March 2009 Archives
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team came close but that has to be little consolation now.
The unranked Broncos fell to No. 1 Findlay 56-53 in overtime in the Division II National championship game today at the MassMutual center in Springfield, Mass. The difference was a 3-pointer from the wing by Tyler Evans as time ran out. He was well defended but made a great shot so give him credit.
Coach Greg Kamansky's team played with the poise and dignity it played with all season on the biggest stage possible. They were down and didn't panic. They weren't intimidated by a team with a lofty reputation and national ranking.
Few could have expected the Broncos to get that far. They probably didn't expect it themselves. That is until they started string some wins together at the end of the regular season. Then they started to believe and the confidence grew with every game.
You don't get that close that often so it hurts to lose even if you weren't expected to be there, But the Broncos walked off the court with heads held high, as well they should have.
That closes the book on the storied career of Larry Gordon, one of four seniors on the team and one of only two that saw significant playing time. While it is never easy to replace an All-American, the Broncos will have something they didn't have this season - a strong nucleus of returning players.
Austin Swift, Dwayne Fells, Robert Summers, Daher Nasser and the much-improved Tobias Jahn. They'll also get back Donnelle Booker, who was out all season with a knee injury. There are plenty of pieces in place to make another run. The experience those players gained is something to build on.
By Jeff Thomas
Correspondent
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Oh, for a few more seconds on the clock.
The remarkable run of the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team came to a sudden and shocking end Saturday afternoon at the MassMutual Center when senior guard Tyler Evans drained a fadeaway 3-pointer at buzzer in overtime to give the University of Findlay the NCAA Division II national championship.
Cal Poly Pomona fought back from a 14-point second-half deficit, only to go down 56-53 to Oilers, who concluded a perfect season at 36-0 and was ranked No. 1 wire-to-wire.
"We put ourselves in position to win the game, but tonight we didn't do it and they did," Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky said. "We feel proud of the fact that we put ourselves in position and could have won it."
The Broncos (25-8), who won 16 of their last 17 to get to this point and had traveled more than 10,000 miles in the NCAA tournament - with another 3,000 or so more to come Sunday - were the feel-good story of the tournament.
That storybook ending almost came to fruition, but a well-guarded Evans picked that point in time to make his only field goal of the afternoon.
"I think it was good defense but he hit a tough shot," Broncos senior guard Walter Thompson said. "You can't ask for any better defense out of Dahir (Nasser). It was good pressure and he had his hand in his face. He made a tough shot."
The game was tied at 53-53 after senior All-American Larry Gordon hit a 15-foot jumper with 12.5 seconds left. There was a held-ball call under Cal Poly's basket with 2.4 seconds left. Findlay's Marcus Parker inbounded the ball from the baseline to Evans, who was already a step behind the 3-point arc.
Evans took a dribble back and to his left before taking the shot that swished through the basket 25 feet away and left Nasser on his knees and holding his head in disbelief.
"We were concerned with the inbounder getting the ball back for a quick three, so they got the ball to (Evans) and he kept backing up and backing up and throws a fadeaway three from God knows how many feet," Kamansky said. "The guy hit a great shot, give him some credit. That's part of the game of basketball. Win some, lose some."
It was the second overtime win of the Elite Eight for Findlay, and just the fourth overtime championship game in Elite Eight history.
"I can't express the feeling that we have winning this game the way it was won with that unbelievable last-second shot, the way we've won the last four of our games," Findlay coach Ron Niekamp said. "It's an incredible feeling and it's also a feeling that someone up there is looking out for you when you win four like that."
The game had the look of a rout for a while, the Oilers taking a 30-20 halftime lead and pushing that lead to as many as 14 with 16:25 left in the game.
"At that time I called timeout and was pretty fired up and said you're not going down like this," Kamansky said. "I just told our guys we've done it all year and this is not the way we were gonna go down, getting beat handily.
"We got a couple of nice plays and hit a couple of nice shots and next thing you know we got our confidence going and we knew we could play with these guys," he added.
