December 2007 Archives

Cal Poly Pomona forward Larry Gordon has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 24-30.

Gordon, a 6-foot-5 junior from Pomona, Calif., recorded his fifth consecutive double-double of the season on Sunday after scoring 21 points and totaling 10 rebounds in a 68-64 victory over Le Moyne College.

Gordon currently ranks third in the CCAA in scoring with 17.9 points a contest and second in rebounding with 8.9 boards a game.

Cal Poly Pomona resumes CCAA play on Friday when it hosts Cal State Dominguez Hills beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The weekly honor on the women's side went to Sonoma State's Danae Wellender.

 

When you’re struggling, nothing is easy. So the Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team was happy with a win no matter what it looked like.

Larry Gordon and Angelo Tsagarakis combined for 41 points to lead the Broncos to a 68-64 nonconference win over LeMoyne (NY) on  Sunday at Kellogg Gymnasium. The victory helped erase the memory of a poor performance in Las Vegas two weeks ago that resulted in two losses by a combined 27 points.
It also proved something to build on as the Broncos (2-5, 1-1) get back to conference play next weekend.

“We had a better fighting spirit tonight,” said Broncos coach Greg Kamansky, who has been critical of his team’s lack of heart this season. “We made some free throws down the stretch when it was close and we could have folded the tents. So that was encouraging. We just need to be more consistent.”

Gordon, a Montclair High School product, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth consecutive double-double. Tsagarakis had 20 points, six assists and four steals.

Kevin Neveau and Kyle Krause shared playing time in place of Kaelen Daniels, who was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected from the Broncos’ second game in Las Vegas. Krause scored 10 points and Neveau had six, although both fouled out.

Players said they were only concerned with what they could contol - their own effort level.

“We haven’t been doing what we needed to do,” Gordon said. “It wasn’t about what the other team was doing. It was about us playing harder and being more aggressive. You may not always be playing your best but if you play hard, things still might go your way.”

LeMoyne (6-6), a Division II school out of Syracuse, N.Y., led only once at 2-0.

The Broncos were ahead by 14 points after an 11-0 run made it 30-16 with 2:31 left in the first half. The Dolphins answered that with a 7-0 run and trailed at the half, 30-23.

Cal Poly’s biggest lead in the second half was 10 at 41-31 but the Broncos couldn’t put the game away.
Gordon scored on a putback with 4:47 left that gave the host team a 49-43 lead. The Broncos then tallied 17 of their last 19 points from the free-throw line, missing just four tries in that stretch with Tsagarakis going 6-for-6. It was a significant accomplishment since the Broncos entered the game hitting just 58 percent from the line.

The Broncos were up 64-60 when LeMoyne’s Laurence Ekperigin, who led the Dolphins witrh 23 points, hit two free throws to close the gap to two with 22 seconds left. But Pomona’s Rich Collins hit two at the other end to put the game away.

“I wasn’t surprised it was a close game because I know where we are right now,” Kamansky said. “Hopefully we can get something positive out of this and go from here.”

The Broncos shot 51.3 percent (20-for-39) while the Dolphins hit just 47.1 (24-for-51) including a woeful 39.1 (9-for-23) in the first half. The Broncos finished with a 30-25 edge in rebounds despite Daniels’ absence. Each team had 16 turnovers.

The Broncos play host to Dominguez Hills on Friday and Cal State Los Angeles on Saturday. The Dolphins played Cal State L.A. last  Friday and were beaten by the Eagles by 20.

“We know that anything can happen once conference play starts again,” Gordon said. “We’re looking at it as a chance to start over because we’re still only 1-1 in conference.”

SAN BERNARDINO — Senior center Vanessa Wilt was the logical choice for the last shot, but she wasn’t open. Junior forward Jaclyn Rainville was and Ashlee Ford spotted her just in time.

Rainville got a pass from the sophomore point guard, then hit a jumper right in front of the basket as time expired, boosting Cal State San Bernardino to a 75-74 non-conference win over Ferris State (Mich.) on Saturday at Coussoulis Arena.

It was perhaps the biggest win of the season thus far for the Coyotes (8-1). And it came over a foe that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

“This will be a big confidence builder for us,” Wilt said. “It lets us know we can play with anyone, even teams that made the NCAA Tournament. We can make the tournament too.”

Wilt scored 32 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and and blocked three shots to give her a double-double for the ninth consecutive game, but it was Rainville delivering at the last second.

The Bulldogs (7-4) had taken a 74-73 lead on a 3-point play by Teghan Thelen with 26 seconds left.
The Coyotes’ Shanae Blake missed a 3-pointer on the other end and a scramble for a loose ball ensued.

The alternate possession arrow pointed to Cal State San Bernardino, and coach Kevin Becker called a timeout to set up a play. But when the teams came out of the break, officials said the arrow was incorrect and gave the ball to the Bulldogs.

That meant the Coyotes had to foul, with Ford getting a hand on Katie Loosvelt with nine seconds left. She missed the free throw and Rainville grabbed the loose ball. Rainville unleashed the pass to Ford who drove down court, then went to the baseline.

“I was open and she (Ford) made a great pass,” Rainville said. “I’m sure everyone thought we were going to Vanessa, but I had a good, open shot.”

It ended a competitive game that featured nine ties, the last one at 71-71 with 2:37 left. Other than 3-0 to start the game, Cal State’s biggest lead was two points at 25-23. Ferris State led by as many as seven in the opening half at 16-9 and by eight in the second half at 47-39 at the 16:08 mark.

Ferris State shot 50 percent (30-for-60) for the game and a sizzling 58 percent (17-for-29) in the opening half. It had balance with 11 players figuring in the scoring and led by senior Rachel Folcik, who had 23. She also grabbed seven rebounds.

Only five players factored in for the Coyotes, but four of them accounted for 73 of the team’s 75. Sophomore Krystal Urzua had 19, including three 3-pointers, Rainville scored 13 points and Blake scored nine as the Coyotes shot only 37.3 percent (28-for-75).

The Coyotes trailed 67-64 when they turned up the pressure defensively and forced Ferris into turnovers on back-to-back possessions. Blake then hit a 3-pointer to tie it with 4:25 left. It was tight the rest of the way.

“We went more to the press. That takes some of the thinking out of it,” Becker said. “We were able to make some things happen and took advantage of that on the offensive end.”

“Coach is always telling us we own the last five minutes,” Rainville said. “Tonight we really did.”

The Coyotes return to conference play next weekend in hosting Cal State Los Angeles Friday and Dominguez Hills on Saturday.

LA JOLLA - Prior to Saturday night's game, Cal Poly Pomona coach Scott Davis said No. 15 Seattle Pacific is a strong contender for this season's Division II women's basketball title. The Falcons and Broncos played a close first half, but Seattle Pacific pulled away in the final 20 minutes to win 77-58 in the second day of the CCAA/GNAC Challenge, played at UC San Diego.

"The fight we showed tonight against an unbeaten team, and one that probably will be ranked in the top 10 this week pleases me,'' said Davis, whose team saw a two-game winning streak end. "Our execution needs to be better, but overall, we fought real well and didn't give in.''

Junior Andrea Ohlssen led the Broncos, now 3-5 overall, with a career-high 21 points that included a 5-for-7 effort from the 3-point line. Senior Vanessa Dominguez put together her second successive positive night with 18 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Her efforts followed a 19-point effort in the Broncos' 68-62 win over Western Washington on Friday.

Cal Poly Pomona stayed with the unbeaten Falcons (9-0) and trailed just 30-28 at halftime on the strength of an 80-percent effort from the free throw line (4 of 5) and a 4-of-7 showing from the 3-point line.

Cal Poly Pomona's Natasha Reed hit three free throws in the first two minutes of the second half to tie the game at 31-31, but that tie would not last long as the Falcons would go on a 15-3 run over the next six minutes to pull away for good.

After Ohlssen and Dominguez, Reed was next in scoring with five points.

Kelsey Burns sparked the SPU surge with three 3-pointers over that span, the last of which put the Falcons up by a 46-34 score with 12:18 to go in the game.

"In the second half, their maturity and composure took over,'' Davis said. "For 25 minutes, we stood up and played awfully well. They're a pretty complete team.''

Burns scored a team-high 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half, while Melissa Reich added 12 points and five rebounds. Jackie Hollands added 10 points and Beth Christensen posted nine points, six rebounds and six assists, giving her 14 assists in the tournament.

Two stats showed the difference in the game. The Falcons' bench outscored CPP - 43-9 - and their inside players owned a 26-12 scoring advantage in the paint.

The Broncos return to the court Friday night when they play host to CS Dominguez Hills. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Chaffey College women’s basketball coach Gary Plunkett thought he had a talented crop of freshmen coming in,  so he thought this year’s version of the Panthers would be able to pick right up where last year’s left off. So far that has been the case.

The Panthers (13-3) head into the heart of the Foothill Conference schedule as one of the favorites, along with Mt. San Jacinto and San Bernardino Valley College.

Chaffey has competed in four tournaments, winning one, finishing second once and winning the consolation bracket twice. The Panthers are ranked 15th in the state and ninth in the South.

“I had high hopes and so far they have been fulfilled,” Plunkett said. “I felt like we had some really skilled players coming in, especially at the perimeter. They have been able to adapt quickly so I am very pleased.”

The veteran is sophomore guard Christina Warren (15.9 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, 2 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game), who has earned all-tournament honors in three of Chaffey’s four events and is a returning all-conference selection.

But the core of newcomers that Plunkett is excited about is led by freshmen guards Keisha Mackall (Miller HS) and Tamesha Jackson (Upland HS). Mackall (12.3 ppg, 4 apg, 2.8 spg) has also earned three all-tournament nods, including an MVP selection at Irvine Valley. Jackson (11.9 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.4 rpg), third on the team in scoring, was a coveted recruit also sought after by local rivals Citrus and Mt. San Antonio College.

“Tamesha is the better athlete. She has got that quick first step,” Plunkett said. “Keisha has that court savvy and more big-game experience having played for a CIF championship.”

While that trio has provided the scoring punch, Plunkett has also gotten productivity in the paint from the other two starters — freshmen Johnshunay Parsons (7.6 rpg) and Aundria Anderson (7.6 rpg, 9.2 ppg).

The Panthers return to the court at 1 p.m. Saturday with a road game at Victor Valley. The next home game will be Jan. 5 against Barstow. While Plunkett was quick in pointing out the three frontrunners, he added that Antelope Valley and Rio Hondo could also be a factor.

“We have to see how it all plays out, but there should be some great games,” he said.

POMONA - The season is starting to wear on Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky. And it is only six games old.

The Broncos are just 1-5, their worst start since going 1-6 to start the 1981-82 campaign. They have a chance to get back on track tonight as LeMoyne (6-5), a Division II school out of Syracuse, N.Y. stops in for a 4 p.m. game at Kellogg Gymnasium. It will be the final non-conference tune-up for the Broncos, who resume CCAA play the following weekend.

The record isn't what bothers the veteran coach the most. It is the way his team has looked in those losses. He sees a lack of competitiveness, heart and organization, especially on the offensive end of the court.

"We don't have the most talent so we can't afford to play stupid," he said. "We have to go out there and want to compete. The way things have been going lately, if one thing goes bad, it completely breaks our spirit and we're not able to bounce back."

Kamansky would like to think his team has a shot at turning things around but nothing he has seen leads him to believe that will happen.

"There's blood in the water and the sharks are circling and we're looking like good bait," he said. "I'm sure our opponents can't wait to get their hands on us, especially the teams we have had our way with the last few years."

The Broncos lack of depth will be further tested tonight as they will be without 6-foot-7 senior center Kaelen Daniels (6.8 ppg, 3 rpg) who was ejected from Cal Poly's last game against Central Washington in Las Vegas for throwing a punch.

Senior Kevin Neveu (6.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg) will inherit the majority of the playing time in Daniels' absence.

The Broncos have gotten solid play out of junior forward Larry Gordon (17.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg), who earned all-tournament honors in Las Vegas despite the 0-2 showing. He ranks fifth in the conference in socring and second in rebounding.

But the Broncos will need a steadier effort from erratic senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis (13.8 ppg), as well as sophomore Donnelle Booker (6.6 ppg), who thus far has looked little like the player who earned CCAA Freshman of the Year honors last season.

Kamansky said the next three games will prove crucial. After today the Broncos, who were picked to finish second in the conference, get back to CCAA play with home games Friday and Saturday against Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles. Despite the poor start Cal Poly is still just 1-1 in conference.

