January 2009 Archives

Cal State San Bernardino coach Jeff Oliver seems to know what buttons to push with his players. That was more than evident this week when the Coyotes were at a crossroads of sorts.

The team was picked to win the CCAA and was nationally ranked at one point but had done little to live up to that billing. Even more frustrating has been its tendency to play well against the better teams but totally tank against mediocre ones. They started the weekend 9-7.

After last Friday's game, a loss to San Francisco State, Oliver blasted 6-7 junior Brandon Brown in the media. Calling him a ``terrible defensive player.'' He benched Brown and two others for Saturday's game which the Coyotes ended up winning.

Then on Tuesday another publication printed a story on Brown which was focused on his failure to live up to his billing. Brown was not happy, even marching into Oliver's office to ask why he trashed him to the media.

Oliver calmly asked him what part of the article or statements attributed to him did he not agree with. The two talked things out and went back to practice.

Then on Friday Brown delivered perhaps his best game when it counted most. He scored 16, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked two shots as the Coyotes trounced a talented Dominguez Hills squad that was ranked No. 2 in the West Region and came in leading the CCAA.

The incident definitely seemed to light a fire under him. While such criticism would not be appropriate of a high school player, it isn't out of line when dealing with college-age athletes who are adults.

Brown was more conciliatory in a post-game interview and just chuckled when asked about the verbal beatdown he received a week earlier.

Oliver also tried to keep Brown motivated by starting Jordan Richard, a freshman out of Los Osos. Brown came off the bench about six minutes into the first half.

Tonight the Coyotes host Cal State L.A., another one of those mediocre teams they should handle.

Hopefully the Coyotes have learned and bring their "A" game. Because Friday's performance was fun to watch.

Cal Poly Pomona didn't let a 12-point deficit get it down Friday night in its game against Cal State L.A. in California Collegiate Athletic women's basketball.

                And despite trailing by 11 points on three separate occasions in the second half, the Broncos battled back and earned a 57-50 victory at Kellogg Gymnasium.

                Sophomore Reyana Colson (Compton) led the Broncos with a game-high 20 points and teammate Stephisha Walton (Vallejo) scored 15 points with 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. The double-digit night from Colson was her 15^th straight after missing the first five games to injury.

                Cal Poly Pomona, ranked sixth in the initial NCAA Division II West Region poll, improved to 12-8 overall and 8-3 in the CCAA. Cal State L.A. dropped to 2-16, 1-10.

                Cal Poly Pomona trailed throughout much of the game and went into halftime down, 34-26. The Broncos fired just 29 percent from the floor and struggled to create any momentum in the opening 20 minutes.

                But CPP got things turned around after it trailed by 11, 42-31 with 14:11 remaining. Freshman Kaitlin Derby (Petaluma) drained a 3-pointer with 13:14 remaining and that triggered a 13-0 run that put CPP ahead 44-42 with 7:07 left.

                After Derby's 3, Colson hit a three-point play of her own and Walton later added a pair of free throws. Walton added a layup and reserve Emily Nichols (Riverside) fired a 3-pointer and CPP fought its way ahead for the first time.

                CSULA scored four straight points, but it would be its last lead at 46-44 with 6:15 left.

                Walton answered right back with a three-point play. She drove inside, scored a layup and drew the foul. She hit the free throw and CPP led 47-46 and never looked back.

                The Broncos shot just 30.6 percent from the floor (19-of-62), but outshot CSULA 17-4 at the free-throw line.

                CSULA's Shatori Dearman led her team with 12 points and six rebounds. The Golden Eagles went to the free-throw line just once in the final 20 minutes.

                The Broncos play host to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

 

Cal State Dominguez Hills retained its hold on fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association women's basketball standings Friday night with a 62-52 victory over Cal State San Bernardino in Coussoulis Arena.             Neka Mixon, the CCAA player of the week, led the Toros to their 12^th win of the season with a double-double - 18 points and 13 rebounds. She also had three steals and two assists in 27 minutes of play.

            Brittney Blankenship had 12 points and five assists for the Toros, ranked No. 5 in the first NCAA West Region poll. The Toros are now 12-6 overall and 7-4 in the CCAA.

            The Coyotes suffered their sixth straight conference defeat and are now 7-10 overall and 5-6 in the CCAA. Krystal Urzua led the Coyotes with 20 points, two assists and two steals. Urzua hit four of 11 shots from three-point range. Shannon Gholar contributed 11 points.

            CSUSB will host Cal State L.A. at 8 p.m. on Saturday night while the Toros are at Cal Poly Pomona for a 5:30 p.m. start.

            Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State San Bernardino were locked in a close game in the first 10 minutes with the Toros leading 15-13 after a layup by Gholar. The Toros then went on a 12-0 run capped by Ashley Johnson's jumper with 5:37 left in the half to lead 27-15 and took a 38-25 advantage to the locker room at intermission.

            In the second half, the Toros led by as much as 18 points at 48-30 with 14:13 left on a layup by Blankenship. The Coyotes then made a run, closing to within eight points at 60-52 with 2:15 left on a free throw by junior Aubrey Duran.  Blankenship sank a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left to salt the game away.

            The Toros outscored the Coyotes 30-12 in the paint and outrebounded CSUSB 41-28 but were guilty of 19 turnovers to just 15 for the Coyotes. CSUDH shot 54 percent in the first half (15 of 28) and 44 percent for the game (25-56).

            The Coyotes shot just 33 percent (18 for 54) and made just seven of 27 three-point attempts (26 percent).

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - Maybe Cal State San Bernardino coach Jeff Oliver
should bench players more often.

One game after sitting out three athletes, two of them starters,
the Coyotes responded with one of their best outings of the season
and they needed it, turning back CCAA frontrunner Cal State Dominguez
Hills 66-51 Friday at Coussoulis Arena.

The win boosted the Coyotes (10-7, 8-3) into a tie for first place
with the Toros (14-4, 8-3) as well as UC San Diego and Humboldt
State.

What a difference a couple of months make. The last time the teams
played Dominguez won by 20.

Junior big man Brandon Brown, one of those benched, delivered his
best game in awhile with 16 points but he was an even bigger factor
on the boards with 13 rebounds and two blocks.

``We wanted to make a statement,'' Brown said. ``There was that
last game I didn't play and I felt like I had to make up for it. ''

Oliver publicly criticized Brown last week but was more than
complimentary after the most recent outing.

``He was tremendous,'' Oliver said. ``We knew that's the way he
could play and we were waiting to see it. He did it against a great
team, one that came in leading the conference in scoring.''

The Coyotes have been a slow starting team but bucked that trend
this time. The first half was tied at 14 with 8:55 left but the
Coyotes ended it with a 13-1 run, highlighted by back-to-back
3-pointers by Devin Montgomery and Lawrence Tyson.

The Toros started the second half with a 12-2 run, getting within
two points at 30-28 on a driving layup by Tim McGrath.

But the Coyotes tallied the next 10, working the ball in the paint
for all those points. A bucket by Brown made it 40-31 with 12:33 to
go and the Coyotes never looked back. A driving layup by DuBois
Williams seconds later made it 42-31 and the visitors were never
within single digits again.

Cal State led by as many as 18 at 62-3 with 4:53 left on another
bucket by Brown.

The Coyotes shot 47.2 percent from the field and outrebounded the
Toros 35-28. Joining Brown in double figures were Montgomery with 16
and Tyson with 12. Williams had nine points, four rebouds, four
assists, two steals and two blocks.

Ontario High School product Jerrell Smith has 13 points and five
rebounds to lead Dominguez.

``This was do or die for us,'' said Montgomery, another of the
players that came back afer a benching. ``Our backs were to the wall.
We have to keep playing like this.''

The Coyotes will host Cal State Los Angeles at 5:30 tonight. Th
game is being played before the women's game tonight only, to
accommodate national television (CBS College Sports Channel).

DuBois Williams sat at the end of the bench at Wells Fargo Arena on the campus of Arizona State. A sprained ankle sidelined him, and all he could do was watch as the Sun Devils battled Cal State San Bernardino, a Division II school with a solid basketball tradition.

Four years later, the most significant playing time of his career is coming at that school. There were two other stops in-between but Williams has found a home and has emerged as the jack-of-all-trades for the Coyotes (9-7, 7-3), who will host CCAA leader Cal State Dominguez Hills (14-3, 8-2) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Coussoulis Arena.

It will be the start of a big weekend for the Coyotes, who host Cal State Los Angeles (10-7, 5-5) in a nationally televised game Saturday.

"I don't know where we would be without him. He has been our most consistent player. We know what he's going to give us every night," Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. "He is big enough he can be a forward and skilled enough to play point, if that's where we need him. He does a little bit of everything."

Williams' line in the Coyotes' most recent game confirms his all-around contribution. He scored only four points in a 63-57 win over Monterey Bay last Friday, but he also had nine rebounds, five assists and three steals -- all team highs.

On the season, he is averaging 8.5 points but he also is second on the team in rebounding (6.0) and first in assists (3.1) and steals (2.4). He said he doesn't mind the role of an unsung hero.

He ranks second in the conference in steals and seventh in rebounding and field goal percentage (.521).

"Sure, I would I like to score 20 points a game. Every player wants to be the points guy," he said before practice on Wednesday. "But it's a team and everyone has to make sacrifices. I don't mind being the guy that does the cleanup as long as we win."

Williams, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound guard, took the long road to San Bernardino. He drew considerable attention from Division I schools during his prep days at Marcos DeNiza High School in Tempe, Ariz., but it faded considerably after he broke his foot for the second time his senior year.

He settled on Arizona State because it was the local school and hoped to earn a scholarship after walking on a freshman. That never happened and he ended up using his medical redshirt.

He transferred to Fresno City College and helped the Rams reach the state semifinal, where it lost to an unbeaten Fullerton team led by current teammate Tim Denson as well as former Coyotes Michael Earl and Phil Jones.

Then it was on to Division I St. Mary's, which also recruited him out of high school. After playing sparingly for two years he decided to seek a bigger role elsewhere.

"I didn't see my role changing," he said. "They had a lot of really good players. I liked the school and the players and I didn't want to be one of those guys complaining. I just wanted to go and play my senior year where I could have an impact and make a team better."

He planned on going to Division II Grand Canyon University, also in his home state, but that school was undergoing another coaching change. The former coach there suggested Cal State because of its tradition, playing facility and coaching staff.

Williams' father Dave, a former player at Oklahoma State and current coach of the ABA's Phoenix entry, got in touch with Oliver.

"We wanted him to be in a good program close enough we would get a chance to see him play," Dave Williams said. "We also wanted a total experience, not just a good place to play basketball but a good academic environment. It was the best of both worlds."

Williams made a trip to watch the Coyotes play in a summer league game at Cal Poly Pomona, then visited the school and worked out with some of the players. Oliver was sold.

"He was great," Oliver said. "Sometimes guys don't always look that good because you're throwing them into a mix with guys they don't know. But he was super."

It wasn't quite that easy. Williams had to complete an on-line Spanish class to finish off his degree from St. Mary's before he could enroll at Cal State. That grade didn't get posted until late August.

"We got him late, real late," Oliver said. "Late enough we weren't getting anyone else if he didn't get in."

The Coyotes haven't quite lived up to expectations, but Williams has been satisfied with the move. He already has a degree in communications and is seeking another, possibly in architecture so he has something to fall back on if the right professional opportunity doesn't come up.

He doesn't regret not coming to Cal State sooner, even though it might have meant more playing time.

"You can't have regrets," he said. "You have to make a decision and live with it. I have learned something

University of Redlands women's soccer senior midfielder Becky Willis (Escondido, CA) earned the right to try out for the Boston Breakers, a Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) franchise, according to announcement by Head Coach Suzette Soboti.

 

Tryouts are set to occur on Monday, Feb. 9 and Tuesday, Feb. 10 at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA. Players attending the tryout may be selected for the team's preseason camp, which will start on Feb. 28.

 

Willis enjoyed a remarkable career as a student-athlete at Redlands. Throughout her storied Bulldog tenure, she garnered two National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/ adidas® All-American honors, three NSCAA/adidas® All-Region laurels and three First-Team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) nods, including the 2008 SCIAC Player of the Year award. This past season, Willis tied the program mark for assists in a season with eight and led the team to its first-ever at-large bid into the NCAA Championships.

 

"This opportunity is great for the exposure of the University of Redlands as a premier Division III institution," Soboti said. "It's every girl's dream to have this opportunity, and being that this is the first year of the league, many are having the chance to move on to the next level that didn't have it before. The goal is to help bring the girls to the next level, whether it be as a player, coach or otherwise, and hopefully Becky's experience in Boston motivates those on the team that want to play professionally."

 

While the competition is fierce in trying out for the Breakers, Soboti said that the experience there could open up other opportunities should she not make the training camp roster.

 

"If she goes to the Boston Breakers tryout and doesn't make the cut, she could possibly get on other WPS teams," Soboti said. "The soccer community is very small, and if the coach there thinks she has potential, she may get a similar opportunity with another franchise."

 

A handful of undergraduate Redlands student-athletes will try out for the Ventura County Fusion, a semi-pro team, this summer. The Fusion recently produced a player that got drafted by the Breakers in the inaugural WPS draft.

 

The WPS is in its first year following a five-year period without a women's professional soccer league in the United States. In 2003, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) folded after three seasons.

 

Defending national champion Humboldt State and reigning California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) champion Cal State Stanislaus earned preseason national Top 25 rankings, in the 2009 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll that was announced on Wednesday.

The Lumberjacks, who received 10 first-place votes, are ranked second while the Warriors garnered a No. 14 ranking.

Lock Haven, which totaled six first-place votes, earned the top spot in the poll and is coming off a 49-8 record in 2008.

Humboldt State concluded the 2008 campaign with a 57-18 overall record that included a 24-8 mark in CCAA play. The Lumberjacks, who defeated Emporia State, 1-0, for their second national title, concluded the year atop the final NFCA poll.

Cal State Stanislaus compiled a 31-23 overall record and finished second in the CCAA after posting a 20-12 conference mark. The Warriors captured the conference postseason tournament after defeating Cal State San Bernardino, 8-0, in the championship game.

