December 2008 Archives

The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team is at a crossroads and it has barely started CCAA play.

The Coyotes (3-5, 1-1) will host Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State this weekend at Coussoulis Arena. Those are bottom-feeder teams. Teams any team that is going to challenge for a conference title should throttle, especially at home.

The Coyotes have the talent. They were ranked nationally the first week of the season and they were the coaches pick to win the title. But coach Jeff Oliver's team has not lived up to that billing.

Oliver looked on as the Cal Poly Pomona men were playing a nonconference game earlier this week and talked about his team, in a not so complimentary fashion. The biggest problem is what he perceives as lack of hustle and intensity. The Coyotes just don't seem to be really fighting for a rebound, diving for that loose ball.

It has gotten so bad Oliver is starting walk-on Michael Lucas, one of the few guys that appears to be playing hard. If you're going down, you might as well go down with the players that care.

If the Coyotes can't beat these two teams that won't say much for their chances against the likes of UC San Diego, Cal Poly Pomona and the other more traditional contenders.

Tip-off both Friday and Saturday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

POMONA - It's been a long time since the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos
won a game without senior standout Larry Gordon. In fact coach Greg
Kamansky couldn't remember the last time.

But the Broncos did that, cruising past visiting NAIA opponent
Southwestern (Kan.) 73-39 Monday at Kellogg Gymnasium in the final
nonconference tuneup.

Gordon, a first-team all conference selection the last two years,
scored just 12 points and took only eight shots but others picked up
the slack. Walter Thompson tallied a team-high 14 and Austin Swift
was next with 13. All 10 players that dressed figured in the scoring.

``It didn't happen that was on purpose,'' Thompson said of
Gordon's more limited role. ``We're just an unselfish team. We look
for the open man and other guys were hitting some shots.''

The game may have ended up a blowout, but it didn't start out that
way. Both teams played like they were still on Christmas vacation in
the first half. The visitors went out to a 5-0 lead on a 3-pointer by
Marcus Batiste and a pair of free throws by Tim Moore just 45 seconds
into the game.

But the Moundbuilders then went 10 minutes and 20 seconds without
scoring, going 0-for-10 with seven turnovers in that stretch. An
inside bucket by 6-10 center David King snapped the dought but the
Broncos (5-2) hardly blew the game open in the meantime.

That bucket only made it 17-7 and Southwestern got back to within
three at 25-22 with 1:40 left in the half. A 3-pointer by Jimmy
Miyasaka and a baseline jumper by Dwayne Fells gave the Broncos a
30-22 lead at the half.

It wasn't until the second half that the Broncos turned the game
into a rout. Thompson chalked up eight in a 16-4 Cal Poly run to
start the second half, punctuated by a 3-pointer that made it 46-26.

``The first half we just didn't shoot well,'' Kamansky said. ``It's
not that we didn't play hard. With this team it's that simple. That's
our style of play aznd we play good defense. We just shoot ourselves
in the foot sometimes.''

The Broncos shot 45.2 percent (28-for-62) for the game but were
just 31.3 percent (10-for-32) in the first half. They finished with a
44-28 advantage on the boards with Gordon and Tobias Jahn snagging
nine rebounds each. Swift and Dahir Nasser had four assists each.

The Moundbuilders managed just 29.1 percent (16-for-55) and had 18
turnovers.

It was the Broncos best defensive effort since they held San
Francisco State to 37 in 2001, Kamansky's first season. It was also
just the third time a foe has been held under 40 since 1961 when
records were kevpt.

``It was good to come back and have a game like that to shake off
the rust before we go back to conference play,'' he said. ``We're not
going to have any more games like that.''


The Broncos resume CCAA play Friday, hosting Chico State at 7:30
p.m. Cal State Stanislaus then comes in for a Saturday game.

Sophomore quarterback Coy Glass of Riverside Community College has
signed with Hofstra University and will be transferring after the
first of the year.

Glass, who missed the final game of the season after breaking his leg
in the Tigers' game against Chaffey College, became the starting
quarterback midway through his freshman season.

As a freshman, Glass, a graduate of Redlands High School, passed for
1,049 yards on 79 of 165 passing. He recorded six touchdowns against
five interceptions. This past season, Glass, who signed a full
scholarship offer, was 113 of 240 for 1,374 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He was intercepted seven times.

Hofstra, a Division I program located in Hempstead, NY, graduates its
starting quarterback, but returns three other quarterbacks--a junior
and two freshman players in 2008. Hofstra, which plays in the
Colonial Athletic Association, was 4-8 overall in 2008.

The Chaffey College men's basketball team rolled into the championship game of the 19th annual Cougar Classic, cruising past West Los Angeles 88-68 Sunday night at College of the Canyons.

It was the ninth straight win of the Panthers (15-2), who entered ranked sixth in the state. The win was especially impressive because Chaffey was coming off a draining win over No. 12 Ventura the previous night.

"It was one of the games we had a bit of a letdown after coming off a huge game," Chaffey coach Jeff Klein said. "We were always 10, 12, 14 points up but did some good things defensively in the end to pull away."

Chaffey led 42-30 at the half and never looked back.

Sophomore Nick Turner led the bucket brigade with 17 points, highlighted by a 5-for-10 showing from 3-point range.

Winston Robinson added 14 points and and eight rebounds. Lamar Williams, Anthony Cammon and Anthony Soares chipped in with 10 points each. Cammon and Soares also had three steals each.

On the night Chaffey hit 12 of 32 3-point tries while West Los Angeles (7-11) went 0-for-10.
Chaffey will play in Monday's 6 p.m. championship game against either Pasadena City or host Canyons.

In other games earlier in the day Big Bend (Wash.) defeated Bartow 102-59 in consolation action.

The No. 6 ranked Chaffey Panthers surged to their eighth straight win, beating No. 12 Ventura 94-83 in first round play at the 19th annual Cougar Classic Saturday at College of the Canyons.

Sophomore guard Nick Turner led the Panthers with 23 points, highlighted by five 3-pointers. Also finishing in double figures were Winston Robinson (15), Anthony Soares (13) and Lamar Williams (10).

Chaffey, the second-highest scoring team in the state, only led 43-40 at the half but took control with a 20-3 run to start the second half.

Ventura, which saw an 11-game win streak snapped, was led by sophomore guard Danny Benson with 21 points. Freshman forward Randy Hunter chipped in with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Chaffey (14-2) advances to face West Los Angeles (10-7) at 6 tonight. That school advanced with an 85-81 win over Los Angeles Harbor.

We're starting our top recaps of the top events in 2008. Sunday it's the high schools that get center stage

Then on Monday the top 10 events on the local college scene will be revealed. The choice for top news story was pretty clear cut on both the Sun side and the Daily Bulletin side. The choices for No. 2 are also pretty hard to dispute. Then it gets a little tougher.