"If we can win two out of three then we'll at last have something to hang our hat on," he said. "But the the way we have been playing we're just as capable of losing all three. I don't know what to expect."

LeMoyne, which plays in the Northeast-10 conference, arrived earlier in the week and squared off Thursday against Cal State Los Angeles, losing 76-57.

Sophomore forward Laurence Ekperigin (17.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is the Dolphins top player. Two others - senior guard Jason Holmes (13.4 ppg) and senior forward Jonathan Joshua (10.8 ppg) - are also averaging double figures.

Ekperigin had 12 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's game against the Golden Eagles.

Once watching their respective teams rival each other for national scoring titles, David Arseneault and Gary Smith are now sitting on the same bench.

Arseneault (left photo) is in his 19th year coaching the Grinnell College men's basketball team, and the run-and-gun system he developed for the Pioneers in the early 1990s continues to make national headlines. Smith (right photo) is recently retired from a 37-year coaching career at the University of Redlands (Calif.). During that time he ran up-tempo offenses in two different stints, the second a direct offshoot of Grinnell's style.

Frequent meetings and a shared philosophy forged a friendship between the two coaches. That led to Smith's decision after retirement to move to Grinnell, where he lives with Arseneault's family while serving as a first-year volunteer coach for the Pioneers.

In fact, before Smith's retirement was official, the two coaches had managed to set up a game between their programs on Jan. 6, 2008, in California. Although still an anticipated battle for Grinnell, the contest won't feature the intended unique twist as Redlands has converted to a more traditional style of play this season.

Arseneault and Smith share equal praise for each other and what each brings to a basketball program. "David has a very intuitive sense and feel of the team," said Smith. "He does a great job of seeing how things are presented in practice and then making the necessary adjustments."

"You couldn't have two more different coaching styles," added Arseneault of Smith. "He's the most organized person I've met and I'm at the reverse edge of the scale. I think it's good for our players to see that other side rather than just my style."

Arseneault can still remember introducing his system a few years after starting at Grinnell. "We had a group of recruits who seemed really enthusiastic to play this style. They had a different mentality than the returning core of players, a group that maybe lost one too many games over the years. I tried to keep them apart for that reason, so we formulated groups. I didn't want the upperclassmen not to play, but also didn't want them to affect the exuberance of the newcomers. So that's kind of how it started."

As time went on, more and more coaches wanted to know the finer points of the system, which implements up-tempo play, plenty of 3-pointers, pressure defense and frequent five-player substitutions. "I'd say that's what a third of my job duties consist of, answering inquiries about our system from all over the country," Arseneault said.

Smith actually ran up-tempo ball at Redlands two decades ago. "We played fast before there was such a thing as the Grinnell system," he recalled. "Back in the late 80s and early 90s we were running, only that was more of the Loyola Marymount system. But we eventually went away from that due to personnel."

After some time back in the traditional mode, Smith longed for a return to the fast style. "I wanted to get back into it," he said. "I missed it and knew what Grinnell was doing back here. I like playing fast and our program needed a shot in the arm. We'd hit a down slope and I figured something different might work to turn us around."

That led Smith to track down Arseneault and learn what he could. "Gary contacted me and said he felt his kids could run, so he was wondering if he couldn't learn more about our system," said Arseneault. "He tried it for a year and it wasn't working very well … I could see that on the game film he sent me."

Smith agreed with Arseneault's assessment of the trial period. "Let's just say the first year was not very productive," Smith laughed. "In hindsight, I think I tried to complicate things too much. I sent David the game films and then came back here the next summer. That's when I got that close-up look and found out how to do it the right way."

That close-up look eventually paid dividends. After Grinnell won 11 consecutive Division III national scoring titles from 1994-2004, Redlands broke that string in 2005 with a still-record 132.4 points per game. Grinnell regained the scoring title the next season, only to have Redlands win it in 2007.

"Sure enough, once he got the hang of it he went on to break all of our records," Arseneault said with a laugh. "The one year his team averaged 132 points a game. I thought it was pretty impressive the year we scored 126, but 132 … I don't get it."

Smith will have mixed feelings when he returns to Currier Gym, the home court for Redlands. "It will be fun getting back there, but it will also be very different to be in that gym with my (former) team sitting on the other bench," he said. "I don't really know how to describe the feelings that will be going through me."

The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team looked impressive in its two games at the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas last week. The Coyotes (9-1) defeated Central Washington, 83-60, and Western Washington, 71-65, to improve to 4-0 against teams from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference

That could loom large down the stretch because the California Collegiate Athletic Association, GNAC and Pacific West conferences all are battling for the same spots in the Division II West Regional come March. More impressive is the fact that all four victories came on a neutral court.

"That is going to help us down the road but we still have to take care of business in the conference," coach Jeff Oliver said. "The conference is very deep this year. There aren't going to be any easy games."

Oliver saw a huge bright spot in each of the games. Central Washington went in averaging 92.8 points per game and were held to 60 by the Coyotes' "monster" defense. The Wildcats managed only that many because Oliver emptied his bench early.

Then against Western Washington, the Coyotes bounced back from a 13-point, first-half deficit to pull out the game in the last two minutes.

"We showed a lot of character and really kept our composure down the stretch," Oliver said. "Our guys made the plays in the end when they had to."

Six of the Coyotes' nine victories and 7 of 10 games have come against teams with a winning record. Cal State's seven above-.500 foes have a combined 38-15 record, and two teams have lost only to the Coyotes.

The team's balance is paying off as six different players have led the Coyotes in scoring in the 10 games. Senior guard Lance Ortiz leads Cal State (13.4 points per game) but is followed closely by senior center Michael Earl (12.4 ppg) and senior backcourt mate Marlon Pierce (10.2 ppg). Ortiz and Pierce are the only Coyotes to have started all 10 games.

Earl leads the CCAA in field-goal percentage (.703) and blocked shots (30); Ortiz leads in steals (28), is second in assists (5.40 pg) and third in free-throw percentage (.875).

The Coyotes will return to action Jan. 4-5, hosting games back-to-back nights against Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills, bottom-tier teams in the past which had great recruiting classes and are expected to contend this season.

After that, the Coyotes will play 8 of 10 on the road.

Undeterred by the scenic backdrop and tropical climate of Cancun, Mexico, the University of La Verne women’s basketball squad kept its focus to deliver an 82-54 triumph over King’s College (PA) on Day 2 of the Caribbean Hoops Showdown at the Moon Palace Resort.

Marissa Raya continued her momentum from a night earlier and sparked the Leopards offensively with a game-high 30 points on the evening. Raya finished 13-of-21 from the field including a 4-of-10 effort from three-point range.

Trenecca Jones collected 10 points along with 14 rebounds to post her third consecutive double-double and fourth overall this season. Ashley Paul tallied 14 points while Lindsey Shiomi distributed a career-high 13 assists.

The Leopards dominated the opening 20 minutes and rode the hot hand of Raya, who torched the Monarchs for 16 first half points to help stake the Leopards to a 39-13 halftime advantage.

La Verne grabbed an early lead of 14-5 in the first four minutes and never looked back. ULV would extend its advantage to 27-9 at the 9:34 mark behind the hot shooting of Raya and Ashley Paul, who totaled 11 points in the opening frame. Moreover, La Verne enjoyed a decisive 25-12 edge on the boards and limited the Monarchs to a shooting percentage of 21.4% in the opening stanza.

After King’s scored the first 6 points of the second half to get within 20 points, the Leopards responded with 10-0 run to build a 49-19 advantage. A Charleen Guerrero jumper with 2:29 remaining gave La Verne its biggest lead of the game (35) at 82-47.

With the win, La Verne joined seventh-ranked Messiah College (PA) as the only teams to go undefeated during the six-team, two-day holiday tournament. It opened the tournament the previous day with a 60-56 win over Carnegie-Mellon, led by Jones and Raya.

ULV returns to action on Dec. 29th to host Transylvania University as part of a Leopard men’s and women’s doubleheader. Tip-off is 3 p.m.

1.	UC San Diego	2-0	1.000	9-1	.900	W1	3-0	0-0	6-1
	Cal State San Bernardino	2-0	1.000	7-1	.875	W1	3-0	2-0	2-1
	Sonoma State	2-0	1.000	6-1	.857	W2	1-0	2-1	3-0
4.	Chico State	1-1	.500	7-2	.778	W1	2-0	3-2	2-0
	Cal State Dominguez Hills	1-1	.500	6-2	.750	W2	1-1	3-0	2-1
	San Francisco State	1-1	.500	4-4	.500	W1	0-0	4-3	0-1
	Cal State L.A.	1-1	.500	3-4	.429	W2	2-2	1-2	0-0
	CSU Monterey Bay	1-1	.500	2-6	.250	L2	1-0	1-4	0-2
9.	Humboldt State	0-2	.000	4-5	.444	L1	2-1	1-3	1-1
	Cal Poly Pomona	0-2	.000	2-4	.333	W1	0-3	1-1	1-0
	Cal State Stanislaus	0-2	.000	2-6	.250	L1	1-3	0-3	1-0

	School	CCAA	Pct.	Overall	Pct	Streak	Home	Away	Neutral
1.	Cal State San Bernardino	2-0	1.000	9-1	.900	W2	2-1	1-0	6-0
	Humboldt State	2-0	1.000	7-2	.778	W2	3-0	2-1	2-1
	UC San Diego	2-0	1.000	5-2	.714	W5	5-1	0-1	0-0
4.	Sonoma State	1-1	.500	5-1	.833	W2	2-0	1-1	2-0
	Cal State L.A.	1-1	.500	6-2	.750	W3	5-2	1-0	0-0
	San Francisco State	1-1	.500	6-3	.667	W2	3-0	2-2	1-1
	Cal State Stanislaus	1-1	.500	2-6	.250	L3	2-1	0-4	0-1
	Cal Poly Pomona	1-1	.500	1-5	.167	L2	1-1	0-2	0-2
9.	Cal State Dominguez Hills	0-2	.000	5-3	.625	W1	2-2	1-1	2-0
	Chico State	0-2	.000	4-5	.444	W1	3-1	0-3	1-1
	CSU Monterey Bay	0-2	.000	1-7	.125	L3	0-0	0-6	1-1

Cal State San Bernardino forward Vanessa Wilt has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 17-23. It marks the third time this season Wilt has been honored.

Wilt, a 6-foot-1 senior from Hesperia, averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds in helping the Coyotes post a 1-1 record at the Dixie State College Tournament last week.

In a 75-54 loss to No. 15 Seattle Pacific, Wilt scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. She followed up that performance with 32 points and 16 points in an 89-84 overtime victory over Northwest Nazarene.

On the season, Wilt has recorded double-doubles in all eight games while averaging 20.6 points and 13.6 rebounds. She leads the conference in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots.

The men's Player of the Week is senior Grayson Moyer of Humboldt State, the MVP of a tournament the Lumberjacks hosted last week.

Several local basketball standouts earned All-Tournament honors at the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas Tuesday and Wednesday at the Centennial Hills Center. The tournament featured four men's team's and four women's teams with each game pitting a team from the California Collegiate Athletic Conference against one from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

On the men's side each conference won two games with Cal State San Bernardino going 2-0 and Cal Poly Pomona going 0-2 and both the GNAC teams - Western Washington and Central Washington - going 1-1.

The Coyotes' Michael Earl was named Most Valuable Player. Other all-tournament selections were Marlon Pierce of Cal State, Larry Gordon of Cal Poly Pomona, Calin Schell and Fontana native Ira Graham of Western Washington and Jake Beitinger of Central Washington.

On the women's side the GNAC fared better, winning three of four games with Central Washington going 2-0, Western and UC San Diego going 1-1 and Monterey Bay going 0-2.

Hanna Hull of Central Washington was named tourney MVP. She was joined on the team by Amanda Dunbar of Western, Michelle Osier and Alexis Gaskin of UCSD, Jenn Jacobs of Central Washington and Ja'Nae Westmoreland of Monterey Bay.

Westmoreland is a graduate of Rialto High School and San Bernardino Valley College.

LAS VEGAS _ The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team has not been invited back to the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas. The fact the Coyotes keep beating up on the host teams might have something to do with it.

The No. 10 Coyotes turned in another strong performance Wednesday night, upending Western Washington 71-65 at the Centennial Hills Center behind the play of tournament Most Valuable Player Michael Earl. That came one night after they routed the other host team Central Washington 83-60.

``They said there was some sort of miscommunication. They didn't think we wanted to come back,'' said Oliver, who will be looking to start his own event to be held the same event next year.