Chico State, Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Monterey Bay open their season on Sunday, February 1, while Cal State San Bernardino begins play on Tuesday, February 3. All nine CCAA teams will take part in the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational in Turlock beginning February 6.

2009 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Preseason Poll

1. Lock Haven (6) (49-8)
2. Humboldt State (10) (57-18)
3. St. Edwards (53-17)
4. Francis Marion (39-16)
5. Ferris State (35-18)
6. LIU-C.W. Post (48-16)
7. Southeastern Oklahoma (53-12)
8. Winona State (38-15)
9. Tampa (35-13)
10. North Georgia (38-15)
11. Kutztown (48-13)
12. Lewis (38-18)
13. Barry (44-8)
14. Cal State Stanislaus (31-23)
15. St. Leo (37-15)
16. Georgian Court (39-16)
17. Colorado School of Mines (38-19)
18. Central Missouri (36-22)
19. Georgia College & State (40-14)
20. Bloomsburg (51-11)
21. Minnesota State Mankato (42-16)
22. Caldwell College (35-22)
23. Emporia State (48-17)
24. Saginaw Valley (34-17)
T25. Alabama-Huntsville (52-9)
T25. Angelo State (48-12)

Chico State, which has won three conference crowns
since 2000, has been selected to capture the 2009 California
Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular-season title in a vote
of conference baseball coaches, it was announced on Tuesday.

The Wildcats totaled 73 points and garnered three first-place votes
to finish ahead of UC San Diego in the balloting.

The Tritons collected 70 points and four first-place votes. Defending CCAA
Champion Sonoma State (69), which received two first-place votes, was
third and followed by Cal State Stanislaus (56), Cal State L.A. (43),
Cal State San Bernardino (39), Cal Poly Pomona (37), Cal State
Dominguez Hills (31), Cal State Monterey Bay (17) and San Francisco
State (9).

Chico State, UC San Diego and Sonoma State each received three votes
to capture the CCAA Championship Tournament that is scheduled for May
7-9 at a neutral site to be announced at a later date. Cal State
Stanislaus also garnered a vote to win the postseason tournament.

Chico State begins the 2009 season ranked No. 7, while UC San Diego
is No. 4, Cal State Stanislaus No. 24 and Cal State L.A. is tied for
No. 40 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll.

The Wildcats are coming off a 41-17 record and an NCAA West Regional
Championship appearance in 2008. UC San Diego compiled a 43-18
overall record, finished second in the CCAA with a 25-11 mark and
advanced to the NCAA West Regionals.

Defending West Region Champion Sonoma State is un-ranked heading into
the 2009 season. The Seawolves enjoyed their finest season in program
history as they compiled a school-record 52-15 mark and finished
third at the 2008 NCAA Division II Championships Finals.

Cal State Stanislaus posted a 37-23 record and finished fourth in the
CCAA with a 24-12 mark. Cal State L.A. is coming off a 29-22 season
in 2008.

UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino will be the first two CCAA
teams to open the 2009 season when they get underway on Sunday, Feb.
1. The Tritons will host San Diego Christian College, while the
Coyotes begin a three-game series against Grand Canyon in Arizona.


California Collegiate Athletic Association
2009 Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

Rank Team (First place votes) Points
1. Chico State (3) 73
2. UC San Diego (4) 70
3. Sonoma State (2) 69
4. Cal State Stanislaus (1) 56
5. Cal State L.A. 43
6. Cal State San Bernardino 39
7. Cal Poly Pomona 37
8. Cal State Dominguez Hills 31
9. Cal State Monterey Bay 17
10. San Francisco State 9

The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) will gain some national television exposure this weekend when Saturday's men's basketball game between Cal State L.A. and Cal State San Bernardino will be televised live by CBS College Sports Network beginning at 5:30 p.m.

CBS College Sports Network is available on various cable and satellite providers throughout the country. Charlie Neal and Roland Williams will provide the play-by-play and analysis.
 
"This will be a great opportunity for Cal State L.A. and Cal State San Bernardino to showcase their programs," California Collegiate Athletic Association Commissioner Robert J. Hiegert said. "The CCAA has a rich basketball tradition and having a nationally-televised game will provide exposure to the conference and its member institutions. People tuning into the broadcast from around the country will have an opportunity to see the high caliber of play that the CCAA is recognized for at the Division II level."
 
This is the third year of the television agreement between Division II and CBS Sports Network (formerly CSTV).
 
"Our partnership with CBS College Sports has been a successful and productive Division II initiative," said Mike Racy, vice-president of NCAA Division II. "We are able to provide national exposure for the student-athletes and their institutions while also providing viewers a unique glimpse into the division and the way we balance academics and athletics excellence."
 
The Cal State L.A.-Cal State San Bernardino showdown will be one of five men's NCAA Division II broadcasts, which will began on Jan. 3 with Chaminade at Dixie State. After the Golden Eagles and Coyotes on Jan. 31, Colorado Christian will be at Metro State on Feb. 14, Northwest Missouri State will be at Central Missouri on Feb. 21 and Wheeling Jesuit will be at West Liberty State on Feb. 28.
 
In addition, four women's games will also be broadcast. Florida Southern was at Barry on Jan. 10, East Stroudsburg was at Shippensburg on Jan. 17, Incarnate Word was at Saint Mary's (Texas) on Jan. 24 and Northwest Nazarene will be at Seattle Pacific on Feb. 7.
 
The games will also be syndicated through regional sports networks and made available via broadband at www.ncaa.org.
 
"NCAA Division II basketball has been a staple of our strategy to serve fans at every level," said Tim Pernetti, executive vice-president for content at CBS College Sports Network. "Our partnership with the NCAA continues to thrive on many fronts, providing a well-deserved national showcase for NCAA Division II athletics and some memorable moments on the CBS College Sports Network."
 
In addition, the women's game between Cal State L.A. and Cal State San Bernardino will be moved from the normal 5:30 p.m. start time to 8 p.m.

The two teams met earlier this season and Cal State San Bernardino pulled out a 73-70 overtime victory in Los Angeles.
 

The first Division II regional basketball rankings came out today and the most noteable absence is that of the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes.

The regional poll is important because it is the determining factor for the postseason tournament.

Brigham Young-Hawaii (11-1) is No. 1 in the West as expected. The Seasiders are followed by Cal State Dominguez Hills (13-2), Seattle Pacific (10-4), Western Washington (6-3), Central Washington (8-4), UC San Diego (9-4), Humboldt State (10-6), Dixie State (7-5), Cal Poly Pomona (6-5) and Chaminade (8-3).

The Coyotes, a perennial CCAA title contender, are 9-7 overall but are just 8-6 against Division II teams. They lost to both Dominguez, Seattle Pacific and Western Washington but have beaten San Diego, Pomona and Humboldt State.

The problem is the Coyotes have inexcusable losses to Sonoma State and San Francisco State. So coach Jeff Oliver didn't expect to be ranked. In fact, he says he is glad his team isn't included since it tends to get more complacent each time it gets a pt on the back.

There is still a long way to go and the Coyotes can make a significant statement with wins over Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles this weekend. It has been a long time since a Coyote team has had to really fight just to get into the top eight and the schedule doesn't favor the Coyotes the rest of the way.

Stay tuned!

After suffering a tough road loss to Chapman University earlier this season, the Bulldog women's basketball team returned the favor by defeating the Panthers in Currier Gym tonight.  With solid shooting and stingy defense, Redlands came out on top by a score of 76-51. 

 

After a back-and-forth start to the game, Redlands gained a seven-point halftime advantage off of a 5-0 run to end the first period.  Although the Panthers clawed their way back to within one with 12:17 to go in the game, the Bulldogs quickly pulled away with two offensive explosions, including an 11-point showing that began at the nine-minute mark. 

 

Forced to foul in the waning minutes, Chapman never recovered as Redlands cruised to an intense 76-51 victory.

 

The Bulldogs looked two four players in double digits, with junior forward Meghan Yetman (Danville, CA) leading the charge with 18. 

 

 Freshman forward Shada Sadeghi (Walnut Creek, CA) made the most of her 20 minutes of action by scoring 16 points off of 4-for-5 shooting and a perfect 7-for-7 from the line.  Freshman forward Courtney Carroll (Rancho Palos Verde, CA) posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Mariah Barbetti-Cort (Ventura, CA) added 12 points and three assists.

Chaffey football standout Aaron Mays is continuing his playing career at Fordham University. The 5-foot-11 wide receiver is already at the school, having enrolled earlier this month.

Mays, out of Ramona High School in Riverside, led the Panthers (5-5) in receptions with 30 for 503 yards (16.8 average) and nine touchdowns.

He also excelled on special teams, returning 13 punts for 202 yards (15.5 average). The highlight was an 86-yard return for a touchdown against Antelope Valley.

Last year Fordham went 5-6 overall and 1-5 in the Patriot League.

Biola University forward Rocky Hampton (Lake
Arrowhead, Calif./Temescal Canyon HS) has been named the Golden State
Athletic Conference men's basketball Player of the Week for the week of
Jan. 19-25 as announced by the conference office on Monday.

The junior from Lake Arrowhead, Calif., averaged 19.5 points and eight
rebounds to lead Biola to a pair of upset wins over nationally-ranked GSAC
teams last week. He finished the week shooting 16-for-25 (.640) from the
field and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Hampton scored a season-high 25 points and added nine rebounds and five
blocked shots in Biola's 65-54 win at No. 23 The Master's College on
Saturday. He scored on 10 of his 14 shots attempts from the field and
converted all five free throw attempts to lead the Eagles.

On Saturday, Hampton scored 14 points and had seven rebounds as Biola
knocked off No. 15 California Baptist University 67-64 at Chase Gymnasium.
After being shutout in the first half, Hampton hit six of seven shots from
the field, scoring all 14 points and helping the Eagles to the upset
victory.

For the season, Hampton is averaging 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds. He has
also recorded 38 blocks (2.1 per game) which ranks him first in the GSAC
in that category.

Hampton is the first Biola men's basketball player to earn the GSAC Player
of the Week award since the 2005-06 season, when Spencer Foster earned the
honor to close out the year.

Biola (14-5 overall, 5-4 GSAC) closes out the first half of the GSAC
schedule on Tuesday (Jan. 27), traveling to Hope International for a 7:30
p.m. contest.

CSU Dominguez Hills' Jerrell Smith Named Wilson/CCAA Men's Player of the Week
1/26/2009

WALNUT CREEK -- Cal State Dominguez Hills forward Jerrell Smith has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 19-25.

Smith, a 6-foot-9 senior out of Ontario High School, averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks during victories over Humboldt State and Sonoma State that lifted the Toros into sole possession of first play in the CCAA.

In a 69-52 victory over conference co-leader Humboldt State, Smith scored 10 points, collected four rebounds, had two steals and a blocked a shot while connecting on 5-of-11 field goal attempts. One night later, he scored a team-high 15 points, hauled down two rebounds, had a steal and blocked three shots during a 79-56 win over Sonoma State.

Cal State Dominguez Hills returns to action on Friday when it travels to Cal State San Bernardino to take on the Coyotes beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Wilson CCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week:
Nov. 17-23: Matt Ibewiro (Cal State Stanislaus); Nov. 24-30: Andy Bocian (Chico State); Dec. 1-7: Alex Thomas (San Francisco State); Dec. 8-14: Robert Hayes (San Francisco State); Dec. 15-21: Larry Gordon (Cal Poly Pomona); Dec. 29 - Jan. 3: Brandon Brown (Cal State San Bernardino); Jan. 4-11: Joe Mitchell (Cal State Monterey Bay); Jan. 12-18: Austin Swift (Cal Poly Pomona); Jan. 19-25: Jerrell Smith (Cal State Dominguez Hills).

CSU Dominguez Hills' Neka Mixon Named Wilson/CCAA Player of the Week
1/26/2009

WALNUT CREEK -- Cal State Dominguez Hills guard Neka Mixon has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 19-25.

Mixon, a 5-foot-10 sophomore from Long Beach, Calif., averaged 22.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in helping the Toros to a split of home games against Humboldt State and Sonoma State.

During Friday's 72-56 loss to Humboldt State, Mixon scored a season-high 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds, totaled three steals and had an assist. She followed that performance with 19 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots in a 49-43 victory over Sonoma State.

Cal State Dominguez Hills returns to action on Friday when it visits Cal State San Bernardino beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Wilson CCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week:
Nov. 10-16: Dana Andrews (Cal State Monterey Bay); Nov. 17-23: Katie Franci (Humboldt State); Nov. 24-30: Katie Busi (Cal State Stanislaus); Dec. 1-7: Michelle Oseir (UC San Diego); Dec. 8-14: Ennisha Kyles (Cal State Dominguez Hills); Dec. 15-21: Reyana Colson (Cal Poly Pomona); Dec. 29 - Jan. 3: Megan Ford (Cal Poly Pomona); Jan. 4-11: Michelle Osier (UC San Diego); Jan 12-18: Katie Franci (Humboldt State); Jan. 19-25: Neka Mixon (Cal State Dominguez Hills).

Sophomore tight end Keith Myers of San Bernardino Valley College has signed with Division II Livingstone College, located in Salisbury, N.C.

Myers, a 6-foot-5, 225-pounder, started 20 games in two years with the Wolverines, totaling 515 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

The Blue Bears play in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and are coming off a 3-6 campaign.

No one seems to know what to expect out of the Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team. Coach Jeff Oliver doesn't even know and he's the one with those 14 players every day.

In my six years covering local colleges I haven't seen a team that can be so good one minute and so bad the next. Up and down, hot and cold. The Coyotes (9-7, 7-3) have been all that and more.

Last week they went to the northern part of the state and laid an egg against Sonoma State, a team they should have beaten even if they were on the road. Then the next night they turn around and whip Humboldt State by double digits in what is one of the most hostile environments for a visiting team.

Did the Coyotes learn? Apparently not because they did the same thing a week later. Lose to a .500 San Francisco State, then turn around and beat a feisty Monterey Bay team despite playing without three players for disciplinary reasons.

