The rejuvenated Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team will take the court tonight hoping the momentum it has from its win over No. 5 Cal State San Bernardino Wednesday can compensate for a little fatigue.
The Broncos (6-6, 5-2) will play their fourth game in eight days Friday when they trek to RIMAC Arena on the campus of UC San Diego for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with the Tritons (7-4, 4-2).
Three of the four games in this stretch are road games. Coach Greg Kamansky’s team was in Northern California for games last weekend and didn’t return home until Sunday. It had one day of practice before facing the always-tough Coyotes. One more day of practice, then a two-hour trip to San Diego.
“It’s a very tough stretch,” Kamansky said. “I’m sure they can’t wait to get their hands on us. There are a lot of factors working against us. We’ll see what kind of legs we have under us.”
Cal Poly got off to a 1-5 start, but has won four straight games and five of its last six. Things didn’t look good after a 50-47 loss to Dominguez Hills two weeks ago. But it chalked up a win over Cal State Los Angeles and has gained confidence with every win.
Players think the mometum will help them battle through the fatigue.
“When you’re losing it’s tough to play a game and then have sit and think about it for four or five days,” leading scorer Larry Gordon said. “When you’re playing well you want to go back out there as soon as you can.”
The team struggled early with chemistry and leadership issues early but players have settled into the roles and are playing better each time out.
Gordon (17.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) has been the workhorse. He ranks in the top 10 in the conference in four categories and is omcing off a 21-point, 14-rebound showing against the Coyotes.
“Larry isn’t a vocal leader but the guys really feed off of him,” Kamansky said. “He is out there working hard and getting his 20 or so points and 10 rebounds and the other guys just follow him.”
Senior shooting guard Angelo Tsagarakis (15.9 ppg) has also been a key in the Broncos resurgence. The transfer from Oregon State plays with emotion, sometimes too much. He has turned in a steadier effort in recent outings and is coming off an 18-point effort against the Coyotes that included a 9-for-10 showing at the free-throw line.
San Bernardino native Donnelle Booker (7.5 ppg, 5 rpg) is coming off perhaps his best game of the season, although he is still problematic at the line.
In the Tritons, the Broncos will be facing a patient, execution oriented offense that is content wooing the opponent into low-scoring games.
The Broncos own a 12-6 all-time mark against the Tritons. They won both meetings last season but the games were close – 68-65 and 60-54.
San Diego, directed by first-year coach Chris Carlson, has two of the most consistent 3-point shooters in sophomore guard Jordan Lawley (13.1 ppg, 27 3’s) and junior guard Kelvin Kim (10.4 ppg, 22 3’s). Junior forward Henry Patterson (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is also averaging double figures. Senior point guard Clint Allard (9.5 ppg, 5.7 apg) leads the conference in assists.
The squad also includes Ayala graduate Andrew Hatch (7.5 ppg, 2 rpg) who is a key reserve.
“They’re tough, they’re disciplined. They play well together. This is going to be a very tough game, especially on the road,” Kamansky said.
A women’s game between the same two schools is set for 5:30 p.m. UC San Diego, the defending conference and West Region champion, is ranked No. 20 nationally despite graduating the conference player of the year and losing its coach to a Division I job.
The Broncos (6-7, 3-4), who suffered a 78-64 loss to Cal State San Bernardino Wednesday, are currently sixth in the conference. Its top players are senior forward Vanessa Dominguez (12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and freshman guard Reyana Colson (13.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
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