Not only have the Coyotes beaten both teams in successive years. They also beat Western Washington in its season opener in another tournament in Seattle in early Novemeber. The Coyotes (9-1) have handed the Vikings (7-2) both losses.

But both teams played better basketball in the most recent meeting. The Vikings came out quicker and were up by 13 at 32-19 with 8:33 to go. It was Fontana native Ira Graham igniting the charge with 16 of his 22 in the opening half.

``We seem to have some lapses and tonight we started with one,'' Earl said. ``They came out pretty amped up and we weren't. We didn't come out with the same energy we had. But we thought if we could stay close we would get them once we settled down and started playing our game.''

The Coyotes battled back and only trailed by three at the half, 37-34.

It was nip and tuck the rest of the way with each team's biggest lead of the half being three points. The game was knotted five times, the last at 65 with 1:51 to go after two free throws by Lance Ortiz.

Cal State went up for good moments later on a driving layup by Marlon Pierce with 1:27 to go. On the ensuing possession Graham took the ball and dribbled baseline but was called for stepping on the end line with 1:01 left.

``I really thought I was pushed out,'' said Graham, who made the six-player all-tournament team. ``But that's not an excuse. That's how basketball goes. We just made some mistakes dwn the stretch that hurt us.''

The Coyotes capitalized with Ortiz working time off the clock, then going baseline for a layup that gave Cal State a 69-65 edge with 24 seconds remaining.

Western Washington's Harold McAllister set up for a 3-pointer on the next Vikings possession but his shot was batted away by Jason Gilzene with 13 seconds left. Ortiz knocked down a couple of free throws to put the game away.

Oliver appreciated coming out on top against a quality team in a tightly-contestd game. He also liked the way his team bounced back after being dealt a loss by NAIA Azusa Pacific on Friday.

``It was the wakeup call we needed,'' he said. ``I felt like we were regressing, not progressing and getting too complacent. Sometimes I think this team thinks it's going to be too easy and that's a mentality a team should never have or comes back to bit you in the butt.''

Earl tallied a team-high 16 points with six blocks. Pierce had 10, with eight rebounds, four steals and three assists to earn an all-tournament spot. Scoring was balanced after that with Reggie Brown and Renardo Bass and Ortiz chipping in with eight apiece. livcer used 11 players and 10 figured in the scoring.

Western shot 49 percent (25-for-51) while Cal State was slightly worse at 45.5 (25-for-55). It made up for that by going 18-for-22 from the free-throw line. The Coyotes were outrebounded 35-27 but forced 19 turnovers while making only nine.

``We really don't have one person that has to be our go-to player. We have a lot of options,'' Earl said. ``That is good for us because no one has to have that pressure. We're confident in each other.''

Oliver said he believed that Cal Poly Pomona was invited back to the CCAA vs. GNAC event with Cal State Stanislaus, traditionally a middle tier team, replacing the Coyotes.

LAS VEGAS - Cal Poly basketball coach Greg Kamansky buried his head in his hands and stared at the floor in disbelief. Two of his players had just bobbled a loose ball and a Central Washington player scooped it up for an easy put back giving the Wildcats a 14-point lead.

There were still 12 minutes left but Kamansky knew his team wasn't coming back. That premonition proved true as the reeling Broncos suffered a 84-66 loss in their second game of the Great Western Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center in Las Vegas Wednesday.

The loss dropped the Broncos to 1-5 on the season, although the good new is that an 0-4 part of that is non-conference play. It is the worst start for the school since going 1-6 to start the 1981-82 season.

After the game Kamansky kept his team in the lockerroom for 90 minutes. There was considerable shouting audible from the adjacent hallway.

``In all of these games we have had leads,'' Kamansky said. ``But in every one we have a good 10 minutes and then self destruct. We don't have that mentality that allows us to respond when things get tough. Instead we just fall apart. That has to change soon.''

Even though it is early the frustration is showing on the court as well. Senior center Kaelen Daniels was ejected with 7:15 left in the first half and the Broncos up 21-20. Donnelle Booker had just been at the free-throw line and Daniels got tangled up with a Wildcat player underneath and was said to have thrown a punch.

Kamansky argued vehemently and was assessed a technical foul. Matt Penoncello only made two of four technicals tosses but Giovonne Woods drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, giving Central a 25-21 lead.

Kamansky said he didn't see what was called. He thought Daniels had been being held all game by Central's Bryce Daub, something a Bronco assistant had asked the referees to watch. The coach thought Daniels was only trying to clear some room but will watch the video to see exactly what happened.

``I don't want to say that cost us the game, but it was a momentum changer,'' Kamansky added. ``And we don't have the kind of team that answers adversity in a positive manner.''


The Broncos were within two at 25-23 seconds later but it was all Wildcats (4-3) after that. Central outscored Cal Poly 14-7 the rest of the half and led 39-30 at the intermission.

Things didn't get any better after that. The Wildcats started the second half with an 11-4 run and never looked back.

Junior forward Larry Gordon made up for a poor showing in the first half of Tuesday's loss to Western Washington with 23 points, 10 rebounds,four blocks and two assists.

But he didn't have a lot of help. Senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis netted 10 but six of those were from the free-throw line. He went just 2-of-8 from the field including an 0-for-5 from long distance.

The numbers actually made the contest look closer than it was with Central Washington shooting 48.3 percent (25-for-58) and Cal Poly Pomona managing 44 (22-for-50). Central went 17-for-26 for the line while the Broncos went 19-for-28 but the Wildcats were aided by an 11-for-23 effort from 3-point range compared to a 3-of-15 for the Broncos.

Central Washington had four players finish in double figures led by Penoncello with 18 and Nate Jackson with 17.

Next up for the Broncos is non-conference game against Division II LeMoyne on Dec. 30. Kamansky said he is not sure whether the ejection means Daniels will have to sit out that game.

LAS VEGAS - Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky wasn't quite sure whether or not the 17-day layoff would help or hurt his team heading into the Great Western Shootout. It didn't take him long to find out.

The Broncos were soundly beaten by Western Washington 73-64 Tuesday at the Centennial Hills Center in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates. They will be looking for a better outcome in today's 2 p.m. game against Central Washington.

``We just got thrashed from top to bottom,'' Kamansky said. ``They were the better team, no doubt about it. We went completely blank on offense. We did that against San Francisco State. We did it against Vanguard and we did it again tonight.''

The Broncos (1-4) led early at 14-8 but that lead lasted only seven minutes. The Vikings pulled even when junior center Zach Bruce scored inside to tie the game at 19. The Vikings (7-1) took the lead for good moments later on a put back by junior forward Calin Schell.

Western Washington, which has won seven straight games since losing its season opener to Cal State San Bernardino, led 23-19 when Kevin Neveau scored inside with 6:12 left in the half to cut the deficit to two, 23-21.

But the Vikings reeled off the last 10 points of the half and the first eight of the second half, going up 41-21 on a jumper from the baseline by Derrick Webb. The scoring drought of 9:35 finally ended on two free throws by Larry Gordon but the Broncos were never in striking distance again.

Western Washington, out of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, maintained a double-digit lead most of the second half. The Broncos didn't get within single digits until Gordon hit a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left.

Cal Poly Pomona shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) but managed just 36 percent (9-for-25) in the first half. Angelo Tsagarakis had a team-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers. He also snagged eight rebounds and had four assists. Gordon added 15 with 10 rebounds but all of his points and seven boards came in the second half.

Kamansky cited the layoff for the sluggish performance.

``I hate to use that as an excuse but we definitely looked like we haven't played in two weeks,'' he said. ``Our schedule has been erratic and we just haven't been able to get in a rhythm.''

Western Washington, which shot 474 percent (27-for-57) was sparked by a local product as former Fontana High standout Ira Graham who tallied 14 points, 12 of those in the first half. He also collected five assists and a steal.

Graham, who leads the GNAC in scoring, admits he likes playing against the local teams.

``I definitely get more focused, more excited when I play the local teams,'' the junior guard said. ``I had a lot of family here so it made it even better.''

Kamansky added that the pressure is on to win the second game in the tournament. Teams from the CCAA and the GNAC battle for playoff berths in the Division II West Regional in March so this weekend's games will have an impact.

``We aren't leaving ourselves a lot of room for error,'' he said. ``Right now we don't look like a good team.''

LAS VEGAS - The last thing Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver wanted was a shootout. His team has not played well on the offensive end of the floor and opponent Central Washington came in averaging 92.8 points.

It was indeed a shootout but only one team participated as the Coyotes cruised past the Wildcats 83-60 Tuesday in the Great Western Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center.

The defense was as tenacious as always. But it was one of the more complete efforts for the No. 10 Coyotes this season as they hit 50.8 percent from the field and came within a point of their season high. But the perfectionist in Oliver still came out despite the comfortable win.

``It was a great defensive effort. For us to guard a team like that and to limit them like we did was fantastic,'' he said. ``Offensively, we're doing better but it was far from good. Maybe I'm
just a nitpicker.''

The point total was a season low for the Wildcats (3-3) and matched their season low of a year ago. It was also their least productive outing since 2004 when they were held to 47 once.

The Coyotes forced 22 turnovers and held their foe to 34 percent (16-for-47) from the field. Central had 24 points from the free-throw line so they got just 36 from the field.

``I thought they were going to be better than that, just by the numbers they were putting up,'' senior center Michael Earl said. ``But I guess you can contribute that to us playing well.''

Cal State blew the game open in the second half. It was even at 12 but the Coyotes tallied 10 of the next 12 points, surging out to a 24-14 lead on a driving layup by Marlon Pierce. The first half ended with the same point differential, the Coyotes up 39-29.

The Coyotes started the second half the way they ended the first. Reggie Brown hit a 3-pointer to give the Coyotes a 45-30 lead three minutes into the second half and Steve Gaston drained one the next trip down the floor to give Cal State a 48-30 lead that just got
bigger.

Oliver used 15 players and 12 of those scored. Earl led the way with 19, on 8-for-9 shooting from the field despite being slowed this week by the flu.

Pierce and Lance Ortiz also came up big. Pierce totaled 12 with five assists, four rebounds and two steals while Ortiz managed 11 with seven assists and four steals. The Coyotes chalked up 21 assists as a team.

There were also some big contributors off the bench as Philip Jones grabbed seven rebounds. Gaston added seven points, five assists and two steals.

All said the team came off Friday's 78-75 overtime loss to NAIA Azusa Pacific more focused.

``We worked on passing the ball hard. We had gotten lackadaisical and were not getting guys open,'' Ortiz said. ``We came in here focused, ready to bounce back because we knew these were big games.''

The Coyotes play their second game of the tournament at 5 tonight against Western Washington (7-1) which turned back Cal Poly Pomona 73-64 earlier in the day. Western Washington's only loss this season was to Cal State in the season opener played in Seattle.

LAS VEGAS - The last thing Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver wanted was a shootout. His team has not played well on the offensive end of the floor and opponent Central Washington came in averaging 92.8 points.

It was indeed a shootout, but only one team participated as the Coyotes cruised past the Wildcats 83-60 Tuesday in the Great Western Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center.

The Coyotes' defense was as tenacious as always, but it was one of the more complete efforts for the No. 10 Coyotes this season as they hit 50.8 percent from the field and came within a point of their season high.

But the perfectionist in Oliver still came out despite the comfortable win.

"It was a great defensive effort. For us to guard a team like that and to limit them like we did was fantastic," he said.

"Offensively, we're doing better, but it was far from good. Maybe I'm just a nitpicker."

The point total was a season low for the Wildcats (3-3) and matched their season low of a year ago. It was also their least-productive outing since 2004, when they were once held to 47.

The Coyotes forced 22 turnovers and held their foe to 34 percent (16-for-47) from the field. Central had 24 points from the free-throw line, meaning they got just 36 from the field.

"I thought they were going to be better than that, just by the numbers they were putting up," senior center Michael Earl said. "But I guess you can contribute that to us playing well.''

Reggie Brown hit a 3-pointer to give the Coyotes a 45-30 lead three minutes into the second half, and Steve Gaston drained one the next trip down the floor to give Cal State a 48-30 lead that just got bigger.

Oliver used 15 players, and 12 of those scored. Earl led the way with 19, on 8-for-9 shooting from the field, despite being slowed this week by the flu.

Pierce and Lance Ortiz also came up big. Pierce totaled 12 with five assists, four rebounds and two steals, while Ortiz managed 11 with seven assists and four steals. The Coyotes chalked up 21 assists as a team.

There were also some big contributors off the bench; Philip Jones grabbed seven rebounds, and Gaston added seven points, five assists and two steals.