It is hard seeing this team making a run because it hasn't yet put together enough good efforts to make one think they can sustain a postseason run.

The talents is there but the issue seems to be team chemistry. The individual players all seem like nice enough guys. Sometimes the mix just doesn't work. But the Coyotes have a poor record against out-of-conference foes so they're going to have to put some wins together just to make a regional tournament.

Stay tuned!

Next up is Dominguez Hills on Friday. The Toros are currently first in the CCAA so the good Coyotes will have to show up to stand a chance.

The defending Foothill Conference champion Wolverines (16-8, 7-0)
remained undefeated and in first place with a 69-64 win over the
Eagles.

Sophomore point guard Eisha Sheppard, out of Victor Valley High
School, led the charge with 24 points. Dwayanna Pullum contributed
12 points and seven rebounds and Ashleigh Frazier added 11. Brittany
Thompson tallied 15 rebounds.

Danielle Smith had 19 points and four assists to lead the Eagles
(18-6, 5-2).

The struggle continues for the Cal State San Bernardino women as
the Coyotes dropped their fifth straight game, this one to the
visiting Otters 65-58.

``We're lacking some maturity and it is showing,'' Cal State coach
Kevin Becker said. ``We have been struggling with it all year. It's
just been tougher because we're not pulling out the games we were
earlier.''

The Coyotes (7-9, 5-5) went on a 19-0 run that started with the
last 7:05 of the first half. They had their biggest lead of the game
after at 38-23 on a jumper from the corner by Shannon Gholar 1:30
into the seconds half.

But Cal State couldn't hold on. The Otters (9-7, 4-6) rallied back
and led 56-52 on a corner jumper by Helen Suarez with 4:30 to go.

The Coyotes trailed 59-56 but missed their next three shots from
the field and the Otters grabbed the rebound each time. The Otters
hit just 14 of 24 free throws but Suarez hit two to make it 61-56
and Andrews added two with 44 seconds left to put the game ot of
reach.

Krystal Urzua tallied 12 points and seven rebounds while Morgan
Pryor added 11. Lisa Takata had a team-high six assists.

Gholar had eight points and four assists but left the game
with a hyperextended knee with 15:06 left and Cal State up 40-30.

By Michelle Gardner Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO - Cal State San Bernardino coach Jeff Oliver thought it was time for a little tough love. His Coyotes turned in a lackluster performance against San Francisco State a day earlier and he needed a better effort to beat visiting Monterey Bay on Saturday. So he benched leading scorer Brandon Brown, second-leading scorer Devin Montgomery and Michael Lucas. Message delivered. Loud and clear. The Coyotes came away with a 63-57 win over the Otters in front of 1,145 spectators at Cousoulis Arena to stay tied for second place. The trio missed a postgame team function after Friday's loss resulting in their absence the next night. ``To me it was putting yourself ahead of the team, regardless of if you have a bad night on the court. You have to stick together off the court,'' Oliver said. Several players came up big. But none more so than freshman Jordan Richard, out of Los Osos High School. He had played sparingly in just 10 of 15 games but started in place of Brown. He more than held his own, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and one steal. More than anything else he altered the shots of those that dared entering the lane. ``I didn't look at it as pressure,'' Richard said of his newfound role. ``I knew my teammates were behind me and had confidence in me. I just wanted to calm myself down and let the game come to me.'' While the stat sheet credited him with four blocks, Oliver was more complimentary. ``I thought he had like seven in the first half. I think he had like 10,'' Oliver said. The Coyotes (9-7, 7-3) led by as many as 13 and were still up by 11 with 3:44 left at 60-49. But things got a little dicey in the last few minutes. The Otters (11-6, 5-5) cut it to five at 60-55 and Tim Denson, who came in shooting 83 percent from the line, twice missed the front end of a one and one. It was 60-57 with 28 seconds left but Reggie Brown nailed his two tries from the stripe to put the game away. He finished with a team-high 14. The Coyotes shot 38.3 percent, including a whoopping 31 tries from long distance. They made nine of those. ``To me we have more talent than nay team in the league,'' Reggie Brown said. ``We just have to play as a team, not as individuals.'' The Coyotes continue the homestand next Friday, hosting CCAA frontrunner Dominguez Hills. Cal State Los Angeles follows the Toros in to square off with the Coyotes on Saturday.

 

The California Lutheran University women's basketball team forced an overtime period but came out on the losing end of a 68-61 decision against the University of Redlands on Saturday in Gilbert Arena. Freshman Danika Briggs tied the game with six seconds to play in regulation but the Regals went 1-for-8 from the field in overtime and had their three-game win streak snapped.

CLU came out aggressive early with a full-court press defense and held the Bulldogs to 23 first half points and 25 percent shooting from the field (7-for-28). By halftime the Regals had built a nine point advantage thanks to a last second shot by Briggs to end the first half. They shot 51.9 percent in the first half connecting on 14-of-27 attempts.

In the second half, a three by freshman Kendra Carter put CLU up by 10 with 15 minutes remaining and Redlands quickly erased its deficit with a 10-0 run and tied the game at the 12:32 mark.

Redlands retained the lead for most of the final 12 minutes and held a five point advantage with a minute to play when CLU freshman Shana Moore nailed her first three-point attempt of the season from straight away and cut the Regal's deficit to two. On its next possession CLU went to junior Nita Sims and her shot came off the rim and into the hands of Briggs who laid it in to tie the game at 56-56 with six seconds to play.

After a timeout by the Bulldogs, sophomore Mariah Barbetti-Cort took the ball the length of the court and had her layup ricochet too hard off the backboard as time expired.

Redlands freshman Courtney Carroll scored six points on three layups in overtime and on her third with 1:14 to play she put the Bulldogs up four. The Regals missed three-pointers on consecutive possessions and time would run out and the Bulldogs came away with the 68-61 win.

Bulldog junior Ali Bueno tallied a game-high 18 points and hit on 3-of-4 three point attempts in the second half and played 44 minutes.

Sims was CLU's high scorer with 16 points on 6-for-19 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. Sophomore Kourtney Jones added 14 points and Carter finished with eight.
After shooting 51.9 percent in the first half, the Regals connected on 29.2 percent of their attempts in the second half.

Cal Lutheran (4-13, 2-4 SCIAC) will host Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Jan. 29 in another conference matchup. The game will be available live online at www.KADYTV.com.

Freshman Maurice McGee scored 28 points and snagged nine rebounds
to give the Wolverines a 76-66 win over visiting Mt. San Jacinto
Saturday in Foothill Conference play.

The win lifted SBVC (19-7, 6-1) into a tie for first place with
the Eagles who started the day unbeaten and with a one-game lead in
the conference.

Orlando Brazier added 20 points and nine rebounds and Sidney Hall
added 13 points and three assists. Warren Fuselier dished out a
team-high seven assists.

Melvin Goins led the Eagles (17-8, 6-1) with 19 points, five
rebounds and three assists.

The biggest difference came in shooting as he Wolverines shopt
46.5 percent and Mt. San Jacinto anaged just 36.1.

Sophomore Reyana Colson scored 17 points and snagged 11 rebounds
to lead the Cal Poly Pomona women to a 69-57 win over visiting Cal
State Monterey Bay Friday at Kellogg Gymnasium.

It was the seventh double-double of Colson's two-year career and
the fifth this season. She also dished out seven assists and had two
steals in helping the Broncos (10-8, 6-3) hold on to a share of
second place in the CCAA.

``At times we really executed,'' Broncos coach Scott Davis said.
``In the second half they made a run and we started speeding up the
game and we got a little chaotic.''

The Broncos led by as many as 15 points in the first half, that
advantage coming on a jumper from the baseline by Colson that made it
33-18 with 3:37 left.

The closest the Otters got in the second half was six points after
LaShawn Johnson nailed a 3-pointer to cut the defcit to 40-34.

The Broncos responded with a 9-0 run with four different players
factoring in. A 3-pointer by Emily Nichols gave Cal Poly a 49-35 edge
and the Broncos never looked back despite getting sloppy in the
closing minutes.

Danah Smith was the only other player in double figures with 11.
The Broncos shot 45 percent (27-for-60) from the field but only
went 10-for-20 from the line and committed 21 turnovers.

Junior guard Helen Suarez had 24 points to lead the Otters (8-7,
3-6) who shot 37.7 percent (20-for-53) from the field, 47.4 percent
(9-for-19) from the line and had 22 turnovers.

POMONA - When your star player is struggling the best way to win
is to have others to pick up the slack. The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos
did that and ran away with an impressive 79-60 win over visiting Cal
State Monterey Bay Friday at Kellog Gymnasium.

Senior preseason All-American Larry Gordon managed just nine
points. It was his fifth straight game in single digits after 40
straight in double digits dating back to his sophomore season.

But the Broncos had four players finish in double figures.
Walter Thompson led the way with 19 points, followed by Austin
Swift (17), Tobias Jahn (14) and Robert Summers (10).

``We got a balanced team effort, the most balanced we've had in
awhile,'' coach Greg Kamansky said. ``If we can have that balance
and run that efficient an offense, we'll do alright.''

The Broncos started strong, surging out to a 21-6 lead with
11:21 left in the half. Cal Poly maintained that double digit lead
and was up 39-29 at the half.

Gordon managed just two in the first half, that bucket coming on
a jumper with 3:35 left in the half giving his team a 37-25 lead.
That came only seconds after he missed his first field goal try of
the game, a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Gordon hit 4 of 7 tries from the field. All but three of Gordon's
field goal attempts came from the perimeter. He traditionally scores
most of his points off rebounds, drives to the basket or from the
free-throw line.

The others took advantage of their openings. It helped that so
many of the newcomers have setttled in and seem to have gotten past
the adjustment phase.

``Coach wants us to take the open shots,'' said Swift, last week's
CCAA Player of the Week. ``They were sagging off a bit since we
hadn't been hitting from outside so I had some open shots. I'm
feeling more confident taking them.''

Kamansky has been pleased with his standout's demeanor through
his uncharacteristic slump. With 7:30 left in the game Gordon broke
free and unleashed a slam dunk, only to be called for traveling. He
just smiled.

The offensive drought hasn't affected his play in other areas.
Gordon, the leading rebounder in the conference, snagged 14 boards,
all on the defensive end. He also had three steals.

Kamansky thinks it's only a matter of time before the Gordon of
old is back.

``He looked a lot better tonight,'' Kamanksy said. ``He played a
lot more in control and he made better decisions.''

Cal Poly finished with a huge 46-30 advantage on the boards.
Gordon was followed by Summers with 11 and Jahn with seven.

Fans that can't make it to Coussoulis Arena can still see the Cal
State San Bernardino men's and women's home basketball games which
are being aired this season on San Bernardino community access
channel 3.

Games are aired live with replays also aired the following week.

Right now that means games are going out to about 50,000 homes. But
Cal State athletic director Kevin Hatcher is hoping to expand that in
the future. His future goal is to have neighboring communities such
as Rialto, Redlands and Fontana pick up the games on their local
community access channels too.

"Our goal is to eventually have the games seen in all of the Inland
Empire," he said. "We can reach as many as 200,000 homes."

The project started in the fall with select volleyball matches being
aired.

The commentary is handled by Dan Hubbard and Ross French.

Hatcher said he isn't concerned that enabling residents to see the
games in their homes will prevent them from coming out in person.

"You have to expose people to your product first," he said. "We want
people to see it and then say , `Hey that looks like a fun thing to
go out and see.'"

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

POMONA - Not even Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky is sure what is
ailing his star player Larry Gordon. But he'll have another chance to
find out as the Broncos (8-5, 4-4) complete the first round of CCAA
player with a showdown against Monterey Bay (11-4, 5-3) tonight at
Kellogg Gymnasium.

San Francisco State (8-7, 2-6) then comes in on Saturday.

The women's teams from the same schools will square off at 5:30 p.m.
on both nights.

Gordon (13.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg) is a two-time first team All-CCAA
selection and he was a preseason All-American. He scored in double
figures for 40 straight games but has managed just a total of 28 in
the last four games.

The good news is that Gordon's rebounding has not suffered. He leads
the conference in that department and has collected 46 boards in the
same four games in which he has slumped offensively.

``We can win without him but we won't win the big one,'' Kamansky
said. ``He just has to start making some shots. We don't want him to
be afraid to shoot. Hopefully it will come.''

While Gordon has struggled, a couple of others with Division I
experience have picked up the slack. Austin Swift (10.7 ppg, 5.4
rpg), who came to the Broncos from University of Montana, almost two
years ago, scored 41 points in the last two games, earning him
conference player of the week honors.

Walter Thompson (13.3 ppg), in his first year after coming over from
University of Portland, is averaging double figures and is leading
the CCAA in free-throw shooting (.931).

Kamansky's squad is also a bit depleted. He carries a small squad to
begin with but it is getting smaller as reserve forward Kyle Krause
is out with a torn tendon in his thumb.

Sophomore forward Tobias Jahn (7.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg), who has been
playing well of late, broke a finger in Saturday's overtime win at
Sonoma State. He will try and play but if he can't the Broncos would
be left with just one true post player - true freshman Dwayne Fells
(5.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg).

Monterey Bay (11-4, 5-3) is having its best season since joining the
CCAA five years ago. The Otters are just a win away from equaling
their win total of last season and boast one of the leading scorers
in the conference in Steve Monreal (16.5 ppg) and the second-leading
rebounder in Joe Mitchell (11.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg).

San Francisco State (8-7, 2-6) has lost six straight games but of the
team's six losses, five came on the road and five of the six came by
a combined margin of 15 points. One was in overtime.

It returns most of the players from last year's team, one of them
being Apple Valley native Will Logan (8.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg), now a senior.

The Cal Poly Pomona women (9-8, 5-3) are part of a four-way tie for
second place, two games behind UC San Diego. The Broncos have also
struggled with injuries with freshman Megan Ford out for the season
after tearing an ACL.

By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer

Cal State San Bernardino coach Jeff Oliver hopes his team learned a
lesson about complacency last week when it slipped up against sub-par
Sonoma State before taking on Humboldt State.

