Cal State San Bernardino: February 2008 Archives

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.”

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.

ABC Poll (2/19/08) | 02-19-2008 Printable Version   February 19, 2008 Rank Institution (1st Place) W-L Pts Previous 1 Bentley (6) 24-0 198 1 2 Grand Valley State (2) 28-0 194 2 3 Winona State 27-1 184 3 4 Northern State 24-2 176 5 5 South Carolna-Aiken 20-2 166 6 6 Findlay 22-3 159 7 7 Drury 20-3 147 9 8 Augusta State 19-4 142 12 9 Alaska-Anchorage 20-4 135 4 10 C.W. Post 21-2 128 14 11 Mount Olive 20-4 118 16 12 Tarleton State 20-3 113 17 13 Gannon 22-3 110 8 14 Southwestern Oklahoma State 20-4 94 19 15 Lenoir-Rhyne 19-3 85 20 16 South Dakota 19-4 76 10 17 Fort Lewis 20-4 65 25 18 Southwest Baptist 18-5 61 15 19 Minnesota State-Mankato 20-5 39 NR 20 Cal State-San Bernardino 19-5 35 18 21 California (Pa.) 18-4 29 NR 22 Kentucky Wesleyan 22-4 23 22 23 North Alabama 20-7 20 NR 24 Benedict 19-4 18 NR 25 Florida Southern 19-7 13 23 Others Receiving Votes:West Liberty State 11, Chaminade 8, Pittsburgh-Johnstown 8, St. Rose 7, Central Oklahoma 6, Rollins 6, Wingate 6, Seattle Pacific 6, Northwest Missouri State 4, Tampa 4, Edinboro 3, Elizabeth City State 2, Nebraska-Omaha 1.

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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.”

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

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.

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.