Yes, you try and be diplomatic about it. You try and have different sports and different schools represented. But certain sports carry more weight than others.

We're lucky to have some quality schools in some quality conferences at all levels. It makes for a busy but fun year.

Cal Poly Pomona swept both CCAA Player of the week honors as senior Larry Gordon was named top male performer with sophomore Reyana Colson earning accolades on the women's side.

Gordon averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 steals in two games last week. The Montclair High School product shot 57 percent from the field and stretched his streak of double digit games to 36. He ranks sixth in the conference in scoring (16 ppg) and first in rebounding (9.5 rpg).

Colson led the Broncos to wins over Western Oregon and Northwest Nazarene, averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and 3.5 steals a game. Colson also connected on 53.3 percent of her field goal attempts and was named most valuable
player of the CCAA-GNAC Challenge.

Colson missed the first five games of the season with a knee injury but is not showing any lingering effects of that problem.

UC Riverside sophomore Kyle Austin (Pasadena, CA/USC/Pasadena HS) made his initial two appearances in a Highlander uniform pay immediate dividends as he earned Big West Men's Basketball Player of the Week.  
   
Austin led the Highlanders to victories over Loyola Marymount and Montana after sitting out the past year due to NCAA transfer rules.  He averaged 19.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 45.5% (15 of 33) from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 at the foul line.  
   
In his first action of the season, Austin scored 20 points and added seven rebounds in a 59-52 win at Loyola Marymount.  He made 8 of 15 shots in 27 minutes of action.  Austin became only the second player in UCR's Division I history to begin his career with a 20-point scoring effort, the other being Nate Carter (24 points at USC on November 22, 2002).
   
Austin helped the Highlanders extend their home court winning streak to six games as his 18 points and five rebounds were key to the 58-53 victory over Montana.  He played 32 minutes in that game, hitting all four of his free throw attempts.
   
UC Riverside owns a school Division I record-best 7-2 start to the season.

The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team went all of last season without stringing together more than two victories. So coach Scott Davis is thrilled with his team's most recent showing.

Sophomore guard Reyana Colson scored 14 points and snagged 10 rebounds and five steals to lead the Broncos to a 56-53 win over visiting Northwest Nazarene Saturday at Kellog Gymnasium.

It was the fourth in a row after a 2-5 start.

"It feels because we didn't win that many in a row last year," said Colson, named tournament most valuable player. "It's nice to get a streak started going back into conference play."

It was a competitive, although not necessarily well played game by either team. The Broncos won despite shooting 33.9 percent from the field (20-for-59) while the Crusaders managed 37.8 percent (17-for-45). The teams also combined for 42 turnovers.

Not surprisingly, Davis was most pleased with his team's defense which contibuted to the Crusaders' woes.

"We made everything difficult for them," he said. "That's a very good team so it was a good win for us."

The first half feature eight ties and seven lead changes and ended with the Broncos up 27-27.
The Broncos led by as many as eight in the second half, the last time coming a 36-28.
The Crusaders stayed in striking distance and finally took its first lead of the half when Brittney Roggenkamp drained a 3-pointer to give her team a 42-41 lead with 7:48 to go. It was tight the rest of the way.

The game was even for the last time at 51 with 2:29 left. The Broncos went back in front seconds later when Stephisha Walton, 0-for-9 from the field at that point, scored inside and converted a free throw for a 54-51 edge.

Cal Poly got some breathing room on a bucket by Ally Smith off the inbounds pass from Walton to go up 56-52 with a minute left and the Broncos never looked back.
Colson was joined in double figures by Smith (13) and Megan Ford (11).

Northwest Nazarene got 15 from Lindsay Brady, who fouled out with 3:57 left and the score tied at 49.

Colson, who had 26 points and seven assists in Cal Poly's win Friday over Western Oregeon, was joined on the all-tournament team by Ford, Brady, Roggenkamp and Katie Torland of Western Oregon.

In the other game of the day Western Oregon (5-5) beat Cal State Los Angeles 76-63. Former San Bernardino Valley standout Shy Walter had 14 points, four rebounds and a blocked shot for the Eagles (1-8)

.

Several players that contributed to the Foothill Conference championship by the San Bernardino Valley College women's basketball team are excelling at their four-year colleges.

Junior forward Shy Walter has moved into the starting lineup at Cal State Los Angeles. She started the week averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds but tallied 26 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in losses to Western Oregon and Northwest Nazarene.

Guard La'Quita Jordan is the leading scorer at Alaska-Fairbanks. She is averaging 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists and has hit 11 of 27 tries from 3-point range. She has a high game of 23 and has been the team's leading scorer in three of its last four games.

Forward Ronisha Edwards is a teammate of Jordan's. She is averaging 9 points and 7.9 rebounds and has a high rebounding effort of 12.

 

Junior center Brandon Brown scored 19 points and collected 12 rebounds and three blocks to lead Cal State San Bernardino to a 96-54 win over San Francisco Academy of the Art Sunday in the CCAA-Pac West Challenge at Valley High School in Las Vegas.

The New Orleans native was solid in his debut weekend. In Saturday's loss to Grand Canyon he tallied 21 points, 13 boards and four blocks.

"He definitely gives us a presence down low that we didn't have before," coach Jeff Oliver said. "He was the bright spot for us. No doubt."

The Coyotes (3-5) shot 54 percent (34-of-62) from the field, including a 14-for-29 from 3-point range.

Reggie Brown added 18 points, making six of his nine long distance shots. Tim Denson added 18 points while Devin Montgomery and Lawrence Tyson chipped in with 13 points each.

Tyson also collected seven rebounds and four assists while DuBois Williams contributed six rebounds and 10 of the Coyotes 26 assists.

It was a season-high in the scoring column and also marked the fewest points allowed.

 The Coyotes finished with a 42-33 edge on the boards and cut their turnovers down to 15. They also hit 14 of 20 free throws, an improvement of 14-for-28 the previous night.

"It was a little better. We shared the ball better and looked for each other and it's the first time we outrebounded anyone," Oliver said. "But we still didn't execute all that well at times. But it's some progress.

The Urban Knights (0-11) shot just 32 percent (21-for-61) from the field. Sophomore point guard Weleh Dennis led them with 18 points.

The Coyotes are off until Jan 2 when they resume CCAA play with a 7:30 p.m. game against Cal State Stanislaus at Coussoulis Arena.

[

Las Vegas seems to be the place for Division II basketball as the city hosted several events this week with Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona playing at different venues.