The Coyotes (8-6, 6-2) survived the road trip and are tied for first
place in the CCAA with Humboldt State (13-5, 6-2) and Dominguez Hills
(12-3, 6-2).

That possibility looms again this week when Cal State opens with
struggling San Francisco State, then faces a Monterey Bay squad that
is just one game behind the three frontrunners. Game time both nights
at Coussoulis Arena is 7:30 p.m. with the women's teams from the same
school squaring off at 5:30 p.m.

"I would hope our guys have learned that you can't take a night off
against the quality of competition we face in this conference,'' he
said. "These two teams are both dangerous teams and we're going to
have to be ready to play.''

The two games will mark the end of the first round of conference play.

San Francisco State (8-7, 2-6) has lost six straight games but Oliver
is leery of the Gators, coached by last year's coach of the year Bill
Tressler. Of the team's six losses, five came on the road and five of
the six came by a combined margin of 15 points. One was in overtime.

It returns most of the players from last year's team, one of them
being Apple Valley native Will Logan (8.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg), now a senior.

Monterey Bay (11-4, 5-3) is having its best season since joining the
CCAA five years ago. The Otters are just a win away from equaling
their win total of last season and boast one of the leading scorers
in the conference in Steve Monreal (16.5 ppg) and the second-leading
rebounder in Joe Mitchell (11.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg).

Oliver criticized his team's lack of intensity and energy early in
the season but the Coyotes have made progress there. He credits
DuBois Williams, Lawrence Tyson and Tim Denson for leading the surge.

Denson (10.6 ppg) is coming off a season-high 25-point showing at
Humboldt State. He was also a key factor in the Coyotes defensive
effort.

``He isn't a real vocal guy. He's more the leader by example,''
Oliver said. ``They see the way he is playing and they have followed
his example.''

While Brandon Brown (17.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Devin Montgomery (13.8
ppg) are also in double figures Oliver isn't overlooking the
contribution of Williams (8.5 ppg, 5.8 rgp), whom he calls a glue
guy. He leads the team in intangible categories such as assists and
steals.

``He was tremendous in the game against Humboldt. He really set the
tone with all the things he did,'' Oliver said. ``He can score, but
it is really the other things he does well.''

The men's game can be heard live on KCAA (1050-AM). Both the men's
and women's games can also be seen on San Bernardino community access
channel 3.

Nina" size="3">Cal State San Bernardino Nina" size="3">is sponsoring the NCAA Basketball "Take a Kid to the Game" day on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, when the men will host Cal State L.A. at 5:30 pm in a nationally-televised game and the women will host Cal State L.A. at 8 p.m. in Coussoulis Arena. 

Nina" size="3">Area youth are invited to attend this special event and receive a free ticket.  Up to two adults Nina" size="3">accompanying the youth will receive half-priced tickets.  Youth will have the opportunity to be a part of a national TV audience, see NCAA mascot JJ Jumper and watch the Coyote men and women compete for wins over the Golden Eagles.

Nina" size="3"> 

Nina" size="3">Cal State San Bernardino Nina" size="3">is promoting one of more than 700 games that will be played across the nation as part of the Take a Kid to the Game (TAKG) program in its 12^th season.  The project is a grass roots initiative that attracts the nation's youth and encourages adults to take kids to area college basketball games. 

Nina" size="3"> 

Nina" size="3">"We are thrilled to invite area youth to our campus and have them cheer on the Coyotes to victory.  It is our hope that adults in the community will bring their children out to experience a college athletic event at Cal State San Bernardino," said Dr. Kevin Hatcher, Athletic Director.

Nina" size="3"> 

Nina" size="3">Tickets for this special game can be purchased in advance or distributed on game day at the Coussoulis Arena Ticket office adjacent to the arena lobby.  Reserved tickets are normally $8.00 and general admission is $5.00. Parking is free in Lots G, H and the East Parking Structure.

Nina" size="3"> 

Nina" size="3">For ticket sales and information, contact Liza Wilson at 909-537-5048 or lwilson@csusb.edu. For more information on CSUSB basketball, go to www.csusbathletics.com

Nina" size="3"> 

Nina" size="3">NCAA Basketball is a national sponsor of the Take a Kid to the Game program.  To learn about other NCAA Men's or Women's Basketball initiatives, please visit http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=34504 for more information.

Nina" size="3"> 

Nina" size="3"> 

 

The honors just keep coming for the 2008 Cal State San Bernardino women's volleyball team.

On Tuesday, hours after Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44^th President of the United States, the members of the 2008 Coyotes team received individual and collective honors and praise from the San Bernardino City Council.

Standing before Mayor Patrick Morris and members of the council and live television cameras, the Coyotes players and Head Coach Kim Cherniss received individual commendations from the mayor.

The Coyotes captured their third straight California Collegiate Athletic Association title and sixth in the last eight seasons. CSUSB then won the West Regional for the third time and advanced to the NCAA national championship in St. Paul, Minn., finishing as the runnerup to host Concordia-St. Paul.

"This team has brought honor to the city and the university," Mayor Morris said. "They brought us a league championship, a regional championship and ended up oh so close to making history by winning the university's first national (team) championship."

Morris called each player up, one-by-one, to receive a special commendation that recognized the team's outstanding contribution to the university and the community.

He also presented a special commendation to Cherniss who he said was a "great coach who has taken her teams to regional and national competition "time and time again."

Cherniss acknowledged the recognition, saying, "Thank you Mayor and members of the City Council for honoring our girls. What they do on and off the court represents the best of the university they represent. They competed with honor and they continue to make great strides in the classroom as well. Competing at the national tournament and reaching the championship match was a joyous time and I could not be prouder of them."

Following the presentation, senior Jessica Granados, a first-team all-American, all-West Region and the CCAA conference MVP for the second straight year, presented Morris with a CSUSB Volleyball sweatshirt.

The 2003 volleyball team coached by Cherniss made a similar appearance before the City Council after winning the CCAA, the West Regional and reaching the semifinals of the NCAA national championship, which CSUSB hosted in Coussoulis Arena.

 

 

Junior Austin Swift of Cal Poly Pomona was named Wilson/CCAA Player of the Week in men's basketball.

The 6-foot-5 guard from Santa Cruz averaged 20.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in road games against Humboldt State and Sonoma State.

In the 61-55 loss to the Lumberjacks Friday, Swift scored 17 points and collected five rebounds while hitting 8-of-10 shots from the field. He followed that performance with a career-high 24 points and four rebounds in a 77-76 overtime victory at Sonoma State Saturday.

That contribution was very much needed with the Broncos leading scorer Larry Gordon struggling.

Swift is the second Bronco to earn the weekly award. Gordon earned the accolade for the week of Dec. 29.

The Broncos will be back in action at home Friday to face Cal State Monterey Bay.

In her final season in a UC Riverside uniform, Kemie Nkele
(San Diego, CA) drained a career-high 32 points on her way to Big West
Player of the Week honors, for the week ending Jan. 18. Picking up her third
award of the season moves Nkele to a tie for third place in the conference's
all-time list with nine weekly accolades.

After averaging only 9.3 points per game in the first four conference games
of the season, Nkele exploded for a career-high 32 points at Cal State
Northridge, besting her previous career-high of 31 points set earlier this
year at then-ranked No. 4 Oklahoma.

Adding 12 rebounds and three blocks to her total, Nkele collected her fourth
double-double of the year and 42nd of her career while lifting the
Highlanders to their third win in-a-row.

This is back-to-back awards for the Highlanders as senior guard Seyram
Gbewonyo (Sylmar, CA) earned her first Big West Women's Basketball Player of
the Week accolade last week.

UC Riverside returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 24 for a home matchup
against Long Beach State at 5:00 pm.

University of Redlands soccer standout Ross Schunk was the only Division III athlete out of 70 invited to the MLS Combine last week at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

That was an honor in itself. But the news get better later in the week as he was selected by the Colorado Rapids with the 47th pick of the MLS SuperDraft last Thursday in St. Louis, Mo.

"I was very excited," Schunk said. "I thought I did pretty well at the combine so I thought I had a chance. But you never know what they're thinking or what they're looking for."

Schunk, 22, is the first Redlands men's soccer player to enter the MLS via the SuperDraft. Adam Acosta (2005) was signed in 2006 by Real Salt Lake but did not enter the league through the draft process. He was signed as a free agent.

Schunk monitored the draft on the internet. Shortly after seeing his name come up he received a phone call from Rapids Head Coach Gary Smith.

He will report to training camp next week but isn't sure how many athletes he will be competing against for a spot on the roster.

"I'll just find out when I get there," he said. "It's just a great opportunity. Coming from a Division III school, you never know if you're going to get that."

Schunk's list of accolades in his Redlands career is lengthy. He set the career records for goals (63) and points (139) while garnering three first-team All-SCIAC honors, including Player of the Year awards his sophomore and senior seasons. He was part of four SCIAC championships and led the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight in 2007 as a junior.

Colorado finished the 2008 season 11-14-5.

The San Bernardino Valley College women's basketball team may have a bit of a different look this year after graduating its top six players. But the Wolverines showed they aren't going to give up their Foothill Conference title easily.

The unranked Wolverines stayed on top of the conference with a 54-47 win over No. 8 Antelope Valley Saturday afternoon at Snyder Gymnasium, breaking a first-place tie between the two teams

The two teams came in tied for first place. It was also the second of four straight games against state-ranked foes for the Wolverines (14-8, 5-0). SBVC was coming off an 83-71 win over No. 12 Chaffey on Wednesday.

"We had 10 left, now nine," SBVC coach Sue Crebbin said. "We know every game in this conference is going to be a battle."

The first half ended with SBVC up 23-18, although neither team played its best basketball.
It wasn't until the middle of the second half that the Wolverines made the run that separated themselves from the Marauders (19-7, 4-1) for good.

Up 33-31, SBVC went on a 13-1 run, seven of those points coming from sophomore Dwayanna Pullum. Her last bucket in that run, a 3-pointer, boosted SBVC to a 46-31 lead with 5:48 to play. Pullum finished with 19 points.

The run was also fueled by a strong performance on the boards, with Pullum and Brittany Thompson shouldering the load. The Wolverines finished with a 53-46 advantage in that category.

"We don't rebound and we're not going to win," Crebbin said. "I challenged the guards to go in and help out there and they did a good job."

The Marauders didn't go away easily though. They were still down by double digits at 50-40 with 2:42 to go but were able to close the gap. They scored five of the next seven points, cutting it to 52-45 on a pair of free throws by Brittney Lloyd.

They had a chance to cut into that lead further, but a Lloyd miss was corralled by Pullum with 28 seconds left. The Wolverines were able to hang on from there.

Pullum, the lone SBVC player in double figures, also collected nine rebounds. Thompson snagged 11 boards and had nine points. Eisha Sheppard and Ashleigh Frazier had eight rebounds apiece.

The Marauders, who shot 31.3 percent (15-for-48) and had 21 turnovers, were led by sophomore forward Florida Siaosi, a former Sultana High School standout. She led all scorers with 22 points and had 14 rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot.

SBVC travels to No. 13 Rio Hondo (19-4, 3-2) on Wednesday and faces No. 11 Mt. San Jacinto (17-5, 4-1) at home next Saturday.

Things started out bad and got worse for the San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team. The end result was a 78-61 loss to Antelope Valley in Foothill Conference play Saturday at Snyder Gymnasium.

The Wolverines (17-7, 4-1) started the day tied for first with Mt. San Jacinto. But SBVC didn't play like a first-place team.

The Wolverines shot just 38.7 percent (24-for-62) from the field, including a woeful 2-for-11 from long distance. They made just 11 of 23 free-throw attempts and committed 17 turnovers.

What coach Quincy Brewer saw was a team clearly not ready to play.

"We have to learn to handle success," he said. "We had won our first four conference games and they were feeling a little too good. We clearly weren't focused or concentrating on the game at hand."

The Wolverines were lucky to be in the game as long as they were but that was because the Marauders (15-10, 3-2) also got off to a slow start.

At the midway point of the first half Antelope Valley led 10-7. And it was just 28-22 at the half.
The Marauders fared better coming out of the locker room. They shot just 38.5 percent in the opening half but managed to shoot at a 59.3 percent clip in the second.

An 18-6 run to start the half separated the teams for good, with a fast-break bucket by Nick Sanchez giving the Marauders a 46-28 lead that was never seriously threatened.

Antelope Valley had four players finish in double figures, led by Rod Singleton's 20 points. Kyslean Reed added 15 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.

SBVC got 17 points and nine rebounds from Maurice McGee. Warren Fuselier and Nathan Roth chipped in with 13 each, with Fuselier also credited with adding five assists.
SBVC also was outrebounded 48-33.

"They were organized, more disciplined and they just outplayed and outhustled us. There is no other way to put it," Brewer said. "Give them credit."

SBVC will look to get back on track on Wednesday at Rio Hondo.

The San Bernardino Valley College and Chaffey College men's basketball teams played a thriller Wednesday night and it was won by the Wolverines 81-78.

Both local schools have talented teams and should be right in the thick of the Foothill Conference race the entire way. But it's too bad a call decided the game.

The situation was this . . .

Game tied at 78 and SBVC with the ball and 15 seconds left. Nate Roth took the ball at the top of the key and dribbled down the lane, putting up a runner from about five feet out. The ball went in to give the Wolverines an apparent two-point lead but a foul was called.

Most in attendance thought the call was charging with the basket being waved off.
But the officials, after a conference, ruled the basket good and a loose ball foul on SBVC, sending Chaffey to the line.

The Chaffey side was angered thinking the bucket should have been waved off. The SBVC side thought blocking on the Chaffey defender was the only call that could have been made and weren't happy the Panthers were going to the line.

The free throws were missed and SBVC got the win.

From where I was sitting I don't think there should have been any call.

But a couple of things are clear. One, Chaffey is never out of a game. The Panthers were down by 21 three minutes imto the second half.

Two, SBVC can't close out a game. It shouldn't have come down to that. The Wolverines blew an 18-point lead earlier this season against Riverside. So this is starting to be a trend. Sooner or later that catches up to you.