The Coyotes play their second game of the tournament at 5 tonight against Western Washington (7-1), which turned back Cal Poly Pomona 73-64 earlier in the day. Western Washington's only loss this season was to Cal State in the season opener played in Seattle.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Ryan Jorden had been named the head coach of California Baptist University men's soccer, Athletic Director Kevin Steele announced today.

Jorden becomes just the fourth head coach since CBU restarted men's soccer in 1985, and he replaces Shayon Jalayer, who resigned in October after six seasons at the helm. This is Jorden's first collegiate head coaching position.

"I am pleased that Ryan has accepted the position," said Steele, who has now hired six new head coaches in less than three full years. "Ryan raised his stock immeasurably among an incredibly talented pool of applicants. His vast experience as a DI assistant and in the GSAC coupled with his enthusiasm and intelligence make him an excellent addition to our talented staff. We anticipate him taking this program to new levels of success in the very near future."

Since 2000, Jorden has served as the lead assistant coach for Dave Wolf at GSAC-rival Westmont. During his time Santa Barbara, the Warriors were 82-39-11 and were consistently ranked in the NAIA Top 25. In 2000, the Warriors were ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, regional champions and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Tournament, finishing 19-5 overall. The Warriors were back-to-back GSAC co-champions in 2001 and 2002.

Jorden inherits a team that finished 6-10-1 in 2007, winning just two conference games. The Lancers have not made the playoffs since sharing the GSAC title in 1989.

With a penchant for player development, Jorden has worked and coached in all aspects of the soccer program, including fitness programming, scheduling and recruiting coordination. A graduate of Westmont, Jorden played for the Warriors from 1991-1994 and during that time was part of 65 wins and two national tournament appearances.

Jorden earned his bachelor's in kinesiology from Westmont in 1995 and then became the assistant coach with the men's soccer program at NCAA Division I Oregon State in 1996. During his four years at OSU, he completed his master's degree in exercise science.

After returning to coach at Westmont for three years, he took a leave of absence in 2003 to pursue his Ph.D. in sport and exercise science with an emphasis in biomechanics at Northern Colorado and is currently ABD, expecting to defend in early 2008. During that 2003 season, he worked as an assistant coach with the UNC soccer program. Returning to Westmont in the fall of 2004, Jorden resumed his responsibilities in serving as a full-time member of the kinesiology faculty, teaching courses in biomechanics, research methods, motor control and a variety of physical activity courses.

A United States Soccer Federation (USSF) 'A' licensed coach with Olympic Development Program (ODP) experience in multiple states, Jorden just finished his 12th season of collegiate coaching. A native of Santa Barbara, Jorden and his wife Liz are proud parents of two sons, Graeme (four) and Evan (two).

Jorden will assume his new position Jan. 2.

CARLEY NADDY
University of Redlands
Swimming

The lowdown: The 5-foot-8 senior excelled in the freestyle
events last year as a junior, contributing to a second-place team
finish in the SCIAC. Helped establish school records in the 200 free
relay (1:37.22), 400 free relay (3:32.19) and 800 free relay
(7:48.37). Was third in the 50 free (24.58) at the SCIAC and competed
in the NCAA National meet on four different relays. Helped the
Bulldogs to a No. 9 national ranking as a sophomore and set
a SCIAC record in winning the 50 free (23.83) and later placed 16th
at the national meet in that event.
Age: 21
Hometown: Danville, Calif.
High school: San Ramon Valley High School, 2004
Major: Business and psychology
Favorite team: Oakland Raiders
Favorite athlete: Natalie Coughlin
Favorite food: Mexican
Can’t miss TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
Role model: My grandpa
Most memorable sports moment: Setting the SCIAC and school record in
the 50 free at the SCIAC meet in 2006.
Last good book you read: At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
Celebrity you most want to meet: Patrick Dempsey
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Country (Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw).
Favorite movie: The Wizard of Oz
Favorite vacation spot: Cannon Beach, Ore.
Best advice anyone has given you: You can race and win from any lane
(my mom).
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Rubbing my hands on the block and
dring the block off with a towel.
Other hobbies: Photpography and scrapbooking
What do you want to be doing in five years: Be settled in my career
and hopefully traveling.

MARLON PIERCE
Cal State San Bernardino
Basketball

The lowdown: The 6-foot-2 senior point guard is averaging 10
points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals in helping
the Coyotes to a 7-1 start and No. 6 national ranking. Season-high
thus far has been 22 points against Monterey Bay. Also has a high of
eight rebounds against Western Washington. Role as a junior was more
of a ball distributor but he still averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds,
2.8 assists and 1.9 steals depite sharing playing time at the
point. Came to the Coyotes from Cuyamaca Community College
in the San Diego area.
Age: 21
Hometown: San Diego
High school: Helix High School, 2004
Major: Commnications
Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan
Role model: My dad (Larry Pierce)
Most memorable sports moment: Winning the 2007 West Regional
championship game last year and winning a CIF championship game my
senior year of high school.
Most embarrassing moment: Disclocating my shoulder my sophomore year
of high school in the last practice of the season.
Last good book you read: The Bible
Favorite movie: American Gangster
Can’t miss TV show: The Wire
Celebrity you most want to meet: Actress Lauren London
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese, Mexican food (from San Diego taco
shops).
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Jay Z-American Gangster
Other hobbies: Poker, bowling and all other sports
Favorite vacation spot: Las Vegas
Best advice anyone has given you: You’ve got a lot of stuff ahead of
you, don’t let the past get in the way of it (my dad).
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Pray before every game and at
halftime.
What do you want to be doing in five years: Working in sports
broadcasting.

- Compiled by Michelle Gardner

Redlands - After back-to-back losses, the University of Redlands women's basketball team rebounded in fine fashion on Sunday with a decisive 71-55 victory over Division III opponent UC Santa Cruz.  Despite late comeback runs by the Banana Slugs, the Bulldogs maintained their composure and continued to pull away with strong shooting and stifling defense. The early part of the game saw a back-and-forth contest with UCSC gaining a five-point lead at 15:51 in the first half.  However, Redlands responded with relentless defense that resulted in 23 points off of 23 Slug turnovers.  Although UCSC moved within three late in the second half, the Bulldogs took advantage of opportunities and handled the ball well to hold the lead.   Sophomore forward Meghan Yetman (shown in photo; Danville, CA) led the way once again for the Bulldogs, scoring a season-high 26 points to lead the both teams.  In addition, Redlands boasted three other players in double figures with senior guard Valerie Katayama (Huntington Beach, CA) adding 13, junior post player Lindsey McFerran (Lakewood, CA) providing 12, and sophomore guard Ali Bueno (San Jose, CA) chipping in 11.  As a team, Redlands shot 36.4% from the field, accompanied by a much improved 78.8% from the free-throw line. Santa Cruz gained 14 points from senior point guard Talia Joyce (Carson City, NV) while sophomore forward Jessica Andrusaitis (Durham, CA) added 12.  Junior forward Melissa Junge (Sunnyvale, CA) rounded out the double-digit figures for Santa Cruz with 10 points.   Later this month, Bulldog women's basketball (5-3) continues non-conference play on the road in Michigan at the Kalamazoo Classic. On December 29, Redlands takes on Kalamazoo College (MI) at 4 p.m. EST and then faces Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on December 30 at 2 p.m. EST.  Redlands returns home on January 10 for the first conference game of the season and hosts Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 7:30 p.m.

MONICA EMANUEL
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Swimming

The lowdown: The talented senior is a three-time SCIAC champion in
1-meter diving, recording a score of 342.20 in the finals as a junior
in helping the Athenas to the team title. Has finished first in that
event in the last most recent two meets this seasons with a score of
214.75 in a dual meet against Caltech and a 225.45 in a win over
Occidental. Has helped the Athenas to a No. 11 national ranking.
Age: 21
Hometown: Walnut Creek
High school: College Park High School, 2004
Major: Neuroscience
Favorite athlete: Kristian Ipsen (Decorated junior national diver).
Favorite team: Oakland A’s
Can’t miss TV show: House
Favorite food: Stir fry
Role model: Eric Sargent (my physical therapist)
Most memorable sports moment: Winning the 1-meter diving at the SCIAC
meet by 0.6 points in 2006 when I was having really bad back problems.
Most embarrassing moment: Hitting my head on the diving board in 2002
and getting carried off the pool deck on a stretcher. I ended up
getting eight stitches and breaking my nose.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My older brother
Mark who also dove for CMS.
Last good book you read: Stumbling Upon Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Favorite movie: A River Runs Through it.
Favorite vacation spot: Alaska
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Continuum by John Mayer
Celebrity you most want to meet: Lance Armstrong
Best advice anyone has given you: When you get frustrated or feel
like everything is caving in on you, just go outside, take a deep
breath, and say to yourself ‘it’s going to be alright.’
Pre-game ritual or superstition: I have to make sure my hands aren’t
too wet or too dry. so I wipe them on my swimsuit and my legs. I also
talk to myself while I’m on the diving board reminding myself of
things I have to remember to do in the dive.
Other hobbies: weightlifting, working as an athletic trainer
What do you want to be doing in five years: I would like to be
working as a physician’s assistant for a neurosurgeon or an
orthopedic surgeon.
- Compiled by Michelle Gardner


 

ROBERT HUGHES
University of La Verne
Basketball

The lowdown: Has been a spark coming off the bench for the Leopards,
averaging 10 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting .642 from the
field. Chalked up 19 points and five rebounds in an 84-81 win over
Willamette and had 14 points and nine rebounds in a 78-55 win over
Pacific Union as the Leopards (4-4) have already equaled their win
total of last season. Was second on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg)
and rebounding (5.6 rpg) as a junior and recorded a team-high 33
blocks.
Age: 21
Hometown: North Edwards
High school: Boron High School, 2004
Major: Business administration
Favorite athlete: Serena Williams
Favorite team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Role model: My parents
Most memorable sports moment: Beating my brother in teather ball in
the fourth grade because after that I knew anything was possible.
Most embarrassing moment: My string was loose in my shorts in junior
high and I went up for a layup and they fdel off to my ankles.
Person most influential in your athletic success: High school
basketball coach David and Brad Wiggs.
Last good book you read: The Road
Favorite movie: Three Ninjas Kick Back
Can’t miss TV show: Heroes, Brothers and Sisters
Celebrity you most want to meet: Jimmy Neutron
Favorite food: Orange chicken from Panda Express
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Destiny’s Child
Other hobbies: deep sea fishing, snowboarding, wakeboarding
Favorite vacation spot: Mammoth
Best advice anyone has given you: Just do what you do and have fun.
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Always eat a Snickers bar before
every game.
What do you want to be doing in five years: Managing a business of my
own or become a matador.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Brad Terwilliger and the men's 400 medley relay team highlighted a quick Saturday for the California Baptist swim team at the UNLV Winter Invitational.

Terwilliger, product of Yucaipa High School, set a school record in the 500 free with his time of 4:34.68 which was good enough to capture the B final and was the fifth fastest time overall. He set the record last year at the NAIA Championships with a 4:34.87.

Vicente Andrade, Bryan Haile, Terwilliger and Alan Ogden swam a fourth-place time of 3:24.21 in the 400 medley. UNLV, UC Santa Barbara and TCU, all NCAA Division I schools, were the only schools to swim a faster time. The Rebels won the race with a 3:20.94.

Haile also took seventh in the 50 free (21.36) and Ogden placed 12th (21.51) and both helped the 200 free relay team take ninth. Both Haile and Ogden combined with Brian Jack and Sean McPherson to swim a 1:25.60.

Nicole Shipman, Elena Zanone, Angie Rodriguez and Katelyn Butler combined for a 4:00.98 in the 400 medley relay placing 14th on the women's side of the meet.

Shipman is an Upland resident and graduate iof Glendora High School.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- California Baptist University will add men's and women's cross country as intercollegiate sports, Athletic Director Kevin Steele announced today.

The Lancers will begin competing in the fall of 2008, and a national search for a head coach will begin immediately. In addition to wrestling, which was added last week, CBU will now offer 20 sports.

"We are pleased to bring men's and women's cross country back to the CBU campus and intend for it to move quickly into national prominence," said Steele, who has now overseen the addition of six sports since he began at CBU in the summer of 2005.

California Baptist first sponsored cross country in the 1960s and then again ran it from 1995-2003. CBU was once a GSAC-power and national-contender in men's cross country, claiming four straight GSAC titles and four straight Top 10 finishes at the NAIA Championships from 1998-2001, including a third place finish in 2001. Also, the Lancer women advanced to three straight NAIA Championships from 1998-2000.

