The Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team will host the NCAA Division II West Region tournament beginning Friday. The Broncos were No. 5 in the previous poll and moving up that many spots in the last poll is pretty much unheard of, no matter what sports we’re talking about.

Rumor has it the other schools in contention for hosting rights were Grand Canyon and Cal State Monterey Bay.

I am happy the Broncos are getting that opportunity. This is an experienced team with a lot of depth that is led by the best player in the conference, and probably in the West, in Reyana Colson.

I am glad Grand Canyon did not get the nod. I have a friend of 30 years who lives 30 minutes from that school so a trip there might have been nice and I had a place to stay.

But I attended a men’s basketball tournament there in December in which the Cal Poly men played. The tournament staff was in such a hurry to clear out the joint I didn’t have 10 minutes to write a story. It’s the only time in my professional career I have had a press table pulled out from under my laptop and the chair pulled out from under me.

I vowed to never cover and event there again.

Monterey Bay might not have been a bad choice but they lost two of three games against the Broncos, including Saturday’s CCAA title game. Giving the Otters the nod ahead of the Broncos would not have been a good choice.

Hosting a regional is a big responsibility but the Cal Poly staff is up for the challenge.

Here is the tournament schedule –

Friday, March 11

12:30 p.m. – #3 Cal State Monterey Bay (26-3) vs. #6 Dixie State (24-3)
2:30 p.m. – #2 Grand Canyon (27-2) vs. #7 Seattle Pacific (20-8)
5:30 p.m. – #4 Western Washington (26-3) vs. #5 Alaska Anchorage (25-6)
7:30 p.m. – #1 Cal Poly Pomona (25-4) vs. #8 Cal State San Bernardino (21-7)

Saturday, March 12
5:00 p.m. – Semifinal No. 1
7:00 p.m. – Semifinal No. 2

Monday, March 14
7:00 p.m. – West Region Championship Game

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