing
its last two games and falling out of the West Region poll. The win
move puts the Coyotes in second place in the CCAA with three games to
go but they still have to get back into the regional rankings.
``We were desperate and we're still desperate,'' Coyotes coach Jeff
Oliver said. ``It's still the little things. If we make a free throw
it doesn't come down to that.''
The Coyotes led 86-81 with just 20 seconds left but that lead was
not safe. The Jacks (19-8, 12-5) got a 3-pointer from Zac Tiedman
with seven second left to draw closer 86-84. Brown was then fouled
immediately and he missed both free throws, giving the Jacks life
because they got the loose ball.
The visitors rushed up court and got the ball into the hands of
Kyle Baxter who drove the lane and laid it in as time expired. But
the game-tying basket was waved off as Baxter was called for charging.
The Coyotes went 24-for-43 at the line, their third straight
sub-par showing from there. They missed several other tries late that
prevented them from putting the game away.
Brown, who scored 29 points but went only 5 for 13 from the
stripe, also missed two with the Coyotes up 83-77 in overtime as
well as two in regulation with the game even at 69 and a minute left.
The Coyotes went ahead 72-69 as Lawrence Tyson drained a
3-pointer from the corner with 30 seconds left. But that lead too was
shortlived as the Lumberjacks came back with Ernie Spada countering
with a trey over the outstretched arms of Tim Denson to even the
score again, this time at 72 with 12 seconds remaining.
``We didn't make it a point of telling them to no three's,''
Oliver said of the play. ``We were assuming they knew it but it was
bad to give that up.''
The Coyotes had the last shot but couldn't capitalize as Denson
turned the ball over without the home team getting a shot off,
returning possession to the Jacks with five seconds to play. Spada
again went for the last shot but his shot was short and off the front
of the rim, sending the game into overtime.
Brown also had 12 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and two
assists. Devin Montgomery added 25, four off his season-high. Denson
collected six assists as the Coyotes shot 45.2 percent from the field.
Kevin Atkins had a team-high 23 for Humboldt, ranked sixth in the
West Region. Tiedman added 18 and Spada 13. The Jacks shpot 44.8
percent from the field buit were a sparkling 23 of 27 from the line.
``They did a great job in the first half and we didn't match their energy or intensity," Oliver said.
The Coyotes will play their last home game of the regular season at
7:30 tonight against Sonoma State (11-13, 7-10). They finish with
road games at San Francisco State and Monterey Bay.
The double-elimination tournament will pit the top four teams in the CCAA's final regular-season standings; with the winner being tabbed the conference's champion and automatic entrant into the NCAA Division II Tournament.
This season marks the first time that the CCAA Tournament will be held at a pre-determined neutral site.
"The CCAA is extremely excited to join the Stockton Sports Commission in this venture," Hiegert said. "We are confident that this will be a first-class event at a top-notch facility and will be an enjoyable and memorable experience for the student-athletes to showcase their talents on a neutral field.
"The City of Stockton and Stockton Sports Commission have embraced this tournament and we look forward to the support of the local community," Hiegert said. "A pre-determined site enables us to better market the event and allows the CCAA membership and fans to make advanced plans."
"We are excited and proud to be the host of the 2009 CCAA Softball Championships," Don Miller, Director, Stockton Sports Commission, said. "Stockton is fast becoming a sports destination and having this event in our All-America City is a major accomplishment that adds to our list of first-class sports events."
This season marks the third year of the CCAA Softball Championship Tournament. The first two were held at HSU Softball Field on the campus of Humboldt Sate. The host Lumberjacks captured the 2007 title and Cal State Stanislaus was crowned the 2008 champion.
The 2009 CCAA Softball Tournament will open on Thursday, April 30, with games scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Three games, including two elimination contests, are slated for Friday, May 1, with game times of 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The championship game will played on Saturday, May 2, beginning at noon. A possible second title game, if necessary, will follow 30 minutes later.
The CCAA, an NCAA Division II member, is committed to developing students and communities by actively engaging in shared experiences. With that in mind, the CCAA will host a clinic for local American Softball Association (ASA) teams on Saturday morning.
For more information, visit the CCAA website at www.goccaa.org.
Staff Writer
LA JOLLA - The Cal State San Bernardino women are fighting just to
get into the conference tournament while UC San Diego has a
four-game lead and is looking to host a regional or sub-regional.
But it was the Coyotes pulling the most stunning upset in the CCAA
this season beating the Tritons, who entered ranked 10th nationally,
64-59 Saturday night at RIMAC Arena.
The win snapped a 15-game win streak and prevented the Tritons
(22-3, 15-1) from equally their school record for consecutive wins.