SAN BERNARDINO - The San Bernardino Valley College women's
basketball team started a gauntlet of four straight games against
state-ranked Foothill Conference foes, the first being local rival
Chaffey.

The Wolverines got that off to a good start, turning back the
No. 12 Panthers 83-71 Wednesday at Snyder Gymnasium to remain tied
for first in the conference with Antelope Valley, their opponent on
Saturday.

``You have to get the ones at home so this was important,'' SBVC
coach Sue Crebbin said. ``We tend to play well here so it was all
about defending home court because this conference is so tough.''

SBVC (13-8, 4-0) led most of the game with Chaffey's only leads
being 2-0 and 12-9.

The Wolverines led 38-31 at the half and upped that advantage to
12 points twice in the second half. Each time the Panthers made a
run, the Wolverines answered. The visitors used an 8-0 run to get in
striking distance at 45-41 with13:16 to go.

But Kimberly Kipp hit a 3-pointer from the corner to stop the run.
SBVC ended up getting the lead back to 11 at 54-43.

The Panthers (16-6, 3-2) inched closer again with a pair of free
throws by Aundria Anderson cutting the deficit to 55-50 with 8:31 to
play. Again the host team answered. This time it was Ashleigh Frazier
with her fourth 3-pointer of the game.

Then when Chaffey got it back to five again at 58-53, SBVC
answered with a bucket inside by Kipp, then a 3-pointer by Keyanna
Stewart, making it 63-53. The closest Chaffey ever got after that was
eight points.

``They made a few runs on us and we did a good job of not getting
too rattled,'' Crebbin said. ``That's one thing about this team. They
tend to just keep playing.''

The second half was a sloppy one. SBVC had 14 turnovers, after
only committing three in the first half. The Wolverines hit only 15
of 28 free throws in the half after making 13 of 15 in the first half
although they did hit seven of eight in the last minute. Three SBVC
starters fouled out.

Frazier tallied a game-high 21 to lead all scores. She also
collected six rebounds and four assists. Point guard Eisha Sheppard
added 20 with Kipp contributing 14 and six rebounds as SBVC shot 45.1
percent (23-for-51).

Chaffey, which shot 41.5 percent (22-of-53) for the game, was
led by Anderson with 17 points and nine rebounds.

SAN BERNARDINO - Chaffey rallied from a 21-point deficit but it
was a controversial call that made the difference as San Bernardino
Valley College emerged with an 81-78 win over the Panthers in
Foothill Conference play Wednesday.

The contest was even at 78-all with 15 seconds to play in
overtime and the Wolverines with the ball. Nate Roth dribbled down
the lane and lofted up a runner that went in and appeared to give the
Wolverines the win. Not so fast.

The referees called a foul and appeared to be waving off the
basket. After the three officials huddled they ruled the basket good,
with the foul not being a charging on Roth but a loose ball foul.
SBVC had the lead 80-78 and the basket was good but Chaffey's Winston
Robinson was at the line at the other end to try and tie the game.

Neither coach liked the call. SBVC's Quincy Brewer thought a
blocking foul should have been called.

``It was blocking foul, if anything,'' he said. ``But there were a
plethora of calls on both ends. That was just one of them.''

Chaffey coach Jeff Klein was understandably more disturbed.

``That was really terrible,'' he said. ``There was the same call
earlier in the game and it went against us. It's a sad day when the
referees take the game away from the kids.''

Robinson missed both his free throws and SBVC's Curtis Wilkinson
snagged the rebound, only to be immediately fouled with a second
left. He missed the first but made the second, giving the Wolverines
an 81-78 lead. But it still wasn't over.

Turner inbounded the ball and unleashed a long throw that was
grabbed by Lamar Williams right at the 3-point arc. His shot which
would have tied the game and resulted in double overtime was just off
the rim as time expired.

The dramatic finish was only fitting. SBVC (17-6, 4-0) led by 21
in both halves, up 50-29 three minutes in. The Panthers (18-5, 2-2)
chipped away slowly and eventually took their first lead since 4-0
when Robinson connected on a 3-pointer that gave Chaffey a 69-67 lead
with 44 seconds left in regulation.

Roth evened the game with a pair of free throws with 37 seconds
to go.

Chaffey missed two chances at the game winner on its end, the
second tip by Turner off the rim and grabbed by SBVC's Orlando
Brazier.

SBVC was led by Roth with 22 points. Warren Fuselier was next
with 19.

``I was disappointed we almost let it slip away,'' Brewer said.
``We have to learn to close out games.''

Chaffey was paced by Robinson with 22, including three 3-pointers.
Turner added 20 and Trone Jackson 11.

``I was proud of the way we fought and came back,'' Klein said.
``They're a talented team.''

SBVC will host Antelope Valley at 3 p.m. Saturday while Chaffey
travels to Barstow for a 7 p.m. contest.

A total of four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) teams earned Top 40 rankings in Collegiate Baseball's Division II 2009 Preseason Poll that was recently released. UC San Diego, Chico State, Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State L.A. all appeared in the rankings.

UC San Diego, which compiled a 43-18 overall record and came within a victory of advancing to the title game of the NCAA Division II West Regional championship final, is ranked No. 4. Chico State also appeared in the Top 10, earning a No. 7 national ranking.

The Wildcats concluded 2008 with a 42-17 mark and advanced to the championship game of the West Regional before falling to Sonoma State, 7-4.

Cal State Stanislaus is No. 24 after posting a 37-23 record and finishing fourth in the CCAA with a 24-12 conference mark. Cal State L.A. tied for 40th in the poll and is coming off a 29-22 season in 2008.

Defending CCAA and West Region Champion Sonoma State is un-ranked heading into the 2009 season. The Seawolves enjoyed their finest season in program history as they compiled a school-record 52-15 mark and finished third at the 2008 NCAA Division II Championships Finals.

Mount Olive, which defeated Ouachita Baptist to capture the 2008 national championship, earned the top ranking to begin 2009.

UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino will be the first two CCAA teams to open the 2009 season when they get underway on Sunday, Feb. 1. The Tritons will host San Diego Christian College, while the Coyotes begin a three-game series against Grand Canyon in Arizona.

2009 Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division II Preseason Poll

1. Mount Olive (58-6)
2. Tampa (42-11-1)
3. Central Missouri (47-17)
4. UC San Diego (43-18)
5. Columbus State (43-19)
6. Southern Arkansas (46-12)
7. Chico State (42-17)
8. Emporia State (50-10)
9. Ouachita Baptist (51-16)
10. S.C. Aiken (47-17)
11. Abilene Christian (44-17)
12. Delta State (48-11)
13. Ashland (40-18)
14. Franklin Pierce (43-15)
15. West Chester (45-16)
16. Florida Southern (29-21)
17. North Georgia College & State (41-21)
18. Angelo State (39-19)
19. Grand Valley State (34-13)
20. Wayne State N.E. (40-13)
21. Valdosta State (36-18-1)
22. Tusculum (41-15)
23. Shippensburg (39-26)
24. Cal State Stanislaus (37-23)
25. West Alabama (45-13)
26. Northern Kentucky (38-24)
27. Mesa State (42-17)
28. St. Mary's (Texas) (39-17)
29. Catawba (43-18)
30. Western Oregon (39-19)
31. St. Joseph's, IN (46-16)
32. West Virginia State (36-14)
33. Francis Marion (34-20)
34. Florida Tech (35-20)
Carson-Newman (43-18)
36. Erskine (44-13)
Lynn (33-19)
38. Minnesota State-Mankato (28-25)
39. Mansfield (31-20)
40. Bellarmine (36-22)
Cal State L.A. (29-22)

* - 2008 records in parenthesis

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

POMONA - All season long Cal Poly Pomona basketball coach Greg Kamansky has been waiting to get some points out of someone other than Larry Gordon or Austin Swift. They finally did and the end result was a 54-51 win over visiting UC San Diego Saturday at Kellogg
Gymnasium.

Senior standout Larry Gordon had scored in double digits for 40 straight games before being held to eight on Thursday by Cal State San Bernardino. He had just five against the Tritons but delivered a pair of clutch free throws with nine seconds left to secure the win.

``He's drawing a lot of attention right now,'' Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky said of Gordon. ``He has to make some passes and he needs to finish better. But it's not like he's not trying. And he have to put it in perspective. He had 14 rebounds. He leads us doing
other things.''

The lead changed hands seven times in the second half, doing so for the last time when Swift hit a free throw to give the Broncos a 46-45 lead with 5:11 left. They later led by four at 52-48 on a putback by Dwayne Fells with 2:24 to go.

But the Tritons (6-6, 3-3) have several players capable of hitting from long distance and it was Alan Husted draining his third of the night with 1:18 to play to pull San Diego into striking distance at 52-51.

Cal Poly (7-4, 3-3) turned the ball over on its next possession but the Tritons failed to capitalize as Brett Stuckey missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He grabbed the carom off his own miss and Jordan Lawley lofted up a short runner over the outstretched arms of Tobias Jahn.

Stuckey was called for a holding foul on the play, sending Gordon to the free-throw line. He made both but the Tritons got the ball back. An off-balance 3-pointer from the to of the key by Husted wasn't even close and was pulled down by Gordon as time expired.

``Teams have just beat us physically,'' Kamansky said. ``They (San
Diego) were doing it to us in the first half and I challenged them.
We came out in the second half and started winning some battles.''

Jahn and Walter Thompson had 10 each to lead the Broncos, who shot 40.4 percent (19-for-47). Fells chipped in with nine and Dahir Nassir added eight. Cal Poly had a huge 37-20 lead on the boards led by Gordon.

San Diego, which shot 41 percent (16-for-39), got 14 fromn Husted and Shane Poppen.

The Broncos hit the road for games next weekend against Sonoma State and Humboldt State.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

It has been a tough week for the Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team. The Broncos started the week in a three-way tie for first place but has dropped off the pace, falling to UC San Diego 62-58 Saturday at Kellogg Gymnasium.

The losses, which came by a combined eight points, came to the teams Cal Poly (8-7, 4-2) was tied with at the start of the week.

Making matters worse freshman center Megan Ford, the team's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, went down with a knee injury with 12:15 left in the contest.

The game was tied 26-all at the half. The Broncos led by as many as nine points at 45-36 about two minutes after Ford went down battling for a loose ball.

The Tritons (13-2, 6-0) drew even at 46 with 5:03 to play on a 3-pointer by Kristen Cabral and went on to go ahead 51-46.

From there it was all uphill for the Broncos. The host team snapped a five-minute scoring drought at 3:05 on two free throws by Reyana Colson making it 51-48.

Emily Nichol's fourth 3-pointer of the game put the Broncos in striking distance at 57-56 with 32 seconds left. It was 58-56 when the Broncos got the ball back but Stephisha Walton missed inside and San Diego got the rebound with 11 seconds left. The Tritons then put
the game away at the free throw line.


Colson tallied 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Nichol had 12. Walton snagged a team-high 16 boards with six assists to go with her seven points.

San Diego senior Michelle Osier led all scorers with 24 points. She also collected 10 rebounds.

Last year Occidental and Cal Lutheran were the premier men's basketball teams in the SCIAC during the regular season but neither even made it to the conference tournament final. It was Pomona-Pitzer taking the tournament and automatic playoff bid.

It was that kind of topsy-turvy season.

The 2009 race begins with all eight teams taking the court for their conference openers Saturday. CMS will be at Redlands while La Verne treks to Whittier. Pomona-Pitzer will host Caltech.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (8-3) has emerged as the frontrunner. The Stags served notice by winning the Lee Fulmer Tournament at Redlands in December. Their most noteworthy win in that event came over No. 15 Whitworth (Wash.) which is 11-1 and hasn't lost to anyone else.

"We have played some teams out of that Northwest Conference which is a pretty decent barometer of where you stand," said CMS coach Ken Scalmanini, in his 11th season. "I like my team. The guys play hard and we're pretty deep. I think we have a little more offense than we have had in the past and we can score both inside and outside."

CMS currently has four players averaing double figures led by sophomore forward Chris Blees (12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg), the MVP at the Fullmer Tournament.

Joining him are junior guard Conner Faught (11 ppg), senior guard senior guard Austin Soldner (10.5 ppg) and junior guard Jason Toney (10.3 ppg). Senior center Tejas Gala (5.5 ppg) rounds out the starting lineup.

Cal Lutheran (8-3) also looks like a formidable foe led by returning first-team All-SCIAC selection Andy Meier (18.4 ppg, 11.4 rpg). The Kingsmen recently dropped a close game to No. 8 Buena Vista (Iowa) 68-65.

Much-improved Whittier (6-5) and Pomona-Pitzer (3-8) should also contend.

"I think those are the four top teams right now," second-year La Verne coach Richard Reed said. "That doesn't discount the others because anything can happen in this conference. There is a lot of balance."

The Sagehens upended CMS in the SCIAC tournament finale a year ago, then lost a first-round playoff game Occidental. Pitzer's record is a bit deceiving. The Sagehens had four players, three of whom are starters, go abroad for the fall semester and they just rejoined the team in December.

"Anyone overlooking them is making a big mistake," Scalmanini said of his cross-street rival. "They just got their whole team together and they're going to be as tough as ever."

Most coaches like having a conference tournament, pointing out the atmospehere it creates. The Sagehens downed the Stags in last year's final.

"It's always crazy when we play," Scalmanini said. "Now throw in that a playoff spot is on the line. It was one of the greatest atmospheres I've seen for a game at this level."

The Leopards were a good example of a team that benefited from it, although they didn't make the four-team field.

"We were 2-5 in the first round of conference so we would have been mathematically eliminated," Reed said. "Because we had a tournament, we had something to play for right up until the last game. It gave a lot of kids a chance to compete in a playoff environment."
"I also think it's good because then the conference is being represented by the team playing the best at the end of the season."

Defending regular season champion: Occidental

Tournament champion: Pomona-Pitzer

Current records: Cal Lutheran 8-3; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 8-3; Whittier 6-5; Occidental 4-7; La Verne 4-7; Redlands 4-7; Pomona-Pitzer 3-8; Caltech 1-10.