CBU becomes the tenth Golden State Athletic Conference institution to compete in both men's and women's cross country. Four GSAC men's teams were ranked in the final NAIA Top 25 of 2007, while five women's teams were ranked.

Currently 192 NAIA institutions sponsor men's cross country while 199 institutions sponsor women's cross country. The NAIA Championships are usually run the third weekend of November.

Laura Beeman was outside Selland Arena in Fresno, talking on her cell phone moments after her Mt. San Antonio College women's basketball team won a state tournament semifinal game, seeking information on thenext opponent.

She was approached by 6-foot-2 Carmen Deal, a freshman at Pasadena City College, who wanted to transfer.

Beeman knew Deal well, having played against her twice in the 2006-07 season. Beeman told the player she needed to talk to her coach about leaving and enroll at Mt. SAC before she could speak with her.

Deal did that and showed up in the fall, bringing with her an attitude other coaches had warned Beeman about. But Beeman didn't turn the player away. She welcomed the chance to make a difference.

It has paid off again as Deal has transformed into a solid team player on and off the court.

"That's my specialty," said Beeman. "I like taking these kids that are considered problems and working with them. You give them your soul, they'll give you theirs back."

Beeman's caring, tough-love approach has worked. The San Bernardino native is in her 13th year heading the Mt. SAC program. She has 307 career wins, four 30-win seasons and eight 20-win seasons, highlighted by three state titles in the last four years.

The Mounties (15-1) face San Bernardino Valley College (7-2) at 5:30 tonight.

While she is pleased with the wins, it is the graduation rate and her success advancing players that she is most proud of. Lauren Ervin, the cornerstone of the state title team in 2006, is the leading scorer at Arkansas and hasn't forgotten her first conversation with Beeman.

"She told me not to expect any special treatment just because I had athletic ability. If I didn't plan on going to class or working hard, I better go play somewhere else," Ervin said. "A lot of coaches say that, but they don't mean it. I knew better than to test her because if you get in her doghouse it's hard to get out."

Beeman, 39, lives in Huntington Beach but hasn't forgotten her roots. Parents Jerry and Judy still live in San Bernardino and are regulars at most games along with her 92-year-old grandmother Lois.

Brother Bobby took over the the pharmacy business which still bears the family name. Laura also has two sisters, Lisa and Cheryl.

She admits she doesn't get back as often as she would like, especially during the season but did return last week to help decorate the family Christmas tree.

Beeman attended San Gorgonio High School as a freshman, then transferred to San Bernardino High School where she played for three years.

She signed early with Division I Weber State but a serious knee injury derailed that plan. Instead she played close to home at UC Riverside, then coached by Nancy Simpson, who later spent 12 years at Cal State San Bernardino.

Beeman decided to end her playing career for good after a second knee injury that season but Darryl Smith, an assistant coach at Cal State, tracked her down at the mall where she was working and convinced her to give it one last shot.

"I really had no intention of playing again," Beeman said. "Two knee injuries had me convinced basketball was not going to be part of my future."

Beeman relented and played two years for the Coyotes, helping them to a 24-4 mark and West Regional final in 1990. She is second in career assists (379 in her two years and also has the second and third-best numbers for assists in a season, 203 (1989-90) and 176 (1990-91.

She finished her degree in business marketing but opted not to play as a senior.

"I just lost my love of the game," she said. "I didn't want to play if my heart wasn't totally in it. I don't like taking on something unless I am going to give it my absolute best."

After graduating she took a job in marketing and promotions with the High Desert Mavericks baseball team in its inaugural season.

But she was back in the game a year later when an assistant at the University of Redlands asked her to work for the women's team as a graduate assistant. She did that for two years while pursuing a masters.

She first applied for the Mt. SAC job when it opened in 1994. It was given to Sherry Stevenson but Beeman was asked to stay on as an assistant. A year later the school opened the job again and Beeman was given the nod.

She had a five-year plan in place, with her biggest adjustment the classroom environment. The team went a respectable 17-12 her first year.

"I wasn't new to basketball but I was new to the academic scene," she said. "I had never taught in high school, forget college."

Beeman said a turning point came in 1999 when she brought in Brian Crichlow as her lead assistant. He had been serving as the head girls coach at Pomona and became familar with Beeman when she started recruiting some of his players.

Crichlow said Beeman's work ethic is contagious.

"You come in here and she has a practice plan laid out, a scouting report on the next opponent. She is watching film," he said. "It makes you want to dive right in too because you can see how much work she has already put in before you even get there."

Beeman has accomplished everything she can at the community college level and admits she would never count out moving on to a four-year institution, but isn't actively seeking the opportunity.

She won't consider a move unless it's the perfect job for her.

"If it were the right time, the right place and the right situation and I knew I was going to have complete control of the program, yes, I would absolutely think about it," Beeman said. "But I can also see myself being a Mountie the rest of my life."

Ryan Kristensen (FR, Saugus) has been selected SCIAC Athlete of the Week for the weeks of November 26 - December 9.

He won five events as the Stags won at Caltech and beat Occidental at home.  He won the 200 free (1:52.21) and anchored (22.44) the winning 200 free relay against Caltech.  He won the 50 free (22.17) and 100 free (48.56) and anchored (49.42) the winning 400 medley relay against Occidental.  Kristensen currently has the top times in the SCIAC in both the 50 and 100 free.

Occidental basketball player Stacy Roshon was named the top female performer.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO — The Cal State San Bernardino men put their unbeaten record and lofty state ranking on the line again tonight but this time they will do so against an unfamiliar foe.

NAIA contender Azusa Pacific will march into Coussoulis Arena for a 7:30 p.m. contest. While the game won’t factor into the all-important regional rankings since the Cougars (5-4) are not a Division II school, it is counted in the overall record used for national ranking purposes.
Coach Jeff Oliver won’t take this game any differently however.

“It may not count in the region but we’re not taking it any differently than a conference game,” he said. “We’re going to go out there and try to win, whether it takes playing 12 guys, or shortening the bench and playing eight.”

The No. 6 Coyotes (7-0) have been idle for the last two weeks but swept Monterey Bay and San Francisco State to start CCAA play on Nov. 30. The team has been solid on defense, allowing an average of just 58 points a game and forcing an average of 19 turnovers. Now Oliver and assistant Paul Trevor have been focusing on offense where the Coyotes have struggled a bit. The bright spot is that the team has not been beaten despite being inconsistent there.

“I thought we made a lot of progress there the last two games,” said Oliver, the most successful coach in the program’s history. “But we have to keep fine-tuning. Even though we have gotten through unscathed, we know we have tougher games ahead of us.”

Unlike in years past, Oliver has used the same starting lineup in six of the seven games. That quintet includes senior guards Lance Ortiz (13.3 ppg, 5.3 apg) and Marlon Pierce (9.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.4 apg), junior guard-forward Renardo Bass, senior forward David Reichel (7.7 ppg) and senior center Michael Earl (10.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
Junior guard Steve Gaston has provided a spark off the bench, scoring 15 in the Coyotes last contest.

The Coyotes will also be bolstered by the return of 6-foot-5 senior forward-center Joseph Tillman. He had only one quarter of eligibility remaining so he sat out the fall but is now able to play with the posting of grades this week.

Azuza Pacific, which competes in the Golden State Athletic Conference, is coming off a 29-7 mark in 2006-2007. They are just above .500 this season despite boasting a roster that includes five Division I bouncebacks.
Among those is Upland High School product Todd Martin (9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg), a 6-7 senior forward who came over from Troy State after his sophomore year. Other key players are 6-5 senior Davon Roberts (13.3 ppg, 6 rpg), who played previously at Sacramento State, and 6-2 sophomore guard Mike Danielian (12.3 ppg), who moved over from Cal State Fullerton.

The Cougars are directed by first-year coach Justin Leslie who had been the top assistant the last five years and played for that head coach Bill Odell.

“Anyone that thinks this is going to be an easy game because it isn’t a CCAA school is wrong,” Oliver said. “They play in a very good conference. Those top teams are just as good as the better teams in ours.”

The Coyotes will then turn their attention back to Division II play with games Tuesday and Wednesday against Central Washington and Western Washington in the Great West Shootout in Las Vegas.

The next three games will not be aired on radio but are available on the Internet through the Coyotes athletic websight at http://athletics.csusb.edu.

Freshman guard Winston Robinson scored 27 points, including an 11-for-12 showing from the free-throw line as Chaffey downed Pasadena City College 100-93 Wednesday night in a non-conference game. It was the fourth straight win for the Panthers.

Sophomore guard Brandon Clemons contributed 15 points including three 3-pointers for Chaffey, which entered as the second-highest scoring team in the state.

Chaffey (8-5) will play in a tournament at College of the Desert Dec. 27-29.

Pasadena dropped to 1-9 on the season.

The San Bernardino Valley College women's basketball team will be battle tested by the time Foothill Conference play starts. The Wolverines (7-2) lost Saturday to No. 5 Pasadena (11-1), the same foe that handed them their first loss of the year.

The going gets tougher as SBVC travels to No. 2 Mt. SAC (15-1) for a 5:30 p.m. game Friday against the defending state champion Mounties. Then comes a game with No. 11 Saddleback (5-0).

SBVC had trouble with Pasadena's size up front, an advantage that Mt. SAC will have as well. Crebbin said she will be looking for more production from her guards.

"We have to get more from our guards, better shots, more shots. That's where our strength is," coach Susan Crebbin said. "Then if they start making some of those, it takes pressure off the girls up front. We don't have the size to go toe-to-toe with them in the paint."

The Wolverines are ranked 20th in the state and 10th in Southern California. Shy Walter (13.3) is the team's leading scorer, with Simeone Baker (7.3) the top rebounder. Jasmine Marshall (Arroyo Valley) leads the team in assists and steals. SBVC boasts the top defense in the state, allowing just 47.6 points per game.

It was announced today that the University of Redlands gained three players on the 2007 D3football.com All-West Region teams. Graduate student return specialist Kyle Godfrey (Apple Valley, CA) landed on the Second Team Offense while junior defensive tackles Gavril Gabriel (Downey, CA) and Brock Arndt (Valencia, CA) earned Second Team Defense honors.

Following his All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) First Team nod, Godfrey (Apple Valley, CA) gains his inaugural All-West Region accolade with a spot on the Second Team. During the 2007 season, he accumulated 433 yards on 23 kick returns to go along with 278 yards on 31 punt returns. In addition, Godfrey served as the Bulldogs' primary receiving target. In 10 games, he made 59 catches for 816 yards, which included the second-most receiving yards for a single game with 239 during Redlands' 53-23 win over Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. Overall, he led the Bulldogs with 1527 all-purpose yards.

Joining Godfrey on the Second Team, Gabriel adds to this year's accolades with his initial All-West Region award. In 2007, he led the Bulldogs with 15 tackles for a loss of 69 yards, including nine sacks for a loss of 58 yards. Overall, Gabriel tallied 52 tackles to rank third on the team while recording eight quarterback hurries.

Beyond his All-SCIAC award, Arndt continues to build upon his solid career with a spot on the All-West Region Second Team. This season, he competed in nine games and tallied 48 total tackles, which included 10 tackles for a loss of 53 yards and five sacks. He also earned nine quarterback hurries to rank first on the team. He tallied three pass breakups, recovered two fumbles for 10 yards, and forced one fumble.

Redlands (8-2, 5-1 SCIAC) earned a share of the SCIAC title with Cal Lutheran University and gained the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs. This marked the Bulldogs 28th SCIAC Championship and fifth postseason appearance in the history of the program.

For a complete list of the All-Region Teams, please log onto www.d3football.com.