``It goes to show if you keep working hard good things will
happen,'' coach Kevin Becker said. ``We have been trying to stay
positive even when the games weren't going our way.''
The Coyotes (9-13, 7-9) got big things from two of their smallest
players as 5-foot-1 guard Lisa Takata scored 16 points on 8-for-10
shooting from the field.
Junior Ana Onaindia, a 5-5 guard who has played just two minutes
all season due to an ankle injury, contributed 12 points in 19
minutes with all of those points coming on four 3-pointers.
The Coyotes led at the half 29-27 and never trailed in the second.
They led by nine three times, the first coming on Onaindia's third
3-pointer, making it 53-44 with 6:36 to play.
The Tritons whittled away at the lead in the last two minutes as
the Coyotes' Jaclyn Rainville twice missed the front end of a
one-and-one, the second time with the visitors up 58-54 and 37
seconds to play. But Shannon Gholar grabbed the rebound and made two
after being fouled to give Cal State a 60-56 lead.
The Coyotes shot 43.4 percent (23-for-53). They got 15 points from
Rainville who also led all rebounders with 16 and had two blocks.
Emily Vore chipped in with 13 points.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
LA JOLLA - The Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes looked more
like the Coyotes of early rather than the Coyotes of late. That
wasn't a good thing as the Coyotes fell to a more disciplined UC
San Diego 60-63 Saturday at RIMAC Arena in a game both teams
desperately needed.
The Coyotes (13-9, 11-5) entered ranked eighth in the West
Region, just where they would need to finish to advance to the
postseason. But they still have to account for a loss on Wednesday
to Cal Poly Pomona.
The Tritons (13-9, 10-6) fell out of the rankings last week and
were in dire need of a win after losing to the Broncos on Friday.
``We have to win the conference tournament to get in and this
team doesn't have three in a row in them,'' Coyotes coach Jeff
Oliver said. ``This team is vying with the 13-13 team (2005-06) to be
the most underachieving one I've had. I'm done yelling. It does no
good.''
There was too much individual play and not enough team play as
the Coyotes tallied just five assists and 16 turnovers. Their
pathetric 14-for-23 effort from the free-throw line was also
telling.
``Free throws are all mental and that's a clear indication where
their minds were,'' Oliver said, as an assistant coach handed him
a final boxscore. ``I don't want to look at this because it'll
make me vomit.''
The Coyotes were more content jacking up shots from the
perimeter rather than working the ball inside to big man Brandon
Brown who seemed to have the mismatch in the paint. The Coyotes
shot 44.9 percent from the field but hit just 5 of 21 tries from
long distance, most of them ill-advised.
San Diego led by eight at 44-36 after a bucket inside by Shane
Poppen with 12:07 to go.
But the Coyotes answered with an 11-0 run, six of those by
DuBois Williams. His three-point play with 9:49 left gave the
Coyotes a 47-44 lead, their first since 9-7 six minutes into the
game.
The score was tied six times in the last 10 minutes, the last at
57. But Jordan Lawley made two free throws to put the Tritons up
by two.
Cal State turned the ball over on its next two possessions
without getting a shot off and the Tritons converted both times,
extending their lead to 63-57 after a put back by Poppen and two
free throws by Kelvin Kim with 2:12 to go.
The Coyotes didn't challenge again.
Devin Motngomery totaled 18 while Brown added 14 with 14
rebounds and two blocks.
San Diego shot just 36.2 percent from the field but delivered at
the stripe, making 20 of 28 tries.
``We had guys out there playing as individuals, not as a team and
that's a recipe for disaster. These guys haven't learned that,''
Oliver said.
Division II West Regional basketball teams might not be headed to Hawaii or Alaska for regional play after all. At least not all of them.
Monday the NCAA announced a change in its format for all Division II postseason tournaments, effective immediately.
If all seven non-host schools would be required to fly to the host site, the eight-team regionals would be broken up into two four-team tournaments at separate sites.
That is likely to happen in basketball because Brigham Young-Hawaii (16-1) is ranked first in the West Region on the men's side while Alaska-Anchorage (22-1) is seeded first among the womens' teams.
Both would probably have to lose multiple times to not be awarded top seeds. The Seasiders are 8-0 in region with Cal State Dominguez Hills a distant second at 13-4.
The gap is a little smaller on the women's side with the Seawolves 11-0 in region and No. 2 UC San Diego 16-1.
The season isn't quite over, but if it were to end today, those teams would be the only ones from their respective states to qualify, meaning the new rule would go into play immediately.
The change didn't go over well with some coaches, most noteably Cal State San Bernardino men's coach Jeff Oliver.