Gordon, who scored a game-high 17 points, scored on a reverse layup, followed by a Robert Summers 3-pointer. Tobias Jahn (14 points) scored at the rim and Summers made two foul shots. After Gordon scored on a drive to the basket, Jahn scored from the baseline to complete the 13-0 run and get the Broncos within one, 36-35.
After Bostic scored on a putback, Thompson hit a 3-pointer and the game was tied with 7:05 to play.
Both teams had opportunities to win in the closing minutes but neither could capitalize.
In overtime it was much of the same, the lead changing five times before Evans hit his heroic shot to end an incredible season for the Broncos.
"This will sting for a while but we'll look back in a little bit and say what a great season this was for this team," Kamansky said. "I can't tell you how proud I am of these guys. Digging in game after game after game. We've won a lot of these overtime games.
"This season I'll take and there's probably 300 coaches in Division II who would take this," he added. "There's only one coach that wouldn't and that's the coach of Findlay."
Sophomore Reyana Colson capped her second season at Cal Poly Pomona in style when she was named an Honorable Mention All-American, according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Colson, a Compton native, was the leading scorer for the Broncos this past season with 16.8 points per game. She scored in double figures in each of her 25 games played for the Broncos, who finished 16-14 overall.
"This is a great honor for her and shows how far she has come in a short time,'' Broncos coach Scott Davis said. "She's the key to our success. It says a lot for her work ethic and means a great deal to our program. Reyana is the one that everyone has a game-plan for her. Teams plan around her ability.''
Colson finished second in scoring 16.8 points (overall games), sixth in rebounds, second in assists and tied for first in steals and a league-leading 17.1 points in only CCAA games. She had 9 double-doubles including a conference-best 11 assists in a game played at Humboldt State.
Colson was named to the WBCA State Farm Region 8 first team, Daktronics West Region first team and was a first-team All-CCAA selection. As a freshman, she was the conference's Freshman of the Year and also a second-team selection.
Off the court, she was named to the 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 8 first team.
Colson, a Compton native, was the leading scorer for the Broncos this past season with 16.8 points per game. She scored in double figures in each of her 25 games played for the Broncos, who finished 16-14 overall.
"This is a great honor for her and shows how far she has come in a short time,'' Broncos coach Scott Davis said. "She's the key to our success. It says a lot for her work ethic and means a great deal to our program. Reyana is the one that everyone has a game-plan for her. Teams plan around her ability.''
Colson finished second in scoring 16.8 points (overall games), sixth in rebounds, second in assists and tied for first in steals and a league-leading 17.1 points in only CCAA games. She had 9 double-doubles including a conference-best 11 assists in a game played at Humboldt State.
Colson was named to the WBCA State Farm Region 8 first team, Daktronics West Region first team and was a first-team All-CCAA selection. As a freshman, she was the conference's Freshman of the Year and also a second-team selection.
Off the court, she was named to the 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 8 first team.
After three straight losses to regional foes, the University of Redlands softball team bounced back with a doubleheader sweep against the visiting Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action on Saturday. The Bulldogs relied on solid pitching and late-game rallies to take down the Sagehens by scores of 6-0 and 8-0, respectively.
In the opener, the Bulldogs gave up a run in the top of the fourth inning on an errant throw to home with the bases loaded. Redlands quickly made up for it with two quick outs to end the inning, as the defense tagged out a runner in a pickle play and then junior catcher Nicky Neumann (Fremont, CA) picked off another at third.
The Maroon and Gray then equalized the score with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. Freshman third baseman Lindsay Henry (Lake Elsinore, CA) led off with a single down the right field line and then scored on a single by junior designated player Amanda Doeppel (Monrovia, CA).
Tied at one apiece, Redlands broke it open in the sixth inning with a five-run explosion. Doeppel led off with a double to right center. With freshman Molly Duran (Corona, CA) pinch running, freshman right fielder Jen Boschken (Davis, CA) connected on a single down the right field line to score Duran. The team then strung together four hits and took advantage of aggressive base-running with steals, wild pitches, and passed balls, to score four more runs. Freshman short stop Kai Masutani (Honolulu, HI), junior center fielder Kayla Peterson (San Jose, CA), sophomore first baseman Lizett Casillas (Pomona, CA), and senior second baseman Dory Baga (Aiea, HI) each recorded RBI-singles for the Bulldogs.