VALARIE KATAYAMA
University of Redlands
Basketball

The lowdown: The 5-foot-5 senior point guard is averaging 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Bulldogs (4-2). Was named SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week Nov. 28 for her showing against San Diego Christian. In that game she scored her team’s last 10 points in 25 seconds to send the game into overtime, finishing with 24 points and 11 assists. Averged a team-high 12.3 points as a junior with 110 assists, ranking her sixth in school history for a single season. Named team Most Valuable Player and selected to the all-SCIAC first team. Transferred to Redlands from Orange Coast Community College.
Age: 20
Hometown: Huntington Beach
High school: Edison High School, 2004
Major: Business administration
Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan
Can’t miss TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
Most memorable sports moment: Winning a five-overtime game. Making it to the semifinals of a state tournament at my junior college.
Last good book you read: Anything by Nicholas Sparks
Favorite movie: Love and Basketball
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Kelly Clarkson
Favorite vacation spot: Hawaii
Best advice anyone has given you: Play every game like it’s your last.
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Each year I have a new one. Last year I wore the same socks, same pink hair rubberband. Always wear my hair in a ponytail.
What do you want to be doing in five years: Be in a career and able to support myself.
- Compiled by Michelle Gardner

CHRISTINA WARREN
Chaffey College
Basketball
The lowdown: The 5-foot-9 sophomore guard has helped the Panthers to a 9-2 record ad No. 16 state ranking. Is averaging 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals. Has scored more than 20 points three times with a high of 26 coming against Cerro Coso. Best rebounding effort was 10 against Cuesta. Averaged 11.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.8 steals as a freshman, earning first-team all-conference honors. Was MVP of two tournaments during the regular season.
Age: 19
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga
High school: Los Osos, 2006
Major: General ed
Favorite athlete: Brittani Smith (a former teammate at Chaffey)
Favorite team: Chaffey Panthers
Role model: My mom
Can’t miss TV show: America’s Next Top Model
Most embarrassing moment: Falling in front of everyone at practice
Person most influential in your athletic success: My little sister Cierra
Celebrity you most want to meet: Chris Brown
Favorite Food: Cookie Dough ice cream
Favorite movie: Rush Hour 2
Last good book you read: Addicted
Other hobbies: Shopping
Favorite vacation spot: the beach
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Lloyd
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Eat a lot and drink a smoothie.
Best advice anyone has given you: Don’t ever give up when things get tough, continue to push yourself to be the best you can be.
What do you want to be doing in five years: Finishing school.

- Compiled by Michelle Gardner

LARRY GORDON
Cal Poly Pomona
Basketball
The lowdown: The junior forward ranks sixth in the CCAA in scoring (16.5 ppg), third in rebounding (8 rpg), fifth in free-throw percentage (.833), 10th in assists (3.25 apg) and 12th in field-goal percentage (.512). Has a high this season of 22 points (against UC Santa Barbara) and a best of 10 rebounds (twice).  Was a first-team all-CCAA selection as a sophomore, averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. Averaged 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in his rookie year which earned him conference Freshman of the Year honors.
Age: 20
Hometown: Pomona
High school: Montclair High School, 2005
Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant
Favorite team: Dallas Mavericks
Role model: My mom Annie
Can’t miss TV show: Heroes
Most memorable sports moment: Being named CCAA Freshman of the Year in 2006.
Most embarrassing moment: I went up for a dunk and got it stuck on the rim.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My entire family. They’re the ones who drove me to games sat in the stands and watched and have supported me through everything.
Celebrity you most want to meet: Jessica Alba
Favorite Food: tacos
Favorite movie: Matrix Trilogy
Last good book you read: American Paradox: Young Black Men by Dr.
Renford Reece (faculty member at Cal Poly Pomona).
Other hobbies: Sleeping and video games (Madden, NBL Live)
Favorite vacation spot: Palm Springs
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Lil Wayne
Pre-game ritual or superstition: I always take a shower before the game and I always recite the Lord’s Prayer.
Best advice anyone has given you: “Never give up and play hard.” (That sticks with me all the time).
What do you want to be doing in five years: Playing pro ball anywhere. Getting paid to play would be pretty cool.

 

Vanessa Wilt today was named the Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association women's basketball player of the week for the second straight week.

Wilt, a 6-1 senior center from Hesperia, was recognized for her double-double - 18 points and 18 rebounds - in a 68-50 Coyotes win over University of Redlands this past Thursday.

Her 18 rebounds were a season high and her three blocked shots raised her 2007-08 total to 21 in six games, an average of 3.5 per game.

She has helped the Coyotes to a 6-0 record to open the season, equaling the best start ever by a CSUSB women's basketball team. The only other team in the history of the program to start 6-0 was the 2000-01 squad.

Thursday's performance by Wilt means that she has achieved a double-double (points and rebounds) in all six games this season. She is the only player in the CCAA thus far averaging a double-double

Wilt ranks No. 2 in the CCAA in scoring at 19.2 points a game but leads the CCAA in rebounding at 13.2 per game. She also ranks No. 1 in blocked shots with 21 (3.5/game). She is shooting 83 percent from the foul line (15 of 18) and 53 percent from the field (50 of 94).

The Coyotes return to action on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 18-19, facing Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene in the Dixie State College Tournament in St. George, Utah.

SPU is 5-0 and coming off a 68-60 win over Chico State, ranked No. 9 in the nation, while NNU is 5-1 on the season.

Cross country runner Albert Diaz and women's volleyball standout Vanessa Williams  have been named the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Male and Female Athletes of the Month for November at Cal Poly Pomona.

The awards are voted upon by the student-based Bronco Athletics Association.

Diaz, a freshman from San Bernardino, was the top freshman to finish in the California Collegiate Athletic Association race, held Oct. 20 at Cal State Stanislaus. By virtue of his 26th-place finish on the 8,000-meter course, he was named the CCAA's top newcomer of the year.

Williams, a junior from Riverside, was a standout all season long for the Broncos. Williams was named all-CCAA first team and was honored as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) honorable mention All-American and Pacific Region first-team selection. She finished seventh in hitting percentage in the CCAA with a .272 percentage (285-97-690). She also finished third in blocks (1.31/game) for the league-leading block team and was 19th in kills (2.74/game).
The Broncos finished the season 21-7 overall and tied for second in the CCAA with a 13-5 mark. They earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Pacific Regional, where they lost to Cal State Los Angeles 3-2 in the opening round Nov. 15.

Cal State San Bernardino stretched its
season-opening win streak to six straight Thursday
night with a 68-50 non-conference victory over
University of Redlands at the Bulldogs' Currier Gym.

The six wins equals the best start to a season in
the history of the program dating back to 1984-85. The
record of six was first set in 2000-01.

Senior center Vanessa Wilt, the CCAA conference
player of the week, dominated the inside with 18
points and a season-high 18 rebounds while blocking
three shots.

Guard Shanae Blake had 15 points, two blocked
shots and a steal while sophomore guard Krystal Ursua
came off the bench to score 16 points and grab eight
rebounds in the victory.

CSUSB darted out to a 14-0 lead before the
Bulldogs got untracked enough to trail only by eight,
28-20 at halftime.

After the break, Redlands made a run and got to
within four at 33-29 before the Coyotes opened up a
10-point advantage at 39-29 and were never threatened
thereafter.

CSUSB's largest lead, 22 points, came with just
1:41 left in the contest. Redlands' record dropped to
4-2.

It was the first meeting of the two schools in
women's basketball since 1989-90 when CSUSB was a NCAA
Division III independent. The Coyotes now lead the
all-time series 9-1.

CSUSB will be idle until playing in the Dixie
State College Tournament on Dec. 18-19 in St. George
Utah against Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene of
the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Sophomore guard Lewis Leonard tossed in 27 points with five rebounds and two steals to lead the Wolverines (2-7) past the Riverside All-Stars 104-92 in consolation bracket play of the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic.

Sophomore point guard Jacob Letson had a season-high 22 points with six assists. Johnny Barnes and Frank Ragsdale tallied 16 apiece.

SBVC continues consolation bracket play today with a noon game against Pasadena City College.

The Citrus College men's basketball team advanced to the semi-finals of the 2007 Wells Fargo Holiday Classic hosted by Riverside City College with a 85-52 win over Long Beach City College in the quarterfinals

Sophomore Buchi Awaji was 6 of 10 from the field as he scored a game high 14 points, while Ralph Monday ripped down a game high 10 rebounds.

Long Beach kept pace with Citrus in the first half as they trailed by just 5-points going into half-time 30-35, but in the second half the Fighting Owls blew LBCC out of the water as they outscored them 51-25.

With the win Citrus improves to 12-0, and earns the right to play Antelope Valley College tomorrow night at 5:00 p.m.

Offensive Player of the Year - Dan Selway, QB, Redlands

Defensive Player of the Year - Josh Richards, DL, Cal Lutheran

Newcomer of the Year - Jacob Caron, QB, Pomona-Pitzer

John Zinda Award - Zach Landman, LB, Pomona-Pitzer; William Wagner, Claremont-Mudd Scripps

 

First team offense

QB Josh Scurlock, Whittier

RB Zach Shafer, Redlands

RB Jason Haller, Occidental

TE Jake Lacey, Redlands

WR Kyle Godfrey, Redlands

WR Rocky Ciasulli, Occidental

WR Jesse Matlock, Cal Lutheran

OL Matt Rosen, Cal Lutheran

OL D.J. Tano, Redlands

OL Chris Kyles, Occidental

OL Max Hodge, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

OL Jared Schwass, Redlands

K Connor Pearce, Cal Lutheran

SPT Kyle Godfrey, Redlands

First-team defense

DL James Sabo, Occidental

DL Gavril Gabriel, Redlands

DL Brock Arndt, Redlands

DL Daniel Lopez, Whittier

LB Arlo Castelo, Whittier

LB Kris Richardson, Redlands

LB Ashton Clarke, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

LB Zach Landman, Pomona-Pitzer  

DB Conor Drake, Redlands

DB Garett Redd, Cal Lutheran

DB Eddie Pickett, Pomona-Pitzer

DB Jerel Garcia, Redlands

P Alex Groh, Occidental

 Second-team offense

QB Jericho Toillolo, Cal Lutheran

RB D.J. Lillard, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

RB Tom Romaine, Redlands

TE Anthony DeJager, La Verne

WR Shawn Briggs, Whittier

WR Colin Regan, Pomona-Pitzer

WR Danny Hernandez, Cal Lutheran

OL Chris Anderson, Whittier

OL Jeff Briscoe, Cal Lutheran

OL Joe Manfre, La Verne

OL Tom Gonzalez, Occidental

OL Brett Henderson, Occidental

K Neil Martin, Occidental

SPT Grady Thomas, La Verne

Second-team defense

DL Jacob Calderon, Cal Lutheran

DL Tim Creamer, Occidental

DL Victor Lopez, Occidental

DL Mitch Crocco, Redlands

LB Jared Izidoro, Whittier

LB Branamier Courtney, La Verne

LB Jason Carpenter, La Verne

LB Eddie Stamm, Redlands

DB Dan Picciotto, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

DB Sean MacNeil, Whittier

DB Daniel Tromello, Occidental

DB Chris Denton, Cal Lutheran

P Bryan Downs, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

 

Six players finished in double figures as the Citrus College men’s basketball team stayed unbeaten and advanced in the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic, beating College of the Desert 105-82 Wednesday in first round play.

The Owls (11-0), ranked seventh in the state and fourth in Southern California, play Long Beach City today at 1 p.m. Long Beach advanced with a 57-47 win earlier in the day over Saddleback.

Freshman guard A.J. Gasporra led the Citrus effort with 16 points while sophomore guard Buchi Awaji added 15 and sophomore forwward Richard Frolich 12.

Ayala graduate Darren Moore, Ralph Monday and Virgil Buensuceso each chipped in with 11 with Monday also grabbing eight rebounds and Buensuceso dishing out six assists and getting three steals.

Citrus shot 57.7 percent (41-for-71) while holding Desert, out of the Foothill Conference, to 42.9 percent (33-for-77).
In a consolation bracket game today at 2 p.m.

In other games Wednesday San Diego City beat Los Angeles Pierce 64-59 and Long Beach slipped past Saddleback 57-47.

In today's consolation bracket game San Bernardino Valley College (1-7) will face the Riverside All-Stars. The Wolverines lost their first round game to East Los Angeles on Tuesday 89-77.

Mt. SAC women's basketball coach Laura Beeman admits her team's 72-61 victory over Ventura on Nov. 25 had special meaning. It wasn't because it came in the championship game of the Ventura Tournament of Champions. It marked the 300th career victory for Beeman, in her 13th year directing the team.

School adminstrators surprised the veteran coach with a bouquet of flowers and a cake at the team's next practice. The original plan was to honor her at the next home game but that was three weeks off.
Beeman shrugged off the individual accomplishment and passed along praise to her coaching staff. Top assistant Brian Crichlow has been with her for nine years.

"It really is a group accomplishment," she said. "As the head coach you're on the chopping block if you're not winning and you get all the praise if you do things right. But I see us developing players and building a strong program as a coaching staff."

The Mounties, ranked first in the state, should make a strong bid for their third consecutive  state title and fourth in five years. They are off to a 12-1 start, the lone loss coming to Orange Coast 63-57 in the season opener, the school's first loss at home in more than two years.