New coach: Oliver Eslinger (Caltech).

10 players to watch: Cal Lutheran - Andy Meier (18.4 ppg, 11.4; rpg); Caltech - Matthew Dellatorre (15.2 ppg); CMS - Chris Blees; (12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Austin Soldner (10.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg); La Verne - Kyle Luhnow (14.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg); ; Occidental - Henry Meier (12.1); ppg, 8.6 rpg); Pomona-Pitzer - Adam Chaimowitz (Sr., G, 6-1, 21 ppg, 6.2 rpg), David Liss (Sr., G, 6-0, 14.7 ppg, 3 rpg); Redlands - Matt Dietrich (17.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Whittier - Michael Archuletta (15.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg)

Comment: Last year CMS and Pitzer met in the SCIAC tournament final, upsetting the No. 1 and 2 seeds respectively. The Sagehens picked up the win and advanced to the playoffs, only to lose a first-rounder to Occidental which had gotten an at-large playoff bid.

Saturday's games: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Redlands; Caltech at Pomona-Pitzer; La Verne at Whittier; Cal Lutheran at Occidental (All games 7:30 p.m.)

 

Sparked by five players who scored in double figures, the University of La Verne women's basketball team opened SCIAC action with a 85-65 triumph over Pomona-Pitzer Thursday night at Frantz Athletic Court.

La Verne (9-2, 1-0 SCIAC) shot 70% from the field in the first half to take a 46-29 lead into intermission. The Leopards continued their attack and opened the second half with a 19-0 run to lead 65-29 with 14:52 remaining. The Leos enjoyed their largest lead of 36 points on the Sagehens at 75-39 with 10:48 to play.

Emily Carrillo fell one rebound short of a double-double with game-highs of 19 points and 9 rebounds. Tedra Clark finished 5-of-9 from three-point range en route to a season high of 17 points. Ashley Paul was a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line to finish with 13 points while Kayleen Kaaiai and Clarissa Holz tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Leopards enjoyed a 58.9% field goal clip (33-56) for the game and finished 10-of-24 from three-point range. La Verne also recorded 20 assists on the evening.

Pomona-Pitzer (4-7, 0-1) shot 46.8% from the field and edged the Leopards in rebounding 30-28, but were hampered by 22 turnovers.

Anja Hughes-Stinson totaled a team-high 13 points for the Sagehens with Deidre Chew, the SCIAC's leading scorer, adding 12 points.

La Verne heads to Whittier on Saturday for a 5 pm tip with the Poets in the first of a men's-women's doubleheader.

The University of Redlands women's basketball team opened the 2009 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season against last year's champion in Occidental College and came away with a resounding 73-46 win over the Tigers. 

 

After jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes, the Bulldogs never looked back en route to the solid victory.  Although the Tigers rallied to pull within two points with 16:53 to go in the first half, Redlands responded by creating a 13-point advantage at the seven-minute mark. 

 

 Occidental then closed the gap to five with 17:40 left in the second half but the Bulldogs blew it open with a 10-run that began off a made jumper by freshman forward Courtney Carroll (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) at 12:32.

 

Redlands held the Tigers to a 28.6 shooting percentage and converted 20 points off of Oxy's 19 turnovers.

 

The Bulldogs gained double figures from four players, including leading scorer sophomore guard Mariah Barbetti-Cort (Ventura, CA) with 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.  Junior guard Ali Bueno (San Jose, CA) and freshman forward Shada Sadeghi (Walnut Creek, CA) both  chipped in 13 points, while junior forward Meghan Yetman (Danville, CA) added 10.

 

Occidental gained 13 points from Dior Williams, with Stephanie Babij coming up with nine.

 

Redlands (8-3, 1-0 SCIAC) hosts Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday at 5 p.m. as part of the first men's-women's doubleheader of the 2009 season.  The Bulldog men tip off at 7:30 p.m. in Currier Gym.

 

By Michelle Gardner Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO - The most recent showdown between Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino followed the same pattern as so many others. Hard-fought from the opening tip. Low scoring. Too many dramatic shots to count. But it was the Coyotes emerging with a 67-63 win over their neighborhood rival Thursday at Coussoulis Arena. The win puts the Coyotes (6-5, 4-1) in first place for the moment. They started the night tied for first place with four other teams. ``It doesn't matter who's up or who's down and in the last seasons we've both been up,'' Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. ``It's always going to be a battle and they hit shots and made it tough down the stretch.'' The second half was a battle the entire way. The Broncos led 29-27 at the half but the lead changed hands 10 times in the last 20 minutes. The Broncos (6-4, 2-3) had a 56-50 lead with 5:35 to go only to have the Coyotes storm back via the long ball. Reggie Brown hit the second of his three 3-pointers on the night and was fouled on the shot. He made the free throw to cut the deficit to 56-54. ``We made some mental mistakes as far as our defensive rotation,'' Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky said. ``And that four-point play was huge and put them back in the game. There were just too many times where we didn't finish.'' A turnover at the Bronco end gave the host team a chance to seize the lead and capitalize it did. Again it was Brown coming up with the shot, with another bomb putting the Coyotes back up 57-56 with 5:11 to go. It was even at 61 after Cal State's Devin Montgomery drained a 3 with 2:56 to play. Each team missed its next two shots with the opposing team coming up with the rebound. The Coyotes took the lead for good when Brandon Brown muscled his way inside for a bucket that made it 63-61. The Broncos turned the ball over seconds later with Austin Swift taking a tumble in the lane and Brandon Brown coming up with the loose ball. Lawrence Tyson followed with a fadeway jumper a few feet out, making it 65-61 with 17 seconds left that sealed the Broncos fate. ``We were fortunate enough that we finally stuck to the game plan in the last couple of minutes,'' Oliver said. ``The game plan was to get the ball in the paint. And we finally did that after 35 minutes.'' The Broncos shot 49 percent (25-for-51) in the game while the Coyotes managed 44 percent (22-for-50). One of the biggest differences came from long distance as the Coyotes made 12 of 27 tried from long distance. Cal Poly did better than it has in the past but made just five of 17. Walter Thompson led the Broncos with 16. Tobias Jahn added 15 with seven rebounds. Larry Gordon had just eight, snapping a streak of 40 straight games in double figures. Gordon also collected seven rebounds. The Coyotes were led by Montgomery's 15 points, including a 3-for-4 effort from long distance. Both Browns had 13, with Brandon snagging a team-high 10 rebounds. ``It was a great game tonight. Unfortunately we camne out on the losing end,'' Kamansky said. ``But we've come out on the winning side of those too. We played hard tonight and I'm proud of our guys.'' Both teams next get UC San Diego. The Coyotes will host the Tritons  Friday at Coussoulis Arena while the Broncos will do so on Saturday.

 

By Lindsay Czarnecki
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - Cal State's Krystal Urzua was the top scorer in the
CCAA, averaging 17 points a game going into Thursday's contest
against rival Cal Poly.

For the first 33 minutes the Broncos had solved Urzua, holding her
scoreless from the field.

And then overtime came.

Urzua scored eight of her team's 13 overtime points to lead the
Coyotes to a 61-59 victory at Coussoulis Arena.

"I felt like I was just trying to get my shot off and it just wasn't
working," Urzua said. "I was head-faking and my shot was off, I would
drive it and I was still off. It was completely frustrating.

"My coach told me get up and usually when he says that it means I'm
playing like crap and so that just got me going."

With the score locked at 48 apiece, the Coyotes entered the extra
frame and jumped to a 53-50 lead with Urzua scoring all five points.
The game-changer came with 1:10 to go when Urzua hit a 3-pointer,
which extended the Coyote lead to 59-54.

"She took over and that's what good players do. She's been real
consistent for us," Cal State head coach Kevin Becker said.

Both teams entered the game tied for first place in the conference
with UC San Diego. The loss broke Cal Poly's 6-game winning streak
while Cal State (7-4, 5-0) remained undefeated in CCAA play.

Cal State's Morgan Pryor's offensive rebound off a missed free throw
with 17 seconds left put the Broncos in a fouling situation again.

She made one of two free throws, putting the score at 61-59.
The Broncos (8-6, 4-1) had a chance to tie the game and got the shot
they wanted, but Megan Ford's turnaround hook attempt at the buzzer
bounced off the rim and out.

"What ended the game was not the missed shot it was boxing out on the
rebounds, " Cal Poly coach Scott Davis said.

"That would have given us a golden opportunity to win the game with a
lot of time left and we don't box out and it's a two point game.
"They out-toughed us in every aspect of the game."

Urzua, despite shooting just 7 for 23 from the field, finished with
21 points to go with eight rebounds.

The game was fit to be sent to overtime as it was tied at the half at
26 and neither team led by more than six points throughout.

Cal Poly's Reyana Colson posted a game-high 24 and 10 rebounds.

Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky thinks he is getting Cal State San Bernardino at a bad time - right when it is starting to play well.

"If the first three guys don't beat you, the next four will. If it's not those four, it could be the next three. They have lots of weapons," he said.

 

The two local teams renew their rivalry Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Coussoulis Arena. The women's game between the same two schools will tip-off at 5:30 p.m.

The Coyotes (5-5, 3-1) are close to full strength for the first time, led by 6-foot-7 junior Brandon Brown (18.8 ppg, 11 rpg). Brown was named CCAA Player of the week for his showing in the Coyotes two victories last week.

Cal State's guard trio of Devin Montgomery (14.6 ppg), Tim Denson (10 ppg) and Lawrence Tyson (10.2 ppg) are also averaging double figures individually.

Freshman Jordan Richard will be back after not being playing in the last four games, giving Oliver a full complement of players for the first time.

"We've had a good few days of practice. It's been pretty scarey," coach Jeff Oliver said.
The Coyotes are tied with four other team for first in the balanced CCAA. The competion has been so even that just four games into the 20-game conference schedule all 11 teams have at least one loss.

Oliver also expects the Broncos (6-3, 2-2) to be part of the big picture even if they're slightly off the pace now.

"We thought there was parity last year. There is even more this year," Oliver said. "We're going to beat each other up all season. It will be who can be the most consistent."

The Coyotes biggest trouble spots had been ball-handling and rebounding, although the arrival of Brown has helped with the latter. Cal State was outrebounded in the first six games it played, some bu a significant margin. Since Brown stepped in four games ago the Coyotes have not lost a battle on the boards.

Cal Poly has arguably the best individual player in the conference in senior Larry Gordon (15.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg) but it's weak spot has been outside shooting. The Broncos have made just 32 of 123 tries (.260) from 3-point range.

Opponents have been packing the paint against the Broncos and giving up the perimeter shots. Kamansky doesn't expect that to change.

"That's pretty much the book on us. I expect that from everyone that plays us," Kamansky said. "The only way it will change is if we start making some shots.
Cal Poly has a 19-17 overall edge in the series with wins in three of the last four meetings.

Despite being rivals, the coaches have a mutual respect for each other.

While the Coyotes look to have the edge, Oliver is prepared for a challenge.

"They'll play us tough. They always do," Oliver said. "They're not the deepest team but they always do a great job with what they have."

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

Before last season University of La Verne women's basketball coach
Julie Kline wasn't sure she liked the idea of a conference tournament
to decide the postseason representative.

But because the SCIAC had one last season, her team advanced to the
playoffs and Occidental stayed home.

The race for the 2009 regular season title gets under way again
Thursday as all eight schools will play their SCIAC openers.

Occidental, La Verne and University of Redlands, the three teams that
battled to the finish line last year, are again the top contenders.

``It's one of those things. If it helps you, you like it. If not
you don't like it,'' Kline said. ``It worked to our advantage last year.
But it does keep things interesting for more teams longer. Almost
everyone still has something to play for late in the season.''

Occidental, which won the regular season title for the first time
since 1980, returns most of its key players, the most notable being
reigning SCIAC and West Region Player of the Year Brianna Brown. The
senior averaged 15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and also led
the team with 76 steals, 26 blocks and 70 assists.

The Tigers are one of three schools who changed coaches during the
offseason. Heidi VanDerVeer has taken over for Jaime Hoffman who
assumed the athletic director role. VanDerVeer is a former head coach
of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx and assistant with the Seattle Storm.

La Verne got off to a 6-0 start before dropping a pair of games in
Arizona in December. The Leopards are led by senior Trenecca Jones, a
Chaffey High product. Jones is a three-time All-SCIAC selection and
was Player of the Year as a sophomore.

Kline's other offensive weapons are junior Emily Carrillo and
sophomore Ashley Paul. La Verne does boast a a talented starting
lineup but lacks some firepower coming off the bench and will rely on
a rotation of six players.

Redlands finished second a year ago at 17-9, just missing out on a
possible first-place finish after a double-overtime loss to
Occidental late in the season. That strong showing came even though new coach
Rich Murphy got hired too late to recruit. He comes in with a full year
under his belt and a roster full of promising newcomers, seven of
them freshman.

``You'd have to look at Oxy and La Verne as the frontrunners. We're
young but I think we'll be in the mix,'' Murphy said. ``A lot of
teams have improved so it should make for some better games.''

Most agree the SCIAC competition should be improved this season,
siting the improvement of teams that struggled last season.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps went just 4-20 last season thanks in part to
injuries. It has already won more games than it did last year,
picking up its seventh win in a nonconference game at Southwestern (Ariz.)
Monday.

Pomona-Pitzer has also already equaled its win total of a year ago.

``CMS and Pomona-Pitzer have both really improved,'' Kline said.
``I
am most concerned about Pomona because I have them first. They're
athletic and big and they will be tough.''


SCIAC WOMEN'S PREVIEW

Defending regular season champion: Occidental

Tournament champion: University of La Verne

Current records: La Verne 8-2; Occidental 7-3; Redlands 7-3; Whittier 7-3; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7-4; Pomona-Pitzer 4-6; Caltech 3-8; Cal Lutheran 1-9.