The Coyotes (13-7, 11-3) are No. 10 but should move up to eighth when the next poll is released on Wednesday.
"It's a complete travesty," he said. "It's not good for any team that is a third through an eighth seed because now it is forcing you to beat two teams on their home floor. Six teams are at a huge disadvantage."
Cal Poly Pomona is ranked in both polls with the women No. 5 and the men at No. 7.
All realize the move is a cost-cutting measure.
"Do I like it? No. Do I understand it? Yes," Broncos women's coach Scott David said. "I hope at the end of the season we are still in the mix and it is something I have to think about more."
Men's coach Greg Kamansky took the news in stride. He was more worried about having enough healthy players for Wednesday's game against the Coyotes than what might happen later.
"I'll go where ever they send me," said Kamansky, who has just seven healthy players. "I will probably care more later if we're still in the picture. It's hard to think about that now."
All three coaches agree that the worst part of that scenario is that it takes away from the postseason atmosphere.
"I know if I go and I lose I still want to watch the other games. I'm getting ready for next year and I want my players to see what level they need to play at," Davis said.
"They're always talking about the student-athlete experience. This will take away from that," Oliver said. "So now you don't have the eight-team banquet where all the schools are honored. You have two dinky four-team banquets. It just won't be the same."
Kamansky was the lone coach to find the bright spot.
"At least no one will have to worry about a noon game," he said.
The regional tournament quarterfinals and semifinals would be held on March 13-14, with the winners advancing championship game on Tuesday, March 17 at the site of the highest remaining seed.
Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky is used to getting the most out of a small roster. But this is crunch time and he doesn't even have enough players to have a scrimmage.
It won't get any easier this week as the Broncos (13-6, 9-5) will host CCAA leader and area rival Cal State San Bernardino (13-7, 11-3) on Wednesday, then travel to La Jolla to face UC San Diego (12-8, 9-5) on Friday.
"Somehow, someway we keep plugging away. The guys we do have are playing hard," Kamansky said. "But this is getting ridiculous. It's not good when you can't have a scrimmage without using coaches."
The Broncos are coming off back-to-back road wins at Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus but the victories didn't come without a price as freshman guard Matthew Rosser became the latest casualty, injuring his foot in the Friday game. He did not play Saturday.
That injury forced Kamansky to bring back Walter Thompson who had missed the last four games with a concussion.
Kamanksy said he was hoping to give Thompson just a few minutes to see how he felt but the senior guard ended up playing 15 minutes and ended up with more personal fouls (3) than points (0).
"He (Thompson) is still having headaches," Kamansky said. "That was really more minutes than I wanted to play him. I don't know what his status will be this week."
Both Thompson and Rosser will see doctors this week. If they can't go, Kamanksy would be down to seven players with two of his most formidable foes upcoming.
Three players were lost for the season, two of those before the Broncos played their first game. In addition, sophomore forward Tobias Jahn is playing with a broken finger and a sore knee.
Sophomore Reyana Colson of Cal Poly Pomona was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 8 women's basketball first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
She holds a grade point average of 3.80 in accounting and is a two-year starter for the Broncos (14-9, 10-4).
This season Colson has scored in double figures in each of her 16 games after missing the first five games due to injury. She owns eight career double-doubles including six this season and has scored in double figures in 38 of her 44 career games.
Colson leads the CCAA in scoring (16.8) and steals (2.6) and is second in assists (4.1), seventh in defensive rebounds (5.1), eighth in field goal percentage (45.6) and 10th in total rebounds (6.6).
Colson moves on to the national ballot. The All-America team will be announced on Feb. 24.
Cal State San Bernardino center Brandon Brown has been named Wilson
California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball
Player of the Week for the week of February 2-8 1.
It marks the second straight week and third time this season that Brown has been
honored.
The 6-foot-7 junior from New Orleans, La., was the pivotal player in
the Coyotes surge to first place in the CCAA. He averaged 30 points,
9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steal in road victories
at Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus. He also connected on 62.5
percent of his field goal attempts, including 66.7 (4-of-6) percent
from behind the three-point arc.
In an 84-67 victory at Chico State, Brown scored a career-high 39
points, grabbed six rebounds, collected two steals, had an assist and
blocked shot. He followed that effort with 21 points, 12 rebounds, a
team-high four assists and three blocked shots against Cal State
Stanislaus.
On the season Brown is averaging 19.5 points and 8.9 rebounds.
Women's player of the week honors went to Katie Busi of Cal State Stanislaus.