Beeman chalks up that loss primarily to the fact that it was the Mounties first game with 11 newcomers on her 15-player roster. She doesn't worry much about a loss.

"We're about graduating our players and getting them to the next level," she said. "And we want to have a winning program. You graduate your players and win a state title and no one is going to remember how many games you lost."

The team is led by sophomore guard Jazlyn Davis (16.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.4 apg), 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Carmen Deal (15.4 ppg, 11 rpg 2.4 bpg) and freshman guard Blaire Egardo (15 ppg, 4 rpg).

Unbeaten Cal State San Bernardino (7-0) moved up to No. 6 in this week's National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll released today after being in the No. 9 slot last week.

The Coyotes even got one first-place vote. The team received 162 votes, just four votes behind No. 4 Rollins University of Florida which is unbeaten at 5-0. Just ahead of them in the No. 5 spot is last year's NCAA runnerup Winona State, 8-1 on the season.

Bentley (Mass)., a quarterfinalist last year, is ranked No. 1 in the NABC poll at 6-0 followed by Grand Valley State (8-0) and South Dakota (7-0). The only other West Coast team in the top 10 is Seattle University (5-0).

BYU Hawaii holds down the 16th spot at 2-0 while Seattle Pacific is 4-1 and ranked No. 23. Its only loss was to the Coyotes on Nov. 17.

The Coyotes are idle this week for fall quarter finals and return to action on Friday, Dec. 14, in Coussoulis Arena against Azusa Pacific University at 7 p.m.

NABC/ESPN DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES POLL

No.       Team   (1st pl votes)                 Record             Points

1. Bentley, Mass (4)                               6-0                    190

2. Grand Valley State (3)                        8-0                    188

3. South Dakota                                     7-0                    184

4. Rollins                                               5-0                    166

5. Winona State                                     8-1                    163

6. COYOTES     (1)                                 7-0                    162

7. Emporia State                                    4-0                    150      

8. Drury                                                 5-0                    142

9. Findlay                                              4-1                    113

10. Seattle                                            5-0                    111

11. Northwest Missouri State; 12. St. Cloud State; 13. Southwest Okla. State; 14. Augusta State; 15. Virginia Union; 16. BYU Hawaii; 17. Central Oklahoma; 18. Central Missouri; 19. Fairmont State; 20. South Carolina Aiken; 21. West Georgia; 22. Nebraska Omaha; 23. Seattle Pacific; 24. Mount Olive; 25. Merrimack.

Four players finished in double figures as host Riverside Community College edged the Riverside All-Stars 82-80 in first round play at the 38th annual Wells Fargo Holiday Classic Tuesday night. That game was the last of four on the day.

Other winners were Fullerton, Mt. San Jacinto and East Los Angeles. The host Tigers (8-2) advance to play East Los Angeles in the 7 p.m. game Thursday night.

RCC was led by Keiran Nunley who tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Anthony Dandy and Anthony Scott contributed 12 each with Dandy, a San Gorgonio High School graduate, also collecting five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Cajon product James Simmons aided the cause with six assists and three steals.

Treno Butler headed the effort of the all-star team with 20 points. Brian Hooks added 15 with five rebounds and four assists.

The tournament continues today with Long Beach City playing Saddleback at 1 p.m., College of the Desert squaring off with unbeaten Citrus at 3 p.m., Los Angeles Pierce looking for its first win against San Diego City at 5 p.m. and Compton playing Antelope Valley at 7 p.m.

RIVERSIDE - All season San Bernardino Valley College basketball coach Gerry Wright has been waiting for someone other than his big two to step up. He's still waiting.

Sophomores Johnny Barnes and Lewis Leonard combined for 57 points and 18 rebounds but it wasn't enough as the Wolverines (1-7) fell to East Los Angeles 88-79 in first round action at the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic Tuesday at Riverside Community College.

The two came in averaging a combined 50 points but that hasn't translated to many wins.

"We're not getting enough production out of other guys," said a frustrated Wright. " They don't want to be the guys taking all the shots and they are trying to involve others but they're the only guys that have been making things happen."

The Wolverines could never get over the hump. Their only lead of the game came at 12-11 when Leonard hit a jumper from the baseline. But that lead didn't last long as the Huskies Damien Riley converted a three-point play at the other ends seconds later.

East L.A. (5-5) led by as many as 11 in the first half and was up 44-38 as Leonard and Barnes tallied 30 of those 38. The Huskies biggest lead of the second half came at 66-46 with 11:06 to go. SBVC got back within nine at 76-67 with 2:50 to play but East L.A. lived at the free-throw line the rest of the night, knocking down 13 of 14 tries.

"We're doing all we can but two people can't outplay 10 people," Barnes said. "Everyone has to bring the same heart and the same passion for us to get it done."

Barnes ended up with 34 points (15-for-32) from the field) and eight rebounds. While most of his points came in the paint, he did knock down three 3-pointers including back-to-back ones down the stretch with SBVC trying to rally.

Leonard, who played all 40 minutes, added 23 points and 10 rebounds with six assists and two steals. He went 8-for-24 but was 3-for-11 from long distance w ith some of his shots desperate attempts to make things happen.

Point guard Jacob Letson had nine points but was in foul trouble the entire game, picking up his fourth 1:11 into the second half and his fifth with 10:10 to go.

Wright said he does see potential in Sylvester Burel, who played basketball at Redlands East Valley but did not play at SBVC last season. He is just coming off football and isn't in prime basketball shape yet but still contributed four points, five rebounds and a steal in 15 minutes.

"Right now its the whopped dog syndrome. You can only take so many before you just grimace and get ready for it," Wright said. "I still think we have potential but we have to figure it out before conference starts."

East Los Angeles, which shot 56 percent (28-for-50), had six players ion double figures with 6-10 Richard Westphain netting a team-high 17.

SBVC, which shot 50.5 percent (32-for-79), will play at 2 p.m. Thursday in a consolation bracket game.

In the first two games of the day Mt. San Jacinto (7-1) defeated Palomar 87-76 and Fullerton (9-0) cruised past Pasadena City 98-70.

The Citrus College men's basketball team is off to the best start in school history while San Bernardino Valley College is off to one of the worst. Both will be in the 16-team field of the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic which starts today and runs through Saturday at Riverside Community College.

San Bernardino Valley College (1-6), the defending Foothill Conference champion, will take the floor at 5 p.m. today against East Los Angeles (4-5). A win would put the Wolverines into the quarterfinals on Thursday, most likely against the host school.

Citrus (10-0), ranked fourth in Southern California and seventh in the state, faces a formidable challenge at 3 p.m. Wednesday against College of the Desert (6-1).

The event is a grind with teams playing as many as four straight days. But Owls coach Rick Croy thinks his team is ready.

"This team really is built for tournament play," he said. "I have 13 players I use and I trust all 13 of them. We plan for fatigue before it even hits us."

Sophomore guard Buchi Awaji (18.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg) heads the effort with freshman guard A.J. Gasporra (13.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg) and sophomore guard Darren Moore (13 ppg), planning to play next season at UC Irvine.
The Owls have two other players at nine points a game including sophomore forward Richard Frohlich (9 ppg, 5.2 rpg) who has already signed with Texas-San Antonio.

While the Owls have been impressive, Croy and his team know tougher tasks are ahead.

"We know there is another level of competition we haven't faced yet but I am happy with where we're at," Croy said. "Our motto is stay humble and stay hungry. So far we have been able to do that."

Meanwhile the Wolverines are looking to find their groove. But coach Gerry Wright isn't panicking. Four of the six losses have been by single digit margins (two in overtime) and the schedule has been tough. Making it tougher, all the games have been on the road with the first game at Snyder Gymnasium not coming until Jan. 3.

The Wolverines are missing some players Wright was relying on, with one going down with a season-ending knee injury and another leaving the team so he could work.

"We scrimmaged a week before the season and the next week we didn't have those guys," Wright said. "We just have to take control and go a different direction because we don't have the aces we thought we would have."

The team is led by returning starters Johnny Barnes (22.8 ppg) and Lewis Leonard (27.8 ppg). Leonard had 28 points in the most recent loss, an 88-80 setback to Los Angeles City. Wright added that he is looking for more production from the newcomers, especially at the off guard position.

"Right now we're getting points out of four or five guys. That's something we have to address," he said.
Citrus is one five teams that come in with state rankings. The others are No. 2 Fullerton (8-0), No. 6 Mt. San Jacinto (9-0), No. 12 Riverside (7-2) and No. 17 Antelope Valley (7-3). In addition Long Beach City (5-4) is ranked No. 13 in the South.

 
The Owls finished as runner-up in the event last year, losing the championship game to Riverside.

Here is today's schedule:

Palomar (3-5) vs. Mt. Sam Jacinto (9-0), 1 p.m.

Pasadena (0-6) vs. Fullerton (8-0), 3 p.m.

East Los Angeles vs. San Bernardino Valley, 5 p.m.

Riverside All-Stars vs. Riverside CC, 7 p.m.

Wednesday's games

Long Beach City (5-4) vs. Saddleback (4-5), 1 p.m.

Desert (6-1) vs. Citrus (10-0), 3 p.m.

Los Angeles Pierce (0-5) vs. San Diego City (2-6), 5 p.m.

Compton (2-9) vs. Antelope Valley (7-3), 7 p.m.

SAN BERNARDINO  --  Cal State San Bernardino senior center Vanessa Wilt (Hesperia/Sultana HS/Cal Baptist) today was named the Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association women's basketball player of the week.

Wilt, an all-America honorable mention, all West Region and all-CCAA first team pick in 2006-07, averaged a double-double as the Coyotes edged Cal State Monterey Bay 47-45 and then defeated San Francisco State 57-45 this past weekend in the CCAA openers.

The 6-1 post player averaged 15.5 points and 12 rebounds a game in the Coyotes' sweep of conference opponents. She hit 16 points and 12 rebounds with five blocked shots and two assists and two steals in the win over Monterey Bay.

She came back Saturday against the double-teaming defense that San Francisco State sent her way and came away with 15 points and 12 rebounds in the win over the Gators.

Wilt has double-doubles in each of her first five games this season after posting 11 of them in 2006-07 while leading the Coyotes into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998.

She is averaging 19.4 points and 12.2 rebounds a game with 18 blocked shots and nine steals while shooting 54 percent from the floor through the first five games of this season.

In 2006-07, Wilt led the CCAA in four categories including rebounding (9.9 rpg), field goal percentage (59.2), rebounding defense (6.39/game)and blocked shots (41). Her field goal percentage was No. 3 in the nation.

She currently ranks in the top 10 all-time in seven CSUSB statistics categories.

CSUSB travels to Redlands Thursday to play U of R's Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m.

Men's basketball player of the week honors went to Cy Vandermeer of Humboldt State.

By J.P. Hoornstra
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - As a standout guard for Los Angeles Southwest College, Steve Gaston wasn't used to being a bench guy, a spark plug - any one of those polite synonyms applied to someone who wasn't in the starting lineup.

In this, his first season at Cal State San Bernardino, Gaston has tried hard to embrace the spark plug role. On Saturday, he relished it.

Gaston came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer that broke a 29-29 tie 5:40 into the second half, the critical shot in a 69-54 victory over San Francisco State at Coussoulis Arena.

Reggie Brown hit a three on the Coyotes' next possession, then Gaston hit another on his next touch to break the game open.

Gaston finished 6-for-9 with 15 points on the evening and Cal State (7-0 overall, 2-0 California Collegiate Athletic Conference) made the game look easy down the stretch.

"It's been a struggle coming off the bench," Gaston said. "I just try to come in, play both ends of the floor, be a spark plug."

He made the most of his 16 minutes Saturday, helping rescue Cal State from an uncharacteristically cold shooting night. The Coyotes shot 34 percent from the floor before halftime and 55.6 percent after.

Lance Ortiz also scored 15 points for Cal State, and center Michael Earl added 12 points and five blocked shots.

Head coach Jeff Oliver, the Coyotes' toughest critic, said his team's positives were outweighed by an "atrocious" offense.

"We've just got to  polish things up," Oliver said. "We don't do any of the little things well. We're losing the hustle battle.

Still, his team did nothing over the weekend to disown its No. 9 ranking in the latest Division II poll. After beating Cal State Monterey Bay 79-71 on Friday, the Coyotes' unbeaten league record could go a long way toward a repeat of last year's deep playoff run.

"There's a distinct possibility we'll be in first place by ourselves after the first weekend," he said, referring to the conference's other three 1-0 teams.

San Francisco State (4-3, 1-1) was also unbeaten in league prior to Saturday, and found success early giving the ball to post man Chris Rodriguez (17 points, eight rebounds).

But Cal State's sudden shooting success, and their frustrating full-court trap, seemed to sap the Gators' momentum in the second half.

Former Apple Valley High star Will Logan played a scoreless 22 minutes for San Francisco State.

Co-coaches of the Year - Perry Jehlicka, Antelope Valley and Dean Dowty, College of the Desert;

Offensive Player of the Year - Brent Rausch, Desert;

Defensive Player of the Year - Eric Leon, Antelope Valley

--- First team offense --

QB Blake Sutton, Grossmont;
RB Jahmel Rover, Chaffey;
RB Isaac Newton, Victor Valley;
OL Charles Millenbaugh, Grossmont;
OL Bryan Copping, Chaffey;
OL Carlos Savala, Desert;
OL Hayworth Hicks, Antelope Valley;
OL Michael Cunningham, Grossmont;
TE Kyle Kortsen, Desert
WR Alex Thompson, Chaffey;
WR Edgar Theliar, Desert;
K Brett Haase, Grossmont;
All-purpose - Edgar Brown, Grossmont;

--- Second team offense ---
QB Drew Westling, Southwestern;
RB Cory Thompson, Mesa;
RB James Undre Sailes, Desert;
OL David Norman, Mesa
OL Preston Moran, Victor Valley;
OL Ricky Galaz, San Bernardino Valley;
OL Phillip Yandail, Southwestern;
OL Jose Acuna, Mt. San Jacinto;
OL Kiano Prater, SBVC;
TE Kyle Marson, Grossmont;
WR Daniel Chamberlain, Mt. San Jacinto;
WR Keiton Mayes, Desert
K Andrew Parades, Victor Valley
All-purpose - Kenslow Smith, Southwestern;

--- First-team defense---

DB Leroy Trahan, SBVC;
DB Guy Ricciardulli, MEsa;
DB Sam Murphy, Antelope Valley;
DB Stefaun Dorsey, Desert;
DL Magnum Manga, Grossmont;
DL Jamison Watson, Antelope Valley;
DL Lonnel Rice, Desert;
DL David Hanna, SBVC;
ILB Chris Williamson, SBVC;
ILB Stevon Thomas, Chaffey;
OLB DeMorris Brooks, SBVC;
OLB Demetrius Collins, Antelope Valley;
P Justin Veazie, Chaffey;
Return - Deshon Daniels, Desert;

--- Second-team defense---

DB Earl Brooks, Desert;
DB Kris Sitgraves, Victor Valley;
DB Dennis Gilleylen, Chaffey;
DB Arron Grimes, Mt. San Jacinto;
DB Villa Vincencio, Grossmont;
DL Tory Robinson, Southwestern;
DL Ryan Glazier, Grossmont;
DL Albert Lee, Chaffey;
DL Vincent Mao, Mt. San Jacinto;
ILB Andre Marshall, Victor Valley;
ILB Jason Luke, Desert;
OLB Erick Brinkley, Victor Valley;
OLB Tony Espinosa, Mesa;
OLB Pulu Otukolo, Mt. San Jacinto;
OLB Draye Ersery, Desert;
P Andrew Parades, Victor Valley;
Return - Alex Thompson, Chaffey

The dry confines of the Snyder Gym proved to be a relief from the downpour outside as the Wolverines pummeled the Bakersfield Renegades 77-33 in non-conference action.

Sophomore Shy Walter (Perris) led the team with 14 points, followed by sophomore Jasmine Marshall (Arroyo Valley) with 12 points and freshman Dwayanna Pullum (J.W. North) with 12 points.

The Wolverines went on a 9-0 run to start the game ending up with a 42-14 half time lead.

Renegades freshman Ashley Van Zandt (Stockdale) lead the team with 11 points and sophomore Tiffany Jones contributed 10 points in the loss.

With the win the Wolverines move to 5-1 with their next appearance will be on the road in the Rose City Tournament in Pasadena starting on December 6^th.

The University of Redlands men's basketball team fell to Whitworth (Wash.) 93-58 in the championship game of the 60th annual Lee Fulmer Memorial Tournament Saturday at Currier Gym.

The Bulldogs (3-3) never really threatened as they were outscored in the first half 42-19, shooting just 33 percent. They managed just 34 percent for the game and were outrebounded 42-27.

Justin Sobczyk led Redlands with 13 points but was the lone Bulldog player in double figures. Matt Loretz had nine points and a team-high five rebounds.

The Pirates (4-1) had four players tally double figures with tournament MVP Ryan Symes netting a team-high 20 with eight rebounds and three assists. Nate Montgomery chipped in with 16.

The all-tournament team also included Colin Willemsen of Whitworth,  Dave Thomas of Redlands, Jabarri Reynolds of Pomona-Pitzer, Jawaan Rubin of Cal State East Bay and Miguel Bennett of Chapman.

The Sportsmanship Award went to Daniel Stanton of UC Santa Cruz.

Citrus freshman forward Troy Payne put together his best performance to date as he led the Owls with a team high 13 points and six rebounds in their 93-55 win over LA Harbor Saturday evening.

Citrus led wire to wire, as the Seahawks were able to keep the game close for just the first three and a half minutes of the game. Leading only by two points, the Owls would go on a 23-4 run to take a 21-point 29-8 lead with just over ten minutes to play in the first half. Citrus would hold pace with their lead taking a 21-point lead into halftime.

In the second half the Owls continued to push their lead, as they opened up the second half with another run as they scored 13 unanswered points over the first six minutes of the half, and the Owls jumped out to a 36-point lead after back to back jumpers from Ralph Monday and Jeremy Smith made the score 62-26. Citrus' lead would never fall below 31 points from then on out, as they cruised to their 93-55 victory.

Freshman guard A.J. Gasporra matched Payne's out-put as he poured in 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting from the floor. Freshman AJ Greenwood also put together a solid effort with six rebounds of his own, while guard Kelly Johnson dished out a season high eight assists.

With the win, the Fighting Owls continue to push their program best record to 10-0. Citrus will begin its toughest test next week as it participates in the 16-team Wells Fargo Holiday Tournament at Riverside. The tournament features five teams in the current Southern California Top 10 Poll. The Owls first game comes against 4-1 College of the Desert on Wednesday. Tip-off set for 3:00 PM.

POMONA - It was another case of so near yet so far for the Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team.

The Broncos lost their second heart-breaker in as many nights, this time falling to visiting Cal State Monterey Bay 77-71 Saturday in CCAA play at Kellogg Gymnasium.

Just 24 hours earlier, coach Scott Davis' team fell to San Francisco State in overtime, 59-57.

Both teams came in winless. The Otters were also coming off a tough game, losing to Cal State San Bernardino 47-45.

"I don't think we stepped on the floor with the energy and desire to compete that we did last night," Davis said. "It shouldn't have had anything to do with playing back-to-back nights. These are well conditioned college athletes and they played back-to-back night too."

The Otters (1-3, 1-1) secured the game at the free-throw line.

They sank 30 of 43 attempts in the game but hit 19 of 29 attempts in the second half, including 10 in a row starting at the 3:22 mark, when they were up 65-60.

The visitors trailed 67-64 when Dana Andrews stepped to the stripe. She banked in the first try and got nothing but net on the second, extending the Monterey lead to five points.

Cal Poly (0-3, 0-2) misfired on its end with a runner by Ashley Moody lipping off the rim. Otters junior Ja'Nae Westmoreland, a graduate of Rialto and San Bernardino Valley College, grabbed the rebound. The host team didn't threaten again.

``This is disappointing because it was a winnable game,"Davis said. "I don't think there is panic but there is getting to be a sense of urgency."

The game was tight from the start, with neither team ever able to build a double-digit lead. The first half featured six lead changes.

Cal Poly's biggest edge was three points, 17-14, after a bucket by Anna Pineda with 7:07 left.

The Broncos also led 21-17 but gave up the next 12 points, eight of those by Andrews, who drained back-to-back 3-pointers for a 27-21 lead with 3:43 to go. Cal Poly ran off the last five points of the half to stay within striking distance at 29-26.

The Otters shot 53.8 percent (21-for-39) with Andrews tallying 29 points. Teammates Britnea Moore and Alma Lopez chipped in with 17 and 16 respectively. Westmoreland snagged 11 rebounds, 10 of them on the defensive end.

The Broncos, who shot just 33.3 percent (22-for-66), had four players in double figures, led by Reyana Colson with 16 and Andrea Ohlssen with 13.

"We're going to learn from our mistakes," said Ohlssen, whose four 3-pointers in the second half fueled a Broncos comeback.

"We're still getting to know each other. We know it isn't going to get any worse."

The Broncos will have 10 days off before returning to game action on Dec. 11 with a non-conference contest at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. It will be the first of five straight on the road.

"I'm looking forward to going on the road. There are less distractions," Davis said. "We have a lot of new players and the time together should help us too."

--- MEN ---

CS San Bernardino 69, San Francisco State 54

Cal Poly Pomona 77, CS Monterey Bay 66

UC San Diego 66, Chico State 55

CS Los Angeles 81, Sonoma State 72

Humboldt State 77, CD Dominguez Hills 72

--- WOMEN---

CS San Bernardino 57, San Francisco State 45
Monterey Bay 77, Cal Poly Pomona 71
UC San Diego 60, Chico State 46
Sonoma State 65, CS Los Angeles 54
CS Dominguez Hills 66, Humboldt State 60

POMONA - Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky insists he didn't have to rattle any cages. Sure his Broncos were coming off a loss to San Francisco State, the team picked to finish last in the CCAA. But he didn't think throwing a tirade would help.

It proved to be the right approach as the Broncos turned back a tenacious Monterey Bay 77-66 in CCAA play Saturday at Kellogg Gymnasium.

``I've done enough screaming and yelling,'' he said. ``Teams aren't always going to respond to that. I just tried to emphasize the little things you have to do to play winning basketball. We actually did those things tonight.''

The Broncos recent fortunes were helped by the clutch performance of senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis. The transfer from Oregon State hit 10 of 13 shots from the field, including a 7-for-10 showing from long distance.

The Broncos (1-3, 1-1) had their biggest lead of the contest at 54-39 with 11:36 to go. But the pesky Otters came back and cut the deficit to 58-54 with 6:04 to play on a free throw by D'Shon Cannon.

Then Tsagarakis took over, hitting the first of five buckets in the next five minutes, four of which were 3-pointers. His first in that span boosted the lead to 61-54.

``Tonight I felt like I was in a good rhythm and the good shots were coming,'' he said. ``Sometimes I get a little too eager to make things happen.''

Monterey Bay (1-5, 0-2) was equal to the task much of the night. Of the nine times the Broncos connected for 3-pointers, the Otters answered with a bucket on their end on the next possession seven times. Four times they answered with a 3-pointer of their own.

The visitors finally ran out of answers. Tsagarakis hit his last bucket of the night, this one a two-pointer with 47 seconds to play, giving his team a 73-66 advantage.

The Otters missed their next attempt and Larry Gordon came up with the loose ball to secure the first win of the season.

The Broncos shot 57.4 percent (31-for-54). Tsagarakis ended up with 27 points with Gordon contributing 16 points and 10 rebounds. Donnelle Booker chipped in with 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks despite playing on a sprained ankle.

``We came out very determined tonight,'' Tsagarakis added. ``We knew we had to come back and play with energy and play with confidence and we did that tonight. Even when they made a shot, we knew we were going to come back and make one on our end.''

Monterey shot 49 percent (25-for-51) with Augie Johnston netting 18 and Joe Mitchell 16. Fontana native Zach Von Pertz had seven off the bench.

``This was a step in the right direction,'' Kamansky said. ``Before it was bad shot selection, no fluidity, no purpose on offense. Guys were just running around out there like they didn't
know what to do. We have to build on this.''

The Broncos will have more than two weeks to get healthy and work on their flaws, with the next game not coming until Dec. 18 when they head to Las Vegas to face Western Washington and Central Washington in consecutive nights.

MEN

CS San Bernardino 79, CS Monterey Bay 71

San Francisco State 60, Cal Poly Pomona 59

Humboldt State 77, CS Los Angeles 72 (OT)

UC San Diego 63, CS Stanislaus 60

Sonoma State 65, CS Dominguez Hills 56

WOMEN

CS San Bernardino 47, CS Monterey Bay 45

San Francisco State 59, Cal Poly Pomona 57 (OT)

CS Los Angeles 80, Humboldt State 69

UC San Diego 77, CS Stanislaus 58

Sonoma State 61, CS Dominguez Hills 56