Junior pitcher Olivia Ellis (Colfax, CA) scattered three hits and struck out seven batters in seven innings of work, earning her 11th win and second shutout of the season.
During the nightcap, Redlands tallied 10 hits and scored eight runs in six innings while holding the Sagehens to just three hits and no runs.
The Bulldogs initiated the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Baga provided a sacrifice fly to score Neumann, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
During the third inning, the Maroon and Gray added two runs and then followed that up with three more in the fifth. Redlands solidified its lead with two runs in the sixth, gaining the win by the eight-run-rule.
Doeppel pitched for the Bulldogs, striking out three batters and scattering three hits. She also went 3-for-3 from the plate with one RBI and one run scored.
With a 10-2 SCIAC record, Redlands (13-8, 10-2) sits atop the conference standings. The Bulldogs welcome non-conference opponent Williams College (MA) to the "Field of Dreams" on Thursday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
The University of La Verne has lost volleyball coach Don Flora to a better opportunity.
Flora, who led the program to national prominence in his 11 years, has resigned to take the lead assistant job at Division I New Mexico State. The resignation is effective March 27th.
He led the Leopards to the Division III championship match this season depite having a team with just two seniors. Among the wins was an upset of No. 1 Juniata (Penn.) in the national semifinal.
His team won a national title in 2001 and made trips to the semifinals in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Leopards have won nine straight SCIAC titles and are 120-4 in conference play in that stretch. He has been named AVCA West Rregion Coach of the Year four times including this season.
Flora has done everything there is to do at this level and Division I jobs don't come around often. The school was lucky to keep him as long as it did. He will be missed.
Citrus College along with the Citrus Community College Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that they will be dedicating their brand new softball complex on Tuesday March 31, 2009 at 2:00 PM.
Citrus College Superintendent/President Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D. will address the crowd and throw out the ceremonial first pitch along with Board of Trustees President Mrs. Susan M. Keith.
Following the dedication ceremonies the Lady Owls softball team will take on visiting Canyons College ranked #9 in the State of California.
For more information regarding this event, please contact Paula Green in the Citrus College External Relations Office at 626/914-8873 or pgrreen@citruscollege.edu.
The No. 19 University of Redlands baseball team rebounded from its loss against Rutgers University-Newark (NJ) from earlier in the afternoon, defeating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, 11-4, in non-conference action at The Yard on Sunday.
With the win, Head Coach Scott Laverty earned his 200th victory at the helm of the Bulldog baseball program and became just the third coach in the team's history to accomplish that feat. Laverty won his first game on Feb. 11, 2000 by a 13-1 score against Whittier College. Jeff Tape '00 earned the winning decision on the mound in Laverty's first triumph as head coach.
Both teams scored early as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps posted one run on no hits and two errors in the first while Redlands responded with an RBI single by senior infielder Tony Stutevoss (Portland, OR) in the bottom of the inning.
Redlands took a 2-1 lead due to sloppy play by the Stag infield. Stutevoss singled through the right side to start out the inning, but he ended up advancing to second on an error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt and went home on an erroneous throw by the first baseman.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps equaled the score in the sixth, but the Bulldogs emerged victorious in the end due in large part to a productive offense in the bottom in the inning.
Senior utility player Will Wetmore (Santa Cruz, CA) doubled to right field with one out, and senior catcher Brett Sandford (Santa Barbara, CA) walked, giving the Bulldogs two men on board. Senior pitcher/infielder Evan Dunn (Portland, OR) grounded out and advanced the two runners, giving Redlands what looked like a dreary situation with two outs. The scoring started when junior shortstop Zack Braband (Alameda, CA) plated Sandford and Dunn with a double to right center, and Braband advanced to third on a passed ball in the ensuing at bat. Senior outfielder/catcher Kyle Rizzo (Redlands, CA) brought in Braband with a single through the right side and then stole second while Stutevoss was at bat. Stutevoss singled to third, which moved Rizzo over, and he lucked out with a botched catch in a steal attempt. Junior catcher Jefre Johnson (Canby, OR) cleared the bases with a single to centerfield, and senior outfielder Cory Vane (Simi Valley, CA) continued the offensive outburst with a single to third. Finally, senior outfielder Matt Goldstein (Lincoln, CA) closed out the fireworks with an RBI triple that scored Johnson and Vane.