The Coyotes return to action on Wednesday when it travels to Cal Poly
Pomona for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Former Cal Poly Pomona assistant coach Randi Smart has been named interim head volleyball coach at Cal State Los Angeles. She replaces Bill Lawler, who resigned last month after 13 years heading the program.
Smart, who served as Rosie Wegrich's top assistant for four years, spent the 2008 season as Lawler's top aide. Last year the Eagles went 21-8, advancing to the Division II West Region semifinal.
"Randi has an excellent coaching and playing background and we believe she has the ability to continue our program's regional and national competitiveness," Cal State L.A. Director of Athletics Dan Bridges said in a written release.
Smart worked as an assistant at the University of La Verne for six seasons. The highlight of her tenure there came in 2001 when the Leopards won their third national championship. As an added bonus, she got to coach her younger sister, Ryan Wynn, an All-American setter for the Leopards and the 2001 National Player of the Year.
Smart came to La Verne after playing volleyball overseas in Austria for one year. She was a successful player at the NCAA Division I level as well, competing for two years at Utah State, where she was named "Rookie of the Year" as a freshman and for two years at Louisiana State, where she earned All-SEC honors. She graduated from LSU in 1998.
The Coyotes (2-1) split a doubleheader with Grand Canyon University, losing the first game 7-6 and winning the second 9-3 in Phoenix.
Second baseman Omar Manzanarez went 3-for-5 in the opener. The Coyotes trailed from a 7-3 deficit with three runs in the top of the ninth, the big blow being a three-run homerun by Darren Dworak. There were two runners on base before the Lopers got the final out.
Starter Joe Martinez took the loss. He gave up seven runs but only four of those were earned as one big error contributed to Grand Canyon's five-run fourth inning.
Center fielder Johnnie Haas led the effort in the second game with three hits, two of them doubles. He scored twice and knocked home three runs.
Cody Madison also had three hits and Chris Olsen contributed two.
David McCarthy, the second of three hurlers, picked up the win. He pitched hitless fifth and sixth innings and struck out three.
The Coyotes will host Cal Baptist at 2 p.m. Thursday at Arrowhead Credit Union Park in their first home game of the season.
| By Michelle Gardner Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO - Maybe the last thing the Cal State San Bernardino team needed was to be on national television. Coach Jeff Oliver criticized his team's selfish play early in the season and being on television lended itself to that. But the Coyotes surged past Cal State Los Angeles 74-65 in front of 1,301 Saturday at Coussoulis Arena. The win allows the Coyotes (11-7, 9-3) to remain tied for first place in the CCAA. ``I think the guys did a good job of handling that,'' Oliver said. ``I didn't see a change in their style of play or their demeanor. They didn't play to the cameras. So maybe we're past the selfish thing. It was good to see.'' While Oliver admitted it was nice to have the commotion of the television came behind them, the players admitted they enjoyed their moment in the spotlight. ``TV is always good,'' beamed big man Brandon Brown, who delivered 24 points, five rebounds and four assists for family and friends watching at home in New Orleans. Television didn't exactly bring out the best in the Coyotes. Oliver chalked that up to the physically and emotionally draining game the previous night against Dominguez Hills. The Coyotes led 36-26 at the half but never put away the pesky Eagles (10-9, 5-7), who were playing without leading scorer Chris Field, who pulled a hamstring at Cal Poly Pomona on Friday. Cal State's biggest lead was in the second half was 13 for the last time at 46-33 on a driving layup by Brown. The Eagles made their move with six minutes left and both Brown and DuBois Williams on the bench with four fouls. A 3-pointer by Dwayne Jones made it 60-54. They soon got within two at 61-59 on another Jones three with 3:35 to go. But Brown hit two free throws to up the lead to four. Christopher Hart misfired at the Eagles end and Devin Montgomery grabbed the rebound. It paid off as the Coyotes converted with Brown scoring inside to make it 65-59. A 3-pointer by Montgomery with 1:02 left sealed it at 68-61. ``When it's that close its all about a couple of big stops at the end,'' Williams said. ``A tip here, a rebound there. Just some little things.'' The Coyotes shot 50 percent (25-for-50) while the Eagles shot 43.1 (22-for-51). Cal State was beaten on the boards 36-27 but made up for that by forcing 15 turnovers. Brown was followed by Williams (13), Michael Frazier (11) and Montgomery (10). Williams also collected five assists. Tim Deson managed nine points and four steals. ``I thought we were just a step slow all night but we found a way,'' Oliver said. ``We just couldn't shake them. We weren't as good defensively and not as good on the glass which has pretty much been our MO when we lost. But we found a way.'' The Coyotes will finish with six of their last eight conference games on the road. Next weekend they will play at Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus. |