The Broncos needed more than 24 hours to make what should be a four-hour trip because of the eight inches of snow that blanketed the area. It took nearly seven hours for the team to make it from the school to Laughlin where it could go no further and had to spend the night.

The next day it took almost four to make what is typically a 90-minute at most trip from there to Las Vegas.

The team vans were stopped for hours at a time. The players took time to get out and stretch their legs. They had snowball fights and built a snowman.

Games the first day had to be called off. Not only could the Broncos not get into Vegas until late that night, but Cal State Stanislaus had its flight from Sacramento to Vegas canceled.

Cal Poly eventually got to Vegas but Stanislaus pulled a low-class move and bailed on the tournament. The Warriors could have gotten out the next day and still played their second of two games in the event on Friday. But they opted not to try and reschedule their flight.

That left Central Washington without a game. That school was one of the host teams and spent $13,000 between its stay and the cost of hosting the event. And yet it never played.

It has a right to be upset.

Word gets out about such moves so it wouldn't be surprising if the Warriors weren't invited back.

San Bernardino Valley College sophomore offensive lineman Thad Quist has signed a letter of intent with Division II Dixie State College of Utah.

Dixie State is located in St. George, Utah about 120 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The Rebels, coached by Ron Haun, went 4-7 in 2008.

Quist, out of Arlington High School in Riverside, was an All-Mountain Conference honorable mention this season.

The University of Redlands suffered a tough 58-67 loss to the Coe College Kohawks (IA) in tonight's final game of the 2008 Redlands Winter Classic.  

 

The Bulldogs fell behind by as many as 10 points in the first half but inched their way back into the game.  Redlands took its first lead with 6:04 to go in the second half, pulling ahead by one point.  However, Coe fought back with persistent defense and strong shooting, and held on for the win.

 

Redlands gained 22 points from junior forward Meghan Yetman (Danville, CA), shooting 9-for-12 from the floor.  She also came up with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

 

  Sophomore guard Mariah Barbetti-Cort  (Ventura, CA) and freshman forward Courtney Carroll (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) each chipped in 14 points in the loss.

 

Coe was led by junior center Brittany Norris, who provided 17 points, including three-for-three shooting from beyond the arc.  Calie Sobaski and Sarah Anciaux contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, to round out the double-digit scorers.

 

All-Tournament team

Brittany Norris (C)

Sarah Anciaux (C)

Clarissa Holz (L)

Meghan Yetman (R)

 

MVP:  Trenecca Jones (L)

The Cal State State San Bernardino men's basketball team dropped its fifth game in seven tries, this time falling to Grand Canyon 76-71 Saturday at Valley High School in Las Vegas.

Cal State shot 52 percent from the field while Grand Canyon shot just 37 percent and rebounds were even at 37-all. But the Coyotes had 20 turnovers and hit just 14 of 28 free throws while the Antelopes (4-4) hit 21 of 27 tries from the stripe.

"We continue to find new ways to lose," Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. "We did show a little more fight and I was pleased with that. We still just haven't put it all together."

The bright spot was the play of junior forward Brandon Brown who tallied 23 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in his Cal State debut.

"He played well. We just have to have some other guys jump on board," Oliver added.

The only other player in double figures was Lawrence Tyson who had 18 with five assists. DuBois Williams had six points and 11 rebounds.

Leading scorer Devin Montgomery was held to seven and second-leading scorer Tim Denson managed just two.

The Coyotes will play San Francisco Academy of the Arts (0-10) Sunday in Las Vegas.

In Saturday's first game of the 2008 Redlands Winter Classic, the University of La Verne cruised to a 73-47 victory over Marian University (WI). 

 

 After opening the game on a 10-0 run, the Leopards remained in control of the game and never looked back.  They converted Marian's 21 turnovers into 24 points and looked to their bench to score 21 points in the win. 

 

La Verne boasted five players in double figures with Trenecca Jones, Ashley Paul, and Clarissa Holz each scoring 12 points, while Emily Carrillo and Tedra Clark chipped in 10 apiece. 

 

 Jones also added nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end, while Carillo tallied seven boards.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

POMONA - Cal Poly Pomona sophomore guard Reyana Colson admits she still isn't 100 percent healthy. That is bad news for Bronco opponents.

Colson scored a career-high 26 points and dished out seven assists and two steals to lead Cal Poly to a 77-57 win over Western Oregon in the opening game of the Bronco Invitational Friday at Kellogg Gymnasium.

Colson, the team's second-leading scorer last year as a freshman, missed the first five games this season with tendonitis in her knee, then played limited minutes in her first two back. She has scored 66 points in the three games since then.

``I thought we played pretty well without her but we're so much better with her,'' coach Scott Davis said. ``Now we have everyone back in the right position. She is the one that makes us go.''

Playing through the injury was not an option. Davis said Colson is one of the gutsiest players on the team. So when she said the pain had gotten unbearable, he didn't hesitate sitting her out.

The Compton native said she is probably ``85 to 90 percent healthy''  but is still working her way into playing shape.

``The knee isn't hurting near as bad but I hadn't played in a
month so I was way out of shape,'' she said. ``I'm getting there.''

Davis expected more of a challenge but the Broncos (5-5) were never threatened. Colson scored eight of her team's first 12 points and 10 of its first 20, including a driving layup with 8:50 left in the first half that staked the Broncos to a 20-9 lead.

The biggest lead of the half was 21 points which came twice, the
last at 40-19 to end the half.

The Wolves (4-5) didn't get in legitimate striking distance. They were able to cut the deficit to 12 at 51-39 with 12:28 to play but the Broncos answered with Colson hitting a short jumper to make it 53-39, then completed a 3-point play a minute later that made it 56-41 and the rout was on.

Colson was followed in the scoring column by Stephisha Walton with 14 points. Megan Ford added 12 with seven rebounds and Unique Anderson contributed 11 with five assists. The Broncos tallied 18 assists as a team.

``I get a lot of my points in transition. That's my game,'' Colson said. ``But it's not about the points. I just want to win.'' 

The long trip to Las Vegas proved well worth it for the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team as the Broncos surged past Western Washington 73-60 at the Great Western Shootout Friday at the Doolittle Community Center.

Preseason All-America forward Larry Gordon scored a game-high 26 points for the Broncos (4-2). He shot 8-of-11 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line. He also had eight rebounds, five steals and three assists.

Joining him in double figures were Walter Thompson (12), Austin Swift (11) and Dahir Nasser (10).


The Vikings (6-2) led 47-46 four minutes into the second half but the Broncos went on a 17-3 run over the next nine minutes and led 64-49 with 7:03 to go. 

The Vikings, who shot 23.3 percent (7-of-30) from the field in the second period, never got closer than nine. Western hit just 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the floor, making only 6 of 22 3-point attempts, and was just 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) at the line.