Coaches poll with 20070-8 record: 1. Occidental (21-6, 12-2); 2. University of Redlands (17-9, 10-4); 3. University of La Verne (20-8, 11-3); 4. Whittier (12-13, 7-7); 5. Cal Lutheran (13-12, 8-6); 6. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (4-20, 3-11); 7. Pomona-Pitzer (4-21, 3-11); 8. Caltech (4-21, 2-12)

New coaches: Heidi VanDerVeer (Occidental), Brad Durchslag (Whittier), Roy Dow (Cal Lutheran).

10 players to watch: Cal Lutheran - Kourtney Jones (So., G, 5-5, 13.6 ppg); Caltech - Lisa Yee (Jr., F, 5-7, 11.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg); CMS - Aria Krumwiede (Fr., G, 5-3, 9.2 ppg); La Verne - Trenecca Jones (Sr., F, 5-9, 15.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Ashley Paul (So., G, 5-8, 13.3 ppg); Occidental- Brianne Brown (Sr., G, 5-8, 10.4 ppg, 2.5 spg); Pomona-Pitzer - Diedre Chew (Jr., G, 5-6, 20.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg); Redlands - Courtney Carroll (Fr., F, 6-0, 12.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Meghan Yetman (Jr., F, 5-10, 9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg); Whittier - Kourtney Zilbert (So., F, 5-9, 12.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.4 spg)


Comment: Occidental lost the SCIAC tournament final to La Verne, giving the Leopards the playoff berth . . . Oxy's Brown is the reigning conference and West Region Player of the Year but has started just three of 10 games . . . Dow has taken over the reigns at Cal Lutheran
after having previously served as head coach of the Caltech men's team  the last six years

Thursday's games: Occidental at Redlands; Pomona-Pitzer at La Verne; Caltech at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps; Whittier at Cal Lutheran (All games 7:30 p.m.)

Major League spring training may be a couple of months away. But the college baseball season will be upon us in no time. In fact most junior colleges will be playing their first games before the end of the month.

Opening day is a little bit further away for the four-year schools. But a pair of locals are nationally ranked by Collegiate Baseball, at least to start the season. University of Redlands is No. 19 while University of La Verne is No. 20. The two were just two points apart with the Bulldogs tallying 208 and the Leopards 206.

Cortland State (NY) is No. 1 and Chapman University , which isn't in the SCIAC but should be, is No. 2.

Redlands was 27-13 a year ago and La Verne 26-16-1. The Bulldogs led the SCIAC most of the season but fell apart in their last series, helping the Leos to a SCIAC title.

Wilson/CCAA Men's Player of the Week
Brandon Brown, Cal State San Bernardino

WALNUT CREEK -- Cal State San Bernardino forward/center Brandon Brown has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of December 29 - January 3.

Brown, a 6-foot-7 junior from New Orleans, La., averaged 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals a contest in helping the Coyotes to victories over Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State. The Cal State San Bernardino junior connected on 53.8 percent of his field goal attempts while averaging 27.0 minutes a contest.

During a 92-68 victory over Cal State Stanislaus, Brown tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds as he posted his third double-double in four games. He followed that effort with 19 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in a 75-57 victory over Chico State.

Cal State San Bernardino returns to the hardwood on Thursday when it hosts Cal Poly Pomona at Coussoulis Arena beginning at 7 p.m.

Wilson/CCAA Women's Player of the Week
Megan Ford, Cal Poly Pomona

WALNUT CREEK -- Cal Poly Pomona center Megan Ford has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of December 29 - January 3.

Ford, a 6-foot-1 freshman from Newhall, Calif., averaged 18.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals per game and connected on 61.5 percent of her field goal attempts while playing 26.5 minutes a contest. The Broncos' center helped her club to a pair of victories over Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State as Cal Poly Pomona improved to 4-0 in CCAA play.

During a 65-61 victory over Chico State on Friday, Ford scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds while shooting 60.0 percent from the field. She also had three steals in 32 minutes to help the Broncos snap an 11-game losing streak against the Wildcats.

Against Cal State Stanislaus, Ford posted a double-double as she scored a game-high 22 points and collected 10 rebounds. She was 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) from the field in 23 minutes of action.

Cal Poly Pomona returns to action on Thursday when it visits Cal State San Bernardino at Coussoulis Arena beginning at 5:30 p.m.

By T.J. Berka
Staff Writer

POMONA - After a sluggish offensive effort in Friday's loss to Chico
State, the Cal Poly Pomona was looking for the perfect victim to get
back on track against.

Enter Cal State Stanislaus.

The Broncos made short work of the Warriors Saturday night at Kellogg
Gym, outscoring Stanislaus by 16 points in the first half en route to
a 90-66 victory.

With the win, Cal Poly (6-3, 2-2) moved back to .500 in the CCAA in
time for a Thursday showdown with Cal State San Bernardino. But more
importantly, they expunged the struggles against Chico State thanks
to a 28-11 run to end the first half.

"It was a lot better tonight," Cal Poly coach Greg Kamansky said. "We
got on their butts after (Friday) and the guys came out and created
their own energy tonight. They didn't sit back and wait for the other
team to create it for them."

The Warriors (4-5, 0-4) actually started out all right, taking an
11-10 lead with just over eight minutes gone in the first half. But
Cal Poly Pomona's defense got the Warriors off their rhythm, as it
forced Stanislaus into 12 first-half turnovers.

In the process, the Broncos unleashed themselves on the offensive
end, taking the lead and pushing it to 38-22 at halftime - only nine
less than they scored in the Chico State affair.

"The defense really got us going," Kamansky said. "We did a good job
of actually making a few jump shots tonight, but getting the defense
going and getting the turnovers seemed to feed the offense."

The production continued into the second half, guided by five Bronco
players that scored in double figures. Senior forward Larry Gordon, a
Montclair graduate, led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds, the
40th straight game in which he has scored in double figures.

Walter Thompson was next with 18 points, 11 coming in the first half,
while Robert Summers pitched in 16 points in only his fourth game of
the season. Austin Swift scored 11 points, while 6-foot-9 sophomore
Tobias Jahn had 10 points and eight rebounds.

"For this team to be successful, everyone has to be able to score the
ball," Kamansky said. "No matter who you are, you are going to be
called on to score. When we have five guys in double figures like we
did tonight, we are a tough team to stop."

Stanislaus was led by Casey Cutts, who hit six 3-pointers on his way
to 19 points. Michael Dyson scored 11 for the Warriors, who got
within nine points midway through the second half before a technical
foul by coach Keith Larsen set off a backbreaking Cal Poly run.

Cal Poly Pomona women 65, Cal State Stanislaus 56

Freshman center Megan Ford came up big late to lead the Broncos (8-5
overall, 4-0 CCAA) to their sixth straight game, scoring 11 straight
points in a five-minute span to spark a 22-7 game-ending run.

Ford, who ended up with 22 points and 10 rebounds, personally
outscored the Warriors (6-5, 1-3) 11-2 during a five-minute stretch
starting with 7:35 left in the game, hitting five shots from the
floor and converting a free throw to turn a 49-43 Stanislaus lead
into a 54-51 Bronco advantage. Cal Poly put it away from there.

"Megan came up big tonight, especially for a freshman," Cal Poly
coach Scott Davis said. "She got some shots blocked early in the game
and didn't back down. She was creative with her attack and made some
big shots."

Ford's output, coupled with an aggressive Broncos defense that forced
Stanislaus into 20 turnovers, kept the Broncos tied with Cal State
San Bernardino atop the CCAA standings. The two teams will face off
Thursday at Cal State.

"We did a good job of getting our hands in the passing lanes and
diving on the floor for loose balls," Davis said. "A year ago at this
time a loose ball in the paint would be picked up and put in for a
layup, but now we have four players on the floor. Shows me that their
will to win has increased."

Junior Stephisha Walton added 13 points and six rebounds for Cal Poly
while Reyana Colson filled the box score with 12 points, five
rebounds, five assists and four steals. Katie Busi had 16 points and
10 rebounds to lead Stanislaus, while Lysandra Williams added 15
points.

CAL STATE SB 68, CHICO STATE 67

Junior Morgan Pryor spearheaded a Cal State San Bernardino comeback and the Coyotes rallied for a 68-67 win over defending CCAA champion Chico State. The win keeps the Coyotes (6-4, 4-0) tied for first place with Cal Poly Pomona and UC San Diego.

Pryor scored 14 of her game-high 18 in the second half and had eight in the last four minutes. She nailed a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left just as the shot clock expired to put Cal State up 68-64.

But the Wildcats (5-6, 1-3) came back at the other end with Melissa Richardson hitting a 3 from the top of the key with 26 seconds left to make it 68-67.

Chico fouled to send the Coyotes to the line with 22 seconds left and Lisa Takata, who made a key one in overtime the previous night,  missed both and the Wildcats Cory Edwards snagged the rebound.

Chico failed to take advantage as Natasha Smith was called for a ballhandling violation. But it wasn't over yet.

The Wildcats sent Shannon Gholar to the line with nine seconds left and she also missed both. Again Chico corraled the rebound and rushed down court to get a shot off but a 3-pointer by Sam Oelsner from the top of the key was well off the mark.

``It was a good win for us,'' Coach Kevin Becker said. ``We're still  trying to figure out who we are with so many new players.''

Pryor was followed by Krystal Urzua with 17 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Jaclyn Rainville added 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

The Coyotes, who shot just 22 the previous night, managed 40 percent (24-for-60) while the Wildcats shot 54.3 (25-for-46). Chico won the battle on the boards 32-31, but had 16 turnovers to Cal State's six.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach
Jeff  Oliver admits he's a hard man to please. But his Coyotes are doing
better. The Coyotes won their third straight game, upending Chico
State 75-57 in CCAA play Saturday at Coussoulis Arena.

The win moved the Coyotes into a tie for first place as both UC San
Diego and Monterey Bay, who were atop the standings at the start of
the night, lost their respective games.

Oliver had been openly critical of his team's lack of hustle and
intensity in the first eight or so games. But the Coyotes (5-5, 3-1)
have made progress in both those areas.

``We're playing in spurts,'' he said. ``Our bad stretches are
getting shorter but we still have to many of them. But our intensity is
getting better. When we execute and have a high energy level we can
be a pretty good team.''

Early in the season the Coyotes struggled getting out of the gate.
This time that wasn't a problem as the host team led by as many as 16
in the opening half, with a layup off a steal by Tim Denson giving
Cal State a 31-15 lead with 3:16 left.

But the Wildcats (4-7, 1-3) finished the half with a 6-1 run and
started the second with an 8-0 spurt, getting in striking distance on
a bucket by Andy Bocian that made it 32-29.

``It wasn't really what they were doing,'' said Lawrence Tyson,
who scored 18 points. ``We lost our intensity and focus and let them back
in the game.''

That stretch was the most worrisome for Oliver.

``We had a chance to bury them and really take the wind out of
their sails,'' he said. ``We could have really separated ourselves and we
didn't do it.''

Cal State regrouped in the middle of the second half and finally
got some breathing room. Up 47-43, the Coyotes reeled off eight straight
points, punctuated by a 3-pointer from Tyson that made it 56-43 with
6:46 left.

The lead ballooned back to 15 at 60-45 on a pair of Tyson free
throws. The closest the Wildcats would get after that was seven at
62-55.

The Coyotes put the game away at the line with Tim Denson hitting
four in a row that gave Cal State a 72-57 cushion in the closing
minute.

Brandon Brown finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, one short
of his fourth straight double-double. Tyson was next followed by Denson
with 13. He also collected six assists.

Cal State shot 49.1 percent (26-for-53) from the field and held
Chico to 36.5 (23-for-63). Cal State won the boards 39-32.

`` We just had to get back in rhythm,'' Brown said.``We just let
them back in. But then we came back and stepped on them again.''

The Coyotes will square off against local rival Cal Poly Pomona
(6-3, 2-2) Thursday at Coussoulis Arena. The Broncos turned back Cal
State Stanislaus Saturday.

The University of Redlands women's basketball blew past the visiting Rangers of Drew University (NJ) in a non-conference game on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs erupted early in the first half and gained a 17-3 advantage but Drew clawed its way back into the game by pulling within two at the break, trailing 31-33. Redlands returned to action in the second period and stunned the Rangers by shooting 84.2% from the floor, going 16-for-19 in the half. Drew also suffered from early foul trouble with two players exiting the game with five fouls and two others racking up four apiece.

Freshman forward Courtney Carroll (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) led the Bulldogs with 15 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. Junior guard Ali Bueno (San Jose, CA) and junior forward Meghan Yetman (Danville, CA) chipped in 11 points each to round out the double-digit scorers.

For the Rangers, Jessica Del Vecchio posted a game-high 16 points while Danielle Barber contributed 13. Jessic Reid posted 11 points and nine boards on the night.

The Bulldogs open conference play on Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. home contest against Occidental College.

The Cal Poly Pomoma men lost a game to Chico State 55-47. It was ugly. Very ugly.

The Broncos (5-3, 1-2) got behind by double digits early and never got back into the game. They trailed 25-16 at the half and it really wasn't that close. It was one of those games. You could tell five minutes into the second half it wasn't going to be the Broncos night.

Chico plays a brusier game so it's never pretty. Cal Poly's three big men totaled four rebounds and two points in 36 minutes. That just isn't going to get it done. The Wildcats were packing the lane and daring the Broncos to hit some shots from outside. They didn't - 4-for-15 from 3-point range, which is about what they were averaging going in.

The Broncos weaknesses have been exposed. But they're fortuante to have arguably the best player in the conference in Larry Gordon. He just needs some help. And they have one of the best coaches too in Greg Kamansky. You have to figure they'll find a way to contend. They always do.

Well all looks back to normal in Coyote land.

Coach Jeff Oliver's men's basketball team looked more like its normal self, whipping up on Cal State Stanislaus 92-67 Friday night at Coussoulis Arena. Welcome to Big Boy basketball Warriors!

Stanislaus entered the game 4-3 with four wins over sub-par NAIA foes. Not quality teams that can be found in the GSAC but vastly inferior NAIA teams. The Warriors got what they deserved.

Stanislaus has never exactly scheduled tough. Maybe they needed the wins after so many years of sub-.500 results. The Warriors dodged their only legitimate nonconference games so it shouldn't be surprising they got blasted when returning to CCAA play.