The Stags scored once more in the top of the seventh, but the Bulldogs one-upped their opponent with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Dunn reached on an error by the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps shortstop and eventually stole second and third before scoring on a passed ball. Rizzo, who walked after Dunn stole second, came home via Stutevoss in the following at bat.
Rizzo scored an impressive three runs on one hit and two walks and notched one RBI. Batting a solid 4-for-5, Stutevoss fortified the offense with two runs and two RBI. Vane stretched his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games with a 2-for-5 showing while Braband also recorded a multi-hit game.
Junior pitcher/infielder Michael Lessig (Fountain Hills, AZ) pitched solidly for seven full innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven. Senior pitcher Kevin Bissell (Orange, CA) and sophomore pitcher Derek Johnson (Canby, OR) held the lead in relief, combining for one strikeout and one surrendered earned run. The Stags' Kyle Shipley shouldered the loss.
Redlands (15-6) continues on with Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play on Friday when it hosts red-hot Pomona-Pitzer Colleges at 3 p.m.
Fontana High School product Ira Graham has been selected to play in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II All-Star Game at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Friday. The event is held in conjunction with the Elite Eight.
It will be a nice honor for Graham, whose Western Washington University team lost to Seattle Pacific in a West Region quarterfinal on its own home court. He was visably upset after that loss despite having done his part with 29 points.
Now his last collegiate game doesn't have to be a loss.
Earlier this month the 6-foot-1 senior guard earned Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors. He also was named to the first-team All-West Daktronics and NABC teams.
He finished his four-year career with 1,465 points, tying him for seventh among school leaders. This season he averaged 19.1 points and 3.2 assists and became the first player in school history with two 500-point seasons.
The all-star game is comprised of teams from the East and West, with at least two players from each of the eight regions competing. The 20 participants in the all-star game were chosen from a pool of 265 teams.
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team had its last practice today before heading off to the Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass. But not even that came easy. The Broncos were forced out of their own facility due to a sports festival that had the run of the campus.
The Broncos had to relocate to the University of La Verne for their final tuneup. They will leave on Sunday.
It is pretty much impossible not to like this team. Coach Greg Kamansky gets the most out of his team. He doesn't carry 15 players as most schools do. He typically carries 10-12 and injuries this season have limited him to nine.
They don't make excuses. They just play hard, play together - and win.
Let's go back and review how the Broncos got there. They traveled to Bellingham, Wash. on a Wednesday for their regional quarterfinal, beating Cal State San Bernardino in overtime on Friday. Then they beat Seattle Pacific on Saturday, drove 100 miles to Seattle on Sunday, left on Monday to go to Honolulu to get ready to play Brigham Young-Hawaii on Wednesday.
They rally from a 15-point deficit and beat the No. 3 team in the country, which hadn't lost in two months, on its home floor in front of 4,000 boisterous spectators.
Celebrate! Well just a little. Because now the players have stay up all night cramming for exams, then fly home on Thursday so they can take their tests on Friday, only to turn around and fly across the country two days later. I'm exhausted just thinking about that.
Before it's over they will have played tournament games in three different time zones in a two-week span.
This team has had a knack for winning close games in dramatic fashion. Odds seem to be against them but that never mattered before. They play Southwest Minnesota State on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
Here's to hoping that magical run continues.
The UC Riverside women's basketball team concluded the 2008-09 season with a 64-51 loss to Creighton University in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament on Saturday evening at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha. The Bluejays improve to 22-11 and advance to the second round of the WNIT, while the Highlanders finish with a 19-12 overall record.