Western was led by Fontana High School product Ira Graham who tallied
17 points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Broncos shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) from the field and
converted 17 of 20 (85.0 percent) free throws.

A rare winter storm hit Southern Nevada on Wednesday, dumping as much as seven inches of snow, the most in nearly 30 years. That grounded flights at the Las Vegas airport, and forced closure of many major highways.

Cal State Stanislaus withdrew from the tournament, which was scheduled to begin Thursday, and the Broncos were not able to get to Las Vegas until Thursday night. That meant no games for the other tourney participant, Central Washington, which had been in town since Monday. 



 

The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team is on its way to Las Vegas for its annual pre-Christmas junket. The Broncos are scheduled to play Thursday against Central Washington and Friday against Western Washington.

But they're taking the long road. Snow and poor visability have closed the I-15 north so the Broncos are having to travel to Las Vegas via Arizona. Instead of being a three-hour trip, it's more ikely to be seven or eight, depending on the weather at the other end.

Cal State San Bernardino will be playing two different foes there on Saturday and Sunday. They can only hope the weather gets better later in the week.

It seems like this is going to be one of those seasons when nothing comes easy to the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team. So it isn't surprising the Broncos had to take the long route to Las Vegas.

The Broncos are competing in the Great Western Shootout today and Saturday at the Doolittle Community Center in Las Vegas. They left around 1p.m. on Wednesday, but since snow and rain closed the normal route, the I-15 North, the team had to take the I-10 East and connect with the 95 which proceeds north along the California-Arizona border.

That turned a three-hour trip into a seven-hour journey.

"Most of the guys just slept," coach Greg Kamansky said. "What else can you do?"

The Broncos' reward is a pair of games against foes picked to finish first and second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Cal Poly Pomona (3-2) will face No. 12 Central Washington (5-2) Thursday and Western Washington (6-1) on Friday. Both are set for 5 p.m.

The games are important because they will be the Broncos' lone nonconference games against NCAA Division II teams in-region and that's a major component that goes toward determining regional ranking and playoff eligibility.

Cal Poly lost to the same two foes by big margins last season.

"Obviously, winning both would be nice but we really need to win at least one," Kamansky said. "But it's not going to be easy, because they're both very good teams. We have to play better than we have to this point."

The Broncos have four games on their schedule against NAIA teams. One of those was on Monday when Kamansky's team lost to a solid Master's College squad.

The Broncos led 38-35 early in the second half before suffering a seven-minute scoring drought that cost them the game.

The good news was senior Larry Gordon looked more like the Larry Gordon of old with a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. Cal Poly also got a workman-like effort out of wingman Austin Swift (12 points) and a steady contribution from seldom-used walk-on Jimmy Miayaska.

"We didn't play bad, we just didn't finish," Kamansky said. "It was a winnable game. We did better but we need to keep moving forward.

Both the Wildcats and Vikings loom as formidable foes. One familiar face is the biggest offensive weapon for Western Washington -- former Fontana High School standout Ira Graham.

Graham is a two-time GNAC first-team selection. He is sixth in the GNAC in scoring (17.3 ppg) and eighth in free-throw percentage (.806).

"I always look forward to playing against them," the senior said of the Broncos. "It's always special to be able to play against one of the hometown teams."

Hesperia native Florida Siaosi is back on the basketball court -- this time at Antelope Valley College.

The 5-foot-11 center was a multi-sport standout at Sultana, graduating in 2006. She excelled in both track and basketball and had Division I offers in both. She spent her freshman year at Cal State Bakersfield but got homesick and returned to the High Desert after one season.

She sat out the 2007-08 season but was seen working out at Victor Valley College last fall.

Now she is back leading Marauder team that is expected to be in the hunt for a Foothill Conference title. Siaosi is averaging 16.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks -- all team highs.

Siaosi has scored in double figures in 14 of 15 games, with a high of 24 points twice. She has reached double figures in rebounds nine times with a high of 23 rebounds against Mt. SAC, 19 of those on the defensive end.

Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver isn't quite sure what to do. On paper he thinks he has a talented team. But that hasn't translated to the court. The Coyotes most recent loss came 63-62 to Westmont, an NAIA team that local rival Cal Poly Pomona beat by 15.

"We lack fight and physicality and that's a huge problem," he said. "Until we get some we're not going to beat anyone. We're not fighting for loose balls, fighting for a rebound. We're just not competing."

Oliver addressed the issue before practice on Monday. He tried simplifying the offense last week after the first two California Collegiate Athletic Association games. It worked to a point. The Coyotes (2-4) held their last foe to 63.

"We were in the right position so we did better in that respect," he said. "But I never thought we'd be held to 62 points."

Oliver hasn't given up hope. All his players came from successful programs so they know what it takes to win. And the problem isn't that they're bad individuals.

"It's a great group of kids. I enjoy being around them. They're nice, maybe too nice. It isn't like a few years ago when I had knuckleheads."

The Coyotes will travel to Las Vegas for a pair of nonconference games Saturday and Sunday against Grand Canyon and Academy of Arts.

Help is on the way in the form of 6-foot-7 forward Brandon Brown, who should be eligible later this week.

 

The University of La Verne women's basketball team has looked solid in the early going, although the Leopards (4-0) have played just a handful of games.

Senior forward Trenecca Jones (14.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg) has put up decent numbers, although they aren't quite up to where they have been in previous years.

She has had more help as three others are averaging double figures -- sophomore guard Ashley Paul (14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg), junior forward Emily Carrillo (13.8 ppg) and freshman forward Clarissa Holz (11.3 ppg, 6 rpg).

The Leopards are also getting a boost from a local player who has returned. Senior Lillie Parks (Eisenhoer HS/Chaffey College) has transferred in from Division II Alaska-Anchorage, where she played on a nationally ranked teams as a junior.

Next up for the Leopards is the University or Redlands Winter Classic on Friday and Saturday. They will play 5:30 p.m. games both nights.

Chaffey College sophomore soccer standout Tyler Mitchell was named to the NSCAA/Adidas Junior College All-American first team.

Mitchell, out of Upland High School, was the Panthers' team captain for two years. He also earned first-team All-Foothill Conference honors both seasons, leading the Panthers (15-5-2) to their best season in school history.

Among the other 25 players chosen nationwide was Mt. SAC freshman defender Ivan Armenta, an Ontario High School product who led the Mounties to a state runner-up finish.

The All-America selections will be recognized at the annual All-America Luncheon, to held in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 17, as part of the 2009 NSCAA Convention.

PASADENA -- The San Bernardino Valley College women's basketball team has already had plenty of ups and downs and the season is barely one-third over.