Stanislaus has further muddied its reputation in the West by its actions in the last month. The school was invited to play against Western Washington and Central Washington last month in Las Vegas. It was a nice invite and chance to play two quality opponents out of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Then came the weather trouble, all that snow so uncommon to Las Vegas this time of year. The first day of games had to be canceled. The Warriors couldn't get there. Neither could Cal Poly Pomona - the other team in the event.

But the Broncos got there for their game the second night. Stanislaus didn't even try.

That left Central Washington without a game. The school reportedly spent $13,000 for the week between staying there and the expense of helping put on the event. Only to have Stanislaus decide it didn't want to try and get there. The school should be ashamed.

But it gets better. The women's team was schedule to play at Seattle Pacific Monday night against a nationally ranked team. Guess what? It bailed too. They were supposedly concerned about potential weather problems. Maybe they should have thought about that before they scheduled the games.

All that grandstanding has put that school's opponents at a disadvatnage. Those schools were counting on those games. And one of the most important criteria for regional rankings are games against in-region foes.

You can be assured that Cetnral Washington won't schedule Stanislaus again in any sport. Seattle Pacific either. Word gets around. It will be interesting to see what games that school comes up with in the future.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

Last year the race for the men's basketball title in the Foothill Conference was so close four teams went into the final game tied for first place and three ended up even at the end. Conference play starts today and most expect it to be that close - again.

Chaffey (16-2), which has won 10 straight games, opens play at Rio Hondo (6-11) at 1 p.m. SBVC (13-6) will hit the road and travel to Bartsow (0-12) at 7 p.m. while Victor Valley (12-6) will host Mt. San Jacinto (10-7) at 3 p.m.

``This is as competitive as it has been in my eight years. It's probably the deepest conference in the state,'' Chaffey coach Jeff Klein said. ``There are six teams with a legitimate shot at it and maybe another two that could be spoilers. There are going to be a lot of good games.''

Mt. San Jacinto, Antelope Valley and College of the Desert were the parties involved in that
tie although Mt. San Jacinto got the highest seed for playoff purposes.

But Chaffey has already made a statement with its win streak. The Panthers are coming off a
championship at an eight-team event hosted by College of the Canyons in which sophomore Winston Robinson was named most valuable player.

The Panthers have a good mix of veterans and promising newcomers and have played the seventh-toughest schedule in the state. They have a lot of depth with four players averaging
double figures and 11 that have scored in double figures already this season.

``I like this team because I think we have good balance,'' Klein said. ``We have a lot of
weapons and it's just a matter of who has the hot hand on that night. I also like the team
chemistry we have. We have had talented teams in the past where we didn't have that.''

San Bernardino Valley College comes in with an enthusiastic coach and a roster comprised of 12 freshman and one sophomore who is also new to the program. The Wolverines also have depth with six players having been named to all-tournament teams this season.

The biggest concern for coach Quincy Brewer is his team's failure to close out games. It blew an 18-point lead in a loss to Riverside in the final of the Imperial Valley Holiday Classic. That
has been an all too familiar trend. But the new coach remains positive.

``We have played in six tournaments and been in the final of four. So we're doing
something right,'' he said. ``We just have some lapses. We need to learn to stay focused for 40 minutes and I have spent the last 72 hours thinking about how to fix that. And it will be
fixed.''

Then there's Victor Valley, which may has already equaled its win total of last year and might have the best individual player in the conference in Dwight Gordon.

As far as out of the area teams go, both Klein and Brewer single out Mt. San Jacinto and Antelope Valley as key factors.

``A lot of people are down on Antelope but they have played a very tough schedule,'' Brewer
said. ``That's the team we all have to keep an eye on.''

On the women's side the competition is expected to be equally as tough. Four teams are ranked in the state's top 15 with Rio Hondo at No. 6, Antelope Valley at No. 8, Chaffey at No. 11 and Mt. San Jacinto at No. 14.

Defending champion SBVC is in the receiving votes category and has played the 15th toughest schedule in the state with two of its losses coming to the top teams
in the North and South respectively. The other four Foothill frontrunners are also in the
top of the pack in strength of schedule.

``Everyone talks about the Orange Empire Conference,'' SBVC coach Sue Crebbin said. ``This year I think we have the toughest conference in the South and maybe even the state. It's loaded.''

The UC Riverside women's basketball team (5-8, 1-0) opened up Big West Conference play with a 66-48 win at Cal Poly on Friday evening at Mott Gymnasium in San Luis Obispo.

Three players scored in double figures for the Highlanders as UCR came out of the gate strong and never relinquished the lead for the entire game.

UCR held the Mustangs (7-5, 0-1) to 34.6 percent shooting from the field, while the Highlanders shot an even 50.0 percent from the floor, including 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Seyram Gbewonyo (Sylmar, CA) scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-11 from the field, while Jessie Schmuckal (Chula Vista, CA) and Tainoisouti Lott (Moreno Valley, CA) each recorded 14 points. All three players recorded season-highs in points, while Schmuckal's 14 is a new career-high.

 

The Highlanders had an 11 point lead at the half but opened up the second with an eight to zero run in which they extended their lead to 41-22 after two three-pointers and a Ronéy Friend (Los Angeles, CA) bucket at 18:30.

Poly would close the gap to 11 points at the 11:29 mark, but the Highlanders retook control of the game and opened up their biggest lead, 62-37, with 6:27 remaining.

In the first half, Jessie Schmuckal's 11 first-half points, including three three-pointers, got UCR on board first as the Highlanders opened up a quick 8-3 lead at the 16:35 mark. UCR's defense, which held Cal Poly to 30.8 percent shooting in the half, held the Mustangs scoreless for a five minute span as UCR extended their lead to 28-8 on an Alyssa Morris (Fresno, CA) jumper with 7:41 remaining. Cal Poly made a run towards the end of the first half but UCR held on to take an 11 point lead into the locker rooms.

The Highlanders will look to keep their two-game win streak alive as they continue Big West Conference play with a 2:00 pm tangle at UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Jan. 4. Live game coverage is available online at www.gohighlanders.com.

By T.J. Berka
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - The first game for the Cal State San Bernardino
men's basketball team at Coussoulis Arena since Nov. 16 wasn't just
significant because it was the first home game in a long time. It
also might have been the game that brought the Coyotes back in range
of their preseason predictions.

The Coyotes have struggled for much of the 2008-09 season but
certainly looked good against Cal State Stanislaus on Friday,
breaking out to a 92-68 win over the Warriors.

"This is a big win and we need to have another big effort (tonight)
against Chico State," Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. "We are still
looking up in the standings, so we got to keep winning games in a row
until we are back on top."

The Coyotes (4-5 overall, 2-1 CCAA) looked more like the previous
versions of Cal State teams that have won CCAA titles, been
nationally ranked and have advanced deep into the Division II
playoffs than it has all year, especially after the midway point of
the first half.

Stanislaus (4-4, 0-3) started off hot, taking a 21-17 with just under
12 minutes left in the first half. Cal State locked the Warriors down
from that point on, finishing the half with a 20-7 run to take the
37-28 lead.

"The two things we have had problems with all year are turnovers and
not playing consistent defense," Oliver said. "In those first 10
minutes, we were going through that same thing. We had five turnovers
in the first five minutes and they got some quick baskets on us. We
did a better job after that."

Brandon Brown ended the half with a bang, going coast-to-coast for an
emphatic right-handed slam dunk as the buzzer sounded. The dunk,
started by a blocked shot by senior point guard Devin Montgomery,
arguably was flushed in the net right after the clock hit zero.

But while his dunk may have been disputed, Brown's impact on Cal
State since his debut in late December. The junior from New Orleans
averaged 20 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game
coming into Friday and was close to maintaining those numbers,
compiling 16 points, 10 rebounds and a blocked shot.

"Brandon brings lots of energy," Cal State junior guard Lawrence
Tyson said. "He's a big presence in the post and really makes an
impact down there offensively and defensively."

Brown was far from the only Coyote that was feeling it though. The
Coyotes scorched the nets in the second half, shooting 55.0 percent
from the floor while outscoring Stanislaus 55-40.

Tyson was one of the Coyotes who felt it in the second half. After
missing the only shot he took in the first 20 minutes, Tyson was 6 of
8 from the field in the second half, including 3 of 5 from 3-point
range. He ended up with 15 points.

Montgomery and DuBois Williams also finished in double figures for
the Coyotes, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively. Williams was one
of three Coyotes to have double-figure rebounds, joining Brown and
Tavaris Gilbert, who led Cal State with 12 boards. Benny Koochoie led
Stanislaus with 15 points.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer


POMONA - For one game at least the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos reverted
back to their ways of last year. And that isn't a good thing.

Chico State jumped out to a big lead early and the Broncos never recovered, falling to a more physical Wildcat team 55-47 Friday in CCAA play at Kellogg Gymnasium.

The Broncos (5-3, 1-2) didn't do much of anything well. They shot just 36.5 percent (19-for-52) from the field and 50 percent from the line (5-for-10). They were also outrebounded 55-47 and had as many assists (11) as turnovers (11).

``They were hungry and they brought it,'' coach Greg Kamansky said. ``I thought we bottled them up on offense. You hold a team to 55 points you should win. But we were pretty much dysfunctional on offense.''

The Wildcats (4-6, 1-2) led 25-16 at the half and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half. They were up by 14 at 34-20 but the Broncos got within single digits again at 36-25 on a bucket by Robert Summers with 13:20 to go.

Chico then got a jumper from Andy Bocian that made it 38-27. After a pair of misses on the Bronco end, the Wildcats got a 3-pointer from Josh Jackson to go up 41-27.

The Broncos didn't cut the deficit to single digits again until it was too late. Down 47-37 Summers drained a 3-pointer with 1:40 left to make it 47-40.

Chico tried to help out by clanking free throws in the last
minute. Up 51-42 the Wildcats missed four straight attempts from the stripe
and the Broncos were able to close it to 51-45 on a putback by Larry
Gordon with 20 seconds left but that was as close the Broncos would get.

Summers, who just started seeing playing time recently because of academic issues early, was the bright spot, tallying a team-high 14 points an six rebounds.

Leading scorer Larry Gordon was held to 11 points and nine rebounds. He extended his streak of double-digit games to 39 but didn't get his last points to do so until a putback with a tenth of a second left in the game.

Cal Poly's three post men delivered a total of just two points and four rebounds.

``We just didn't make shots,'' Kamansky said. ``We had open looks too. And we missed easy ones inside ''

Bocian, the leading scorer in the conference, led the Wildcats with 17 but went just 7-for-22 from the field, including a 1-for-9 from long distance.

The Broncos host Cal State Stanislaus (4-4, 0-3) at 7:30 tonight. The Warriors lost to Cal State San Bernardino 92-67 on Friday.




CHICO STATE (55)

Andy Bocian 17, Nick Lonnegren 13, Junior Russell 9, Roderick Hawkins

6, Zach Graves 4, Josh Jackson 3, Justin Arengal 3.


CAL POLY POMONA (47)

Robert Summers 14, Larry Gordon 11, Walter Thompson 8, Jimmy
Miyasaka

6, Austin Swift 4, Dahir Nasser 2, Tobias Jahn 2.

Chico State 25 30 - 55
Cal Poly Pomona 16 31 - 47

Three-pointers: Lonnegren (Ch) 1, Russell (Ch) 1, Argenal (Ch) 1,

Jackson (Ch) 1, Miyasaka (CP) 2, Summers (CP) 2.

The Coyotes (5-4, 3-0) stayed undefeated in CCAA play in unusual and
rather ugly fashion, outlasting the Warriors (6-4, 1-2) 46-43 despite
shooting only 22.1 percent (15 of 68) from the field.

Neither team got much of anything going from the field in either half
or the overtime, in which both teams were scoreless for the first
2:57 after being tied 41-41 at the end of regulation. There were a
combined seven points in the overtime, with the Coyotes taking the
lead for good at 44-43 on a free throw by Morgan Pryor with 28.6
seconds left.

Lisa Takata came up with a steal for Cal State on Stanislaus' next
possession and hit two free throws with 18.3 seconds left to put the
Coyotes up 3. Katie Busi had a chance to tie the game for the
Warriors with a 3-point attempt from the right corner as time
expired, but the shot caromed off the rim.

Pryor and Krystal Uruza led the Coyotes with eight points each, with
Uruza pulling down 10 rebounds. Artaisha Waters and Jacyln Rainville
added seven points each, with Rainville grabbing 11 rebounds. Busi
led Stanislaus, which shot 20.8 percent (11 of 53) from the field,
with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Cal State hosts Chico State tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Coussoulis Arena.

By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer

POMONA - Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball coach Scott Davis couldn't have picked a better time for his 100th career win. It came Friday night at his Broncos edged defending CCAA champion Chico State 65-61.

It was the fifth straight win for the Broncos (7-5, 3-0) who are tied for first pace in the conference heading into tonight's home game against Cal State Stanislaus.

``That's a great win for us,'' Davis said. ``They were picked to win the conference again. They're big. They're well-coached. Every game in this conference is going to be tough and that was us just gutting one out.''

The game was even for the last time at 54-all with 3:50 to play. Rosslyn Beard connected for a 3-pointer, her only bucket of the game, to give the Broncos a 57-54 lead it would never relenquish.

They were still up 61-58 after Chico's Annelise Miller hit a couple  of free throws with 55 seconds left but the Broncos converted on the other end with Unique Anderson his a 15-foot jumper to boost the lead back to five with 26 seconds left.

``We did the little things very ell in the last few minutes,'' Davis said. ``We got the rebounds, the loose balls. We made all the hustle plays and it made the difference.''

The Broncos boasted a balanced attack with four players finishing in  double figures. Freshman forward Megan Ford tallied 14 points and nine rebounds. Stephisha Walton and Reyana Colson chipped in with 11 each and Ally Smith added 10.

Walton also had nine rebounds and Colson dished out six assists.

The Wildcats (5-2, 1-2) were led by Natasha Smith with 19 points and Christine Vest with 15.