The first half was very reminiscent of UCR's most recent game against Cal Poly, in which there were numerous tie scores and lead changes within the first 20 minutes of play. Creighton went up by as much as eight points at the 6:58 mark, but the Highlanders whittled the lead to three, 30-27, at the break.
Kemie Nkele led UCR in the first half with 10 points and nine rebounds, including a last second layup at the buzzer. The Highlanders saw a 17-15 lead at the 9:21 mark turn into a 10-0 Bluejay run, giving Creighton their largest lead of the half.
UC Riverside, who averages just 14.4 turnovers per game, committed 12 in the first half alone as the Bluejays were able to capitalize on UCR's miscues by converting 20 points off turnovers. The Highlanders were also outrebounded, 19-16, but most importantly gave up six more boards on the offensive glass, giving Creighton seven second chance points compared to UCR's one.
In the second half the Bluejays drained 4-of-5 three-pointers and opened up a double-digit lead on multiple occasions. The Highlanders closed the gap to nine points, 51-42, with 7:33 remaining in the game, but could get no closer as the Bluejays held on for the win.
Nkele led the Highlanders with 18 points and 12 rebounds, her seventh double-double on the season and the 45th of her career. Seyram Gbewonyo added 10 points, Roney Friend had eight, Tainoisouti Lott contributed six, Chanel Foster had five, and Alyssa Morris added four.
For the game the Highlanders shot 42.9 percent from the floor but just 21.4 percent from beyond the arc. Conversely, Creighton shot 41.4 percent from the field but hit 50.0 percent of their long balls.
This was UCR's first postseason WNIT appearance, but third postseason in the last four years. Creighton is 21-5 all-time in the WNIT, including a 2003 Final Four berth and a 2004 WNIT Championship.
The Highlanders say goodbye to eight seniors, each of whom have given so much to the UC Riverside women's basketball program. Compiling a 70-54 record the last four years, the Highlanders won two Big West Conference Championships, went to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, and competed in the postseason in three of four years.
This season alone, UCR tallied a school-best 13-game win streak; had a school-best 14-2 conference record; and defeated their first top-25 opponent in a 50-47 win over then-No. 16 Vanderbilt back in December. Their 19 wins on the season also tied the record for the second-most wins in school history.
Nkele concludes her career as the all-time leader in rebounds and blocked shots, and finishes 130 points away from the top spot in total points. Four different Highlanders also rank among the top-10 in multiple categories including games played, games started, rebounds, assists, field goals, and blocked shots.
The first half was very reminiscent of UCR's most recent game against Cal Poly, in which there were numerous tie scores and lead changes within the first 20 minutes of play. Creighton went up by as much as eight points at the 6:58 mark, but the Highlanders whittled the lead to three, 30-27, at the break.
Kemie Nkele led UCR in the first half with 10 points and nine rebounds, including a last second layup at the buzzer. The Highlanders saw a 17-15 lead at the 9:21 mark turn into a 10-0 Bluejay run, giving Creighton their largest lead of the half.
UC Riverside, who averages just 14.4 turnovers per game, committed 12 in the first half alone as the Bluejays were able to capitalize on UCR's miscues by converting 20 points off turnovers. The Highlanders were also outrebounded, 19-16, but most importantly gave up six more boards on the offensive glass, giving Creighton seven second chance points compared to UCR's one.
In the second half the Bluejays drained 4-of-5 three-pointers and opened up a double-digit lead on multiple occasions. The Highlanders closed the gap to nine points, 51-42, with 7:33 remaining in the game, but could get no closer as the Bluejays held on for the win.
Nkele led the Highlanders with 18 points and 12 rebounds, her seventh double-double on the season and the 45th of her career. Seyram Gbewonyo added 10 points, Roney Friend had eight, Tainoisouti Lott contributed six, Chanel Foster had five, and Alyssa Morris added four.
For the game the Highlanders shot 42.9 percent from the floor but just 21.4 percent from beyond the arc. Conversely, Creighton shot 41.4 percent from the field but hit 50.0 percent of their long balls.
This was UCR's first postseason WNIT appearance, but third postseason in the last four years. Creighton is 21-5 all-time in the WNIT, including a 2003 Final Four berth and a 2004 WNIT Championship.
The Highlanders say goodbye to eight seniors, each of whom have given so much to the UC Riverside women's basketball program. Compiling a 70-54 record the last four years, the Highlanders won two Big West Conference Championships, went to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, and competed in the postseason in three of four years.
This season alone, UCR tallied a school-best 13-game win streak; had a school-best 14-2 conference record; and defeated their first top-25 opponent in a 50-47 win over then-No. 16 Vanderbilt back in December. Their 19 wins on the season also tied the record for the second-most wins in school history.
Nkele concludes her career as the all-time leader in rebounds and blocked shots, and finishes 130 points away from the top spot in total points. Four different Highlanders also rank among the top-10 in multiple categories including games played, games started, rebounds, assists, field goals, and blocked shots.
Western Washington University men's basketball guard Ira Graham has been selected to play in the 2009 National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II All-Star Game at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m. ET.
Graham, a 6-foot-1 senior from Fontana, Calif. (Fontana High School), was named to both the first-team NABC West District and Daktronics West Region all-star squads. He will play for the West team.
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Graham finished his four-year career with 1,465 points, tying him for seventh among school leaders. He scored 515 points as a senior, becoming the first Western player to have two 500-point seasons.
Graham, a two-time, first-team league all-star, helped the Vikings to a 21-6 record, the school's first outright GNAC title and the first round of the NCAA II West Regional. He averaged 19.1 points, being held under double figures in just two games, and 3.2 assists.
Graham was Western's top scorer and ranked second among GNAC point leaders in each of the last two seasons.
"It's certainly a high honor and one that is well deserved," Western coach Brad Jackson (24th year, 445-256) said of Graham's selection. "Ira has had one of the outstanding individual seasons in the West Region, and he will be an excellent representative of our university."
Graham will be the second Viking to compete in the NABC DII all-star contest. Western's Ryan Diggs participated in the inaugural game in 2006, receiving co-MVP honors.
The all-star game is comprised of teams from the East and West, with at least two players from each of the eight NCAA II regions competing in the contest. The all-stars will attend both the NCAA II Men's Basketball Championship semifinals, March 26, and the national championship game, March 28, being recognized during halftime of a semifinal game.
The 20 participants in the all-star game were chosen from a pool of 265 teams in Division II.
Cal Poly Pomona 59
BYU-Hawaii 58
LAIE, Hawaii - The thought crossed one's mind as the Brigham Young University Hawaii pep band played "Eye of the Tiger'' - the theme song from the motion picture Rocky III - prior to the Seasiders-Cal Poly Pomona NCAA Division II West Region title game.
The thought: Well, if Rocky could deliver an upset, why not the Broncos?
And what an upset it was.
On Wednesday night in the nation's 50th state, Rocky showed his face again in the form of the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos men's basketball team, which took on No. 3 Brigham Young Hawaii, winners of 24 straight and the West Region's top seed.
Senior Larry Gordon (Pomona) placed a put-back shot with 3.6 seconds left and the Broncos went on to upset the host Seasiders 59-58 before a raucous crowd of 4,221 at the Canon Center.
"We didn't change anything that we hadn't done all season,'' said coach Greg Kamansky, who will lead his Broncos to their third NCAA Elite Appearance in the last seven years. "We spread the court and played decisive. I thought we played tentative for the first 35 minutes.''
The Broncos will face Central champion Southwest Minnesota State on Wednesday afternoon in Springfield, Mass., in the opening round of the Elite Eight.
Inside the game's five minutes, the Broncos took control. Trailing 56-43 with 6:39, the Broncos held off the athletic Seasiders with a shocking 16-2 run to end the game.
What was even more surprising was the fact that the Broncos held BYUH without a field goal in that span. Seasiders' senior Lucas Alves hit a pair of free throws with 35 seconds left to give his team a 58-57 lead.
After Alves' free throws, the Broncos called time out. They brought the ball up court. Gordon held the ball and drove inside. He placed a shot that missed, but he rebounded the ball and placed it up off the glass and dropped through with 3.6 seconds remaining.
"We were going to work it on a ball screen,'' said Gordon, who finished the night with 18 points, 15 rebounds and was named the West Region's Most Outstanding Player. "The defender over played and put up a shot. I was able to rebound, put it back and I'm thankful that it found a way to drop through the net.''
The double-double was Gordon's 11th on the season and his 34th in his career. In his three West Region games he secured a double-double in each game and totaled 74 points and 38.
"To be down 13 and come back ... we believe in what coach says,'' Gordon said. "He told us to calm down, slow down and dig down on defense.''
BYUH built its largest lead of the game (42-27) on a 3-pointer by Alves with 14:11 remaining.
CPP answered, though, with a 10-2 run in the next two minutes when junior Dahir Nasser drove in and scored a layup with 12:12 and BYUH leading, 44-37.
Cal Poly Pomona made its exasperating run when it trailed 56-43 with 6:39 remaining. A pair of layups from Tobias Jahn (Babenhausen, Germany) and junior Robert Summers (Los Angeles) cut the lead to inside 10 at 56-47.
Summers hit the second of two free throws and Gordon hit a pair of free throws and the Broncos drew within 6 at 56-50 with 3:21 left.
BYUH turned the ball over twice on its next two possessions and Jahn drove inside with a strong layup and the Broncos got inside five points - 56-52 for the first time since the first three minutes of the game.
The Seasiders had a chance to increase its lead back to six, but Alves missed two free throws; a rare occurrence for the 75 percent shooter on the season.
The Broncos drove and kicked the ball out to Thompson, who buried a 3-pointer - his second on the game - and CPP silenced the crowd as it drew within one point at 56-55 with 1:47 left.
BYUH missed two jump shots - one by Nathan Sims and the other from Jermaine Odjegba - and the Broncos earned their first lead of the game on Jahn's two free throws with 53 seconds left.
Jahn, who joined Gordon on the West Region All-Tournament team, scored 14 points with three assists. Junior Austin Swift (Santa Cruz) scored nine points - all in the first half - before fouling out of the game with 6:39 left.
Sims scored 11 and Trenson Akana had 10 for the Seasiders, who finished the season 27-2.
The Broncos held BYUH to a shocking 34 points below its season average of 92 points. The Seasiders' 58 points was their lowest of the season.
BYU-Hawaii 58
LAIE, Hawaii - The thought crossed one's mind as the Brigham Young University Hawaii pep band played "Eye of the Tiger'' - the theme song from the motion picture Rocky III - prior to the Seasiders-Cal Poly Pomona NCAA Division II West Region title game.
The thought: Well, if Rocky could deliver an upset, why not the Broncos?
And what an upset it was.
On Wednesday night in the nation's 50th state, Rocky showed his face again in the form of the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos men's basketball team, which took on No. 3 Brigham Young Hawaii, winners of 24 straight and the West Region's top seed.
Senior Larry Gordon (Pomona) placed a put-back shot with 3.6 seconds left and the Broncos went on to upset the host Seasiders 59-58 before a raucous crowd of 4,221 at the Canon Center.
"We didn't change anything that we hadn't done all season,'' said coach Greg Kamansky, who will lead his Broncos to their third NCAA Elite Appearance in the last seven years. "We spread the court and played decisive. I thought we played tentative for the first 35 minutes.''
The Broncos will face Central champion Southwest Minnesota State on Wednesday afternoon in Springfield, Mass., in the opening round of the Elite Eight.
Inside the game's five minutes, the Broncos took control. Trailing 56-43 with 6:39, the Broncos held off the athletic Seasiders with a shocking 16-2 run to end the game.
What was even more surprising was the fact that the Broncos held BYUH without a field goal in that span. Seasiders' senior Lucas Alves hit a pair of free throws with 35 seconds left to give his team a 58-57 lead.
After Alves' free throws, the Broncos called time out. They brought the ball up court. Gordon held the ball and drove inside. He placed a shot that missed, but he rebounded the ball and placed it up off the glass and dropped through with 3.6 seconds remaining.
"We were going to work it on a ball screen,'' said Gordon, who finished the night with 18 points, 15 rebounds and was named the West Region's Most Outstanding Player. "The defender over played and put up a shot. I was able to rebound, put it back and I'm thankful that it found a way to drop through the net.''
The double-double was Gordon's 11th on the season and his 34th in his career. In his three West Region games he secured a double-double in each game and totaled 74 points and 38.
"To be down 13 and come back ... we believe in what coach says,'' Gordon said. "He told us to calm down, slow down and dig down on defense.''
BYUH built its largest lead of the game (42-27) on a 3-pointer by Alves with 14:11 remaining.
CPP answered, though, with a 10-2 run in the next two minutes when junior Dahir Nasser drove in and scored a layup with 12:12 and BYUH leading, 44-37.
Cal Poly Pomona made its exasperating run when it trailed 56-43 with 6:39 remaining. A pair of layups from Tobias Jahn (Babenhausen, Germany) and junior Robert Summers (Los Angeles) cut the lead to inside 10 at 56-47.
Summers hit the second of two free throws and Gordon hit a pair of free throws and the Broncos drew within 6 at 56-50 with 3:21 left.
BYUH turned the ball over twice on its next two possessions and Jahn drove inside with a strong layup and the Broncos got inside five points - 56-52 for the first time since the first three minutes of the game.
The Seasiders had a chance to increase its lead back to six, but Alves missed two free throws; a rare occurrence for the 75 percent shooter on the season.
The Broncos drove and kicked the ball out to Thompson, who buried a 3-pointer - his second on the game - and CPP silenced the crowd as it drew within one point at 56-55 with 1:47 left.
BYUH missed two jump shots - one by Nathan Sims and the other from Jermaine Odjegba - and the Broncos earned their first lead of the game on Jahn's two free throws with 53 seconds left.
Jahn, who joined Gordon on the West Region All-Tournament team, scored 14 points with three assists. Junior Austin Swift (Santa Cruz) scored nine points - all in the first half - before fouling out of the game with 6:39 left.
Sims scored 11 and Trenson Akana had 10 for the Seasiders, who finished the season 27-2.
The Broncos held BYUH to a shocking 34 points below its season average of 92 points. The Seasiders' 58 points was their lowest of the season.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky arrived at Honolulu International Airport Thursday morning a tired man. Most of his players were up all night too. No the group wasn't up all night celebrating, although they had reason to do so after upsetting heavily favored Brigham Young-Hawaii 59-58 for the West Region championship late Wednesday night.
That win gives the Broncos a (23-7) berth in the Elite Eight which
starts next Wednesday at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Mass. It will be the school's third trip in Kamansky's nine-year tenure.
The thought of playing for a national championship wasn't far from their minds but there was something of more immediate concern - final exams. The players missed them earlier this week, so they'll be taking them today after a long flight on little sleep.
``They're completely exhausted,'' Kamansky said. ``We had guys up all night working on their laptops. Some of the guys were tutoring other guys. It would be nice if they could really enjoy this. ''
It has been a whirlwind week for the Broncos. And it isn't quite
over. Their journey started out at Western Washington University a week ago where the resilient group turned back local rival Cal State San Bernardino (83-81 in overtime) on Friday, then beat Seattle Pacific (80-72) on Satuerday in the West Sub-region in Bellingham, Wash.
The Broncos left Seattle Monday to fly to Hawaii in preparation for Wednesday's game. They arrived back in Southern California late Thursday but will be back on a plane to fly cross country on Sunday.
The rigorous travel schedule makes the run even more impressive.
Kamansky draws a lot of parallels between this run and the one his team made in 2003, its first trip to the Elite Eight. On that
occasion the Broncos won that berth by beating San Bernardino in double overtime.
``I can't say one was better than another,'' he said Thursday morning by phone just before catching the flight. ``That was the first time we made it and it really put us on the map. I would say this one has been a little more improbable because of all we overcame to get to this point.''
The Broncos lost two key players before the season started and were down to as few as seven healthy players for one game. They were just 5-5 through the first round of CCAA play and had to run the table the last 10 games just to tie for the regular season conference title.
Wednesday's foe also