So it is no surprise that was again the case when the Wolverines took the floor against Santa Monica in the consolation final of the Rose City Classic on Saturday at Pasadena City College. Fortunately for coach Sue Crebbin, the Wolverines finished on a high note and walked away with a 67-50 victory.

The Wolverines (6-6) turned over their roster almost completely, having graduated their top six scorers from a team that won a Foothill Conference title and set a school record for wins.
Only three players are back and they have been asked to shoulder more of the load. The growing process also has been slowed by injuries to two key players.

If that wasn't enough, she had two assistant coaches leave for other jobs just as school started.

"We have some potential, but the girls are still trying to figure where they fit in," Crebbin said. "And the girls we had last year are in different roles now. They came off the bench when there really wasn't any pressure. Now they're in there at crunch time and having to make decisions."

SBVC went from being up by 10 to down by four to winning the game handily. Much of the reason for the roller-coaster ride was the 28 turnovers.

The Wolverines were ahead 32-27 just 2:30 into the second half but had seven turnovers in the next seven minutes, allowing the Corsaiers (3-6) to go up 40-36 on a putback by Chantel Diaz for their biggest lead of the contest.

As quickly as the Wolverines lost control, they gained it back. The contest was even at 46 with 6:23 to go, but SBVC tallied the next 11 points, with four players factoring in that run. A driving layup by all-tournament selection Eisha Sheppard put SBVC up 48-46.
She added a layup off a fastbreak sparked by a rebound from Dwayanna Pullum that later made it 51-46 and the Wolverines never looked back.

The run ended with a pair of free throws by Pullum and a fastbreak bucket by Angela Green for a 57-46 lead with 3:42 to play.

"I'm not sure they're always aware of the situation and maybe that's a good thing," Crebbin said. "They just keep playing and keep shooting. They don't seem to worry or panic too much."

Sheppard chalked up a team-high 18 points to go with six rebounds and five steals. Kim Kipp added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Pullum contributed 12 with nine boards.

Santa Monica relies on its long-distance shooting and made six 3-pointers in the game. The Corsaiers was led by Audriel Wyrick with 10 points. They were represented on the all-tournament team by Diaz.

"This was just one of those grind it out kind of games," Crebbin said. "It was good to win one like that."

 

Lamar Williams scored 30 points and Winston Robinson added 20 with 10 rebounds as Chaffey (12-2) downed Santa 86-84 to win the Roadrunner Roundup at Rio Hondo.

Williams' seventh 3-pointer of the night tied the score at 82 with 1:30 left. He then ripped the ball loose from Santa Ana's D'Andre Denan and scored giving the Panthers an 84-82 lead.

Two free throws by Nick Turner with 22 seconds left upped the lead to 86-82. Santa Ana inbounded the ball scrambled up court to get a shot off, but an intentional foul was called on Chaffey. Denan knocked down both free throws to make the score 86-84 with 2.6 seconds in regulation.

Santa Ana received the ball back setting up the last second play to Tyler Averill, but Turner stole the ball as time expired.

All 14 Panthers contributed over the three game tournament.

Chris Jackson hit a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer to give host Westmont a 63-61 win over Cal State San Bernardino in nonconference play Saturday.

The Coyotes (2-4) trailed by as many as nine but got in striking distance late with Devin Montgomery hitting a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 61-59 with 45 seconds left.

Cal State drew even following a Warrior turnover when DuBois Williams hit a pair of free throws with 36 seconds to go. Westmont (5-4) took a timeout 10 seconds later to set up a final play.

Williams had 11 and Reggie Brown nine. Montgomery, averaging 21.5 coming in, was held to eight and hit just two of 11 tries from the field as the Coyotes shot just 39.2 percent.

Westmont, which shot 46.7 percent from the field, was led by Dan Rasp with 24 point.
[

Cal State San Bernardino volleyball coach Kim Cherniss has been selected Division II national coach of the year by her peers.

Cherniss directed the Coyotes to a 30-4 record and their first appearance in the national championship match. The Coyotes headed into the Elite Eight ranked No. 1 in the country and fought their way to the final before losing to No. 1 Concordia St. Paul on that team's home court.

It is a deserving honor for a coach that has built a program and led it national prominence. The fact that she has done it using mostly local talent is even more noteworthy. She recruited players from non-volleyball hotspots and turned them into some of the top players in the country.

Anyone can take quality players and win with them. But Cherniss has been able to indentify raw talent and help those players develop into top athletes. The best case in point is senior rightside hitter Jessica Granados who played at Beaumont High School which was average at best and finished her career as a first-team All-American.

The next great player coming out of the program could be Samantha Middleborn, a freshman out of Carter who saw considerable playing time down the stretch this season.

Former Fontana High School basketballer Ira Graham is off to a great start in his senior season at Division II Western Washington University. The 6-foot guard is averaging 18.5 points and shooting 62 percent (27-for-33) for the Vikings who are 6-0.

Graham averaged 18.5 points last year, earning All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors. He made three all-tournament teams and was named the school's most outstanding player.

Earlier this year he went over the 1,000-point plateau for his career. If the Vikings perform as expected he will be a top contender for conference player of the year honors.

His team will be Las Vegas next week for a pair of games, one of them against Cal Poly Pomona.

Cal State San Bernardino coach Kim Cherniss has been selected Division II National Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

In her 18 years at Cal State, Cherniss has led the program to national prominence, directing the Coyotes (30-4) to their first championship match earlier this month. Cal State beat California-Pennsylvania and Truman in the Elite Eight before losing to reigning champion and tournament host Concordia-St. Paul 3-2.

The Coyotes spent four weeks atop the Coaches Poll and ended the year with a final ranking of No. 2, capturing a California Collegiate Athletic Association championship and the NCAA West Region title.

"It's a nice honor," Cherniss said. "It's not why we do what we do. The on-court success is the motivation. But it's a nice acknowledgement, especially from coaches who are going through the same thing."

During her time at Cal State San Bernardino, Cherniss has won 382 contests, and since 1996 she has been victorious in 83 percent of her matches with a 313-62 mark. The Coyotes have won six CCAA championships, including three straight, and have captured three regional titles, advancing to the NCAA Tournament round of 16 for nine consecutive years.

It is the first national honor for Cherniss. She has also been named top coach in the conference three times and best in the region on three occasions.

Cherniss will be honored at the 2008 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Omaha, Neb., Thursday in conjunction with the 2008 AVCA Annual Convention.

 

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps basketball player Chris Blees has been named SCIAC Male Athlete of the Week.

The sophomore forward from Carmichael was named MVP of the Lee Fulmer Memorial Tournament after he led the Stags to a 3-0 record and the title.  In the three games, he scored 61 points, had 20 rebounds, seven assists and three steals while shooting 26-34 (.765) from the floor. 

