Broncos fall to Monterey Bay 77-71
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."
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."
About Michelle
Michelle Gardner has been a staff writer for The Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin since 2002 and has covered the local college sports scene since 2004. She ventured West after working at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale for eight years and is a graduate of the University of Florida.
E-mail Michelle here.
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