 He had 10 points and four rebounds in the team's opening round 75-48 win over Southwestern College.  He had 16 points and seven rebounds in the team's 73-68 semifinal win over #15 Whitworth University.  He was a force in the championship game, scoring 35 points on 15 of 19 (.789) shooting with nine rebounds and six assists, as CMS beat Whitman College 79-78. 

 

 Blees currently leads the Stags in both scoring (15.0/g) and rebounding (6.7) and is shooting 68.7% (46-67) from the field.  CMS is 6-1 overall.

Two University of Redlands men's soccer student-athletes, senior forward Ross Schunk (Portland, OR) and senior midfielder Bryan Fakkema (Oak Harbor, WA), earned NSCAA/adidas^® Division III All-American recognition for their stellar play in 2008, according to an announcement made today by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

 

Schunk, who earned First-Team All-Far West Region honors as well, landed on the All-American Second Team following a season where he led the team in goals with 18 and points with 38. During the 2008 season, he set career program marks in both goals (63) and points (139). This 2008 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Player of the Year also earned All-American honors following his sophomore season in 2006 when he earned Second-Team accolades. Schunk finished out his career with three NSCAA All-Region honors, two NSCAA All-American laurels and three First-Team All-SCIAC nods, including two SCIAC Player of the Year awards.

 

This marks the second Third-Team All-American selection Fakkema has received in his four-year tenure as a Bulldog. During the 2008 season, he offered eight goals and nine assists for 25 points. He also gained First-Team All-Far West Region honors and earned a spot on the All-SCIAC First Team. With his First-Team All-SCIAC selection, Fakkema totaled four First-Team berths in his career at Redlands, tying the program record. Throughout his career, this senior midfielder compiled three NSCAA All-Region recognitions, two NSCAA All-American considerations and four First-Team All-SCIAC laurels, including the 2007 SCIAC Player of the Year award.

 

Redlands finished the season at 16-5-2 after having started the season 1-4-1. For the eighth straight year, the Bulldogs won the SCIAC title and subsequently earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. The team went undefeated in SCIAC play, compiling a 12-0-2 record.

I got my first look at the San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team tonight and I must say the Wolverines have potential.

SBVC lost to Citrus 80-74 in first round play of the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic at Riverside Community College. But down the stretch it truly looked like a team with 12 freshmen - SBVC, playing against a veteran team that is the defending state champion.

SBVC plays hard on both ends of the floor no matter what the situation and its players were in good position to make plays. They just didn't always play smart. They got in foul trouble early in the second half with many of the calls coming on plays that weren't smart as opposed to being because of aggressive play. Picking up a fifth foul on a reach in is not smart. Picking it up when you're battling for a loose ball is slightly more excusable.

Chino High product Orlando Brazier led the Wolverines with 19 points and nine rebounds. Warren Fuselier, the team's lone sophomore, added 15 with five assists and four steals.

The Foothill Conference title will be up for grabs with as many as six teams legitimate contenders. SBVC is on of those. It has a few more games left to work out the kinks that come with having a young team.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

RIVERSIDE - The San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team
looked every bit the underdog. The Wolverines, with 12 freshmen on
their 13-player roster, were squaring off with the defending state
champion Citrus in first round play at the 39th annual Wells Fargo
Holiday Classic. It was the veteran Owls emerging with an 80-74 win
Wednesday at Riverside Community College.

The No. 2 Owls (11-1) had to rally back from an 11-point deficit in
the second half and did so helped by SBVC foul trouble. The
Wolverines (8-3) were called for seven team fouls in the first 3:30
of the second half with both Orlando Brazier and D'Shaun Holden
picking up their third and fourth of the game in that stretch.

Citrus made SBVC pay, hitting 22 of 27 tries from the stripe in the
game. SBVC made just 11 of its 12.

``We have to learn to play smarter basketball,'' SBVC coach Quincy
Brewer said. ``We play hard but we haven't played smart and when that
happens you're not going to beat a good team down the stretch.''

SBVC had its biggest lead at 52-41 six minutes into the half on a
fast-break bucket by Aaron Edwards.

The Wolverines still led at 56-48 with 11:05 to go but didn't get
another field goal for five minutes, in which time Citrus went up
64-59 with SBVC commiting six turnovers in that stretch.

SBVC struggled the rest of the way. Citrus built a 10-point lead at
71-61 with 3:30 to play but the Wolverines clawed back. With a
five-point lead the Owls Jose Rivera rushed up a 3-pointer with 2:46
left and SBVC got the rebound. Warren Fuselier scored on a fast break
to cut the gap to 71-68 with 2:36 to play.

But that was close as the Wolverines would get. Citrus added to its
lead on a fast-break layup by Kelly Johnson and never looked back.

``They (SBVC) are a very tough team to attack because they're so
quick at every position,'' Citrus coach Rick Croy said. ``They do a
good job of attacking and they're fearless.''


The first half was tight from start to finish with the biggest lead
by both teams being four points. There were five ties and 10 lead
changes, the last one coming when SBVC's Brazier scored on a put back
to give the Wolverines a 28-27 lead with 5:51 to go. The half ended
with SBVC up 37-35

The biggest discrepancy came at the free-throw line where the Owls
went 12-of-12 while the Wolverines went 3-of-6.

Brazier led all scorers with 19 points. He also had nine rebounds.
Fuselier added 15 with five assists and four steals as SBVC shot 39.5
percent.

Citrus, which shot 41.5 percent from the field, had a balanced attack
led by Los Osos product Curtis Eatmon and Rivera with 11 points
apiece. Troy Payne snagged 14 rebounds while Johnson had a team-high
four assists.


The Owls will face Saddleback in a 3 p.m. quarterfinal today.
Saddleback advanced with a 63-58 win over Imperial Valley. The
Wolverines drop into the consolation bracket and will face Imperial
Valley at 6 p.m.

It's been a banner year for area colleges on the volleyball court. Cal State San Bernardino just returned from the Division II Elite Eight where it ventured all the way to the championship match before falling 3-2 to No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul.

The University of La Verme is a little less than two weeks removed from its runner-up finish in the Division III equivalent. The Leos went in No. 2 and lost to No. 2 Emory (Ga.).

That is some year.

Cal State's run was a little less of a surprise. The Coyotes returned all but two players from a team that made it to the regional final the previous year. They played very well, as did Concordia-St. Paul which had the luxury of playing on its home floor.

The runner-up finish has to be a little easier to take when you know you played your best but the other team was just a tad better. It would be way worse to go in and play poorly, then wonder what could have been.

La Verne has always been one of the permier teams in Division III but the Leos had just two seniors and graduated most of their key players from the 2007 squad. They will go into next season the way the Coyotes entered this year - as one of the favorites.

Both are blessed with quality coaching staffs so it wouldn't be surprising for both to make similar runs again next season. The only thing that would top this season is for both to go all the way next time around.

Basketball player Larry Gordon and volleyball standout Vanessa Williams have been named Enterprise Athletes of the Month at Cal Poly Pomona.

Gordon (Montclair HS) scored in double digits for the 32nd and 33rd straight games in wins over Vanguard and Westmont. He tallied 13 points and nine rebounds in one win and 12 points and 12 rebounds in the other.

Williams, a Riverside native, wrapped up a stellar career, leading the Broncos to second place in the CCAA and a runner-up finish at the West Region Tournament. She was named first-team all-conference and all-region and was a second-team All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The Chaffey men's basketball team is off to a 9-2 start, finishing first in the Grossmont Tournament over the weekend. Coach Jeff Klein's team surged past Southwestern 96-74, Cuesta 79-73 and Cypress 97-85.

"I really like this team," he said. "I thought we had more depth than last year, I just didn't know how it would all come together because we have so many new players. I thought we had some talent last year, but there were so many ups and downs I never got a handle on it."

The Panthers have gotten stellar play out of several individuals, most notably sophomore guard Lamar Williams (11.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, 2.1 assists per game), who was named most valuable player in that tournament. He played sparingly two years ago then sat out last season but returned bigger and stronger.

"Two years ago he was the youngest player on a veteran team and I think his confidence got a little rattled," Klein said. "He has come back a stronger, more mature player."

Also averaging double figures are sophomore Nicklas Turner (14.6 ppg) and freshman guard Anthony Cammon (10.3 ppg), with sophomore Winston Robinson (9.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg) close.

Klein said the biggest improvement in his team has come at point guard where several players are shouldering the load. Williams and Jamal Sloan (6 ppg, 1.8 apg) are the veterans with Cammon and freshmen Trone Jackson and Andre Perkins also seeing time there.

Klein thinks as many as six teams could win the Foothill Conference with Chaffey in the mix. The traditional powers Antelope Valley, Mt. San Jacinto, San Bernardino and College of the Desert will all be formidable foes, as will a much-improved Victor valley team.

But next up for the Panthers is a tournament which starts Thursday at Rio Hondo. Chaffey faces Glendale in the first round.

San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball coach Quincy Brewer is going to get a chance to see exactly where his young team stands.

The Wolverines (8-2) open play in the 39th annual Wells Fargo Holiday Classic at Riverside Community College at 7 p.m. Wednesday against defending state champion Citrus (10-1).
The field includes 16 teams with four first-round games on tap Tuesday and four more on Wednesday.

The No. 9 Wolverines turned over their entire roster so one would think Brewer would be happy with his team's first 10 games. But that isn't exactly the case.

"I am disappointed with those two games because there are things we could have done better. We didn't execute," he said.

The event is a grind with some teams playing four games in as many days and others playing that many in five days. It is one reason Chaffey, which has traditionally played in the event, pulled out, opting instead for another three-game tournament.

Brewer has been using 11 players and thinks his team is good enough shape physically to handle the rigorous schedule.

"I worked them pretty hard in the preseason," he said. "It is probably more taxing mentally than physically."

Brewer is starting five newcomers - sophomore guard Warren Fuselier (16.9 ppg, 4.5 apg) and freshmen guards D'Shaun Holden (6.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Alex Jacobs (7.5 ppg), freshman forward Aaron Edwards (13.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and freshman center Orlando Brazier (10.9 ppg, 3.9 ppg).

The Wolverines also have two players averaging double figures off the bench in Nathan Roth (10 ppg, 3.4 apg) and Maurice McGee (10.5 ppg).

Brewer has been particularly pleased with Jacobs, a San Gorgonio product who quit the team early in the fall, only to return a few days later. He was 8-for-14 from 3-point land earlier against Ventura.

No. 2 Citrus had a 31-game win streak that dates back to last season snapped when it lost to Reedley 72-68 on Nov. 29 at a tournament it hosted.

It's last previous loss came to Antelope Valley last year in the semifinal of the same tournament at Riverside.

The Owls also rely on their balance with sophomore guard Justin Johnson (13.7 ppg), freshman guard Jose Rivera (13.4 ppg), sophomore forward Troy Payne (10.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg), sophomore guard Steven Bennett (10.3 ppg, 3.9 apg) all in double figures.

SBVC and Citrus are two of the teams that carry lofty state rankings into the event. Riverside (10-3), which opens play tonight against College of the Desert, is No. 5.
Others are No. 9 Yuba and No. 19 Pasadena City College.

RCC is led by sophomore guard Robert Robinson (17.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and sophomore forward Charles Garcia (12.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg). Among the other key players are freshman guard Daniel Redmon (5.5 ppg, 4.7 apg) and freshman forward Kevin Bradshaw (5.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), both out of Upland High School.

 

 

 at Riverside CC

Tuesday's games

Fullerton (4-4) vs. East Los Angeles (4-6), 1 p.m.
Mt. San Jacinto (6-4) vs. Long Beach City (4-4), 3 p.m.
West Los Angeles (6-4) vs. Compton (1-9), 5 p.m.
Desert (5-4) vs. Riverside (10-3), 7 p.m.

Wednesday's games
Antelope Valley (6-6) vs. Pasadena (7-3), 1 p.m.
Yuba (6-1) vs. Palomar (4-4), 3 p.m.
Saddleback (4-5) vs. Imperial Valley (1-7), 5 p.m.
Citrus (10-1) vs. San Bernardino Valley (8-2), 7 p.m.

state title game between No. 1 Oroville (Calif.) Butte College and No. 2 Walnut (Calif.) Mt. San Antonio College just got a little more added weight as both programs top the latest JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings. Coast College will become the first program from the state of California to claim the national title after three years of NJCAA programs at the top.

Butte enters the game at 11-0 on the season and is the sole remaining undefeated team in the nation. Mt. SAC heads to the title game having lost only once during the season, a 44-38 triple-overtime setback to Cerritos College (7-4) in week nine of the season. San Antonio snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday night when they took a one-point lead with 10 seconds to play in defeating previous No. 1 College of the Canyons to claim the Southern California championship. The Roadrunners from Butte will have had two weeks to prepare for the game after defeating Reedley College, 24-20, on November 22.

The NJCAA final had an entertaining finish over the weekend as No. 3 El Dorado (KS) Butler County College defeated No. 5 Ephraim (UT) Snow College, 37-30, in double overtime. Butler led 20-7 at halftime and 23-9 heading into the fourth quarter when Snow mounted a big comeback to send the game into overtime. In the second overtime, the Butler offense stalled at the 11-yard, and the Grizzlies lined up for a Logan Ortiz field goal. The kick was partially blocked and squirted into the end zone. A Snow player tried to recover the ball, but could not, allowing Butler's Demonte Hill to fall on the ball. The officials conferred before ruling that since a Snow player had touched the ball first, it was again a live ball, and awarded the Hill and the Grizzlies the touchdown. Snow would still have its turn on offense, and on the very first play, quarterback Jon Eastman threw a pass that was bobbled by receiver Regan Buck. Butler linebacker Forlando Johnson grabbed the ball out of the air for an interception, ending the game and sending the Grizzlies sprinting to the middle of the field to celebrate the NJCAA national title.

Previous Dirty 30 national champions include Glendale College (AZ) in 2005; Blinn College (TX) in 2006, while 2007 had co-national champions with Butler County (KS) and Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 Rankings (12/8/08)
1. Butte (Calif.) 11-0
2. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 12-1
3. Butler (KS) 10-1
4. Canyons (Calif.) 12-1
5. Snow (UT) 10-1
6. El Camino (Calif.) 10-2
7. Fullerton (Calif.) 10-2
8. Navarro (TX) 10-1
9. Mississippi Gulf Coast 10-2
10. Harper (IL) 10-1
11. Santa Rosa (Calif.) 8-3
12. Fort Scott (KS) 8-2
13. Reedley (Calif.) 7-4
14. Sierra (Calif.) 9-2
15. Blinn (TX) 8-3
16. Saddleback (Calif.) 7-4
17. Eastern Arizona 6-3
18. East Mississippi 8-2
19. Foothill (Calif.) 8-3
20. Palomar (Calif.) 8-3
21. San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 8-3
22. Cerritos (Calif.) 7-4
23. Kilgore (TX) 6-4
24. Jones County (MS) 7-2
25. Phoenix (AZ) 7-4
26. Glendale (AZ) 7-2
27. San Francisco (Calif.) 7-4
28. Georgia Military 7-2
29. Iowa Central 7-3
30. Hutchinson (KS) 6-4

Others on the bubble: Ellsworth (IA) 8-2, Pearl River (MS) 8-3, Allan Hancock (Calif.) 7-4, Pasadena City (Calif.) 7-4, Trinity Valley (TX) 5-4, Rochester (MN) 8-2, Modesto (Calif.) 8-3, Dean (MA) 6-1, Sequoias (Calif.) 5-5, Shasta (Calif.) 9-2

University of Redlands senior midfielder Becky Willis (Escondido, CA) earned NSCAA/adidas^® Women's Division III First-Team All-American accolades following an outstanding 2008 season in the Bulldog midfield, according to an announcement by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

 

This marks the first occasion in program history that a Bulldog women's soccer student-athlete has landed on the First-Team All America.

 

Willis led the women's soccer team this year in assists with eight and tied for the team lead in goals with eight for a total of 24 points. Her eight assists tied Marissa Santa Cruz's program record for assists in a season. For her dominance in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), Willis earned the SCIAC Player of the Year award.

 

In 2007, she picked up a spot on the All-American Second Team following a campaign where she scored five goals and contributed two assists. Only three other members of the 2008 First-Team All America have earned past NSCAA All-American honors.

 

Cal State San Bernardino's women's volleyball team, the almost-conquering heroes returned to the campus Monday and were honored as heroes by students, faculty and staff in a noontime rally in the San Manuel Student Union.

University President Dr. Albert K. Karning, Vice President William Aguilar and Athletic Director Dr. Kevin Hatcher took turns complimenting the Coyotes team on their runnerup finish in the NCAA Division II National Championship tournament.

The few hundred fans and friends in attendance on the first day of Fall Quarter finals week cheered as Head Coach Kim Cherniss led the team into the lobby of the Student Union.

"I can't tell you what it meant to all of us to have you guys supporting us the way you did," Cherniss told the crowd of well-wishers. "For us to know there was so much support coming from campus really helped motivate us even more. I can't imagine another university that supports its teams the way this campus does."

The Coyotes lost 3-2 in the title match to tournament host Concordia-St. Paul to finish the season at 30-4 as the No. 2 team in Division II with a third NCAA West Region title and a sixth California Collegiate Athletic Association championship in hand.

The team made the Final Four for the second time in the history of the program and its appearance in the title match was an historic first for the program and only the second team a CSUSB team has played in the national title contest. The 1993-94 women's basketball team lost in the title game to North Dakota State in 1994, but later had to forfeit all its games due to an ineligible player.

Senior libero Meghan Haas, who set a new CSUSB career digs record with 1,566 by digging 57 attacks in the three matches at the tournament, spoke on behalf of her teammates and repeated Cherniss' comments about support from the home front.

"It was an almost perfect season," Haas told the audience. "We knew you were all watching. We got all those text messages everyone sent. We got them all. Your support was amazing. We want to say 'thank you' to everyone. We couldn't have done it without you. Next year we'll win it for you."

Dr. Karnig congratulated those in attendance for being "such strong supporters of the team and their success."

"I can't say enough about Coach Kim Cherniss. She has been very successful in so many ways and this team of hers is really, really special."

Vice President Aguilar said the team's success is all the more amazing given the student athlete's time commitment to competing in the sport and being able to manage time in such a way as they continue to make academic progress toward a degree.

He also thanked the fans. "Your support of the pgoram and your attendance at matches helped make the success the team enjoyed possible."

Aguilar and Hatcher delineated the accomplishments of the volleyball program over the past nine years:

• Six CCAA conference championships
• Three West Regional championships
• Nine straight 'sweet 16s'
• Two Final Fours
• One NCAA title appearance.

"And, we're not done yet," said Cherniss.

Senior libero Meghan Haas put herself in the record books at Cal State
San Bernardino, becoming the school's all-time career leader in digs.

Haas chalked up 57 in the Coyotes three matches at the Division II
national tournament at Concordia-St. Paul last weekend to give her
1566 for her career. That total bested the 1,543 of All-American Kim
Ford who played from 2000-2003.

Haas, of Menifee, only played three years having spent her freshman
year at Division I Louisiana Tech. Ford played four years.

Haas actually surpassed Ford's record in the Coyotes 3-0 semifinal
win over Truman Friday, than added to it in the 3-2 loss to the host
team in the championship showdown.

"She does many, many things that delight me. I don't think there's
anything she can't do on the court," said veteran coach Kim Cherniss,
who also called
Haas the best defensive player who has ever competed at the school.

Haas was a first-team All-CCAA and West Region selection. She was
given honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball
Coaches Association.

The Coyotes finished 30-4, hitting the 30-win plateau for the first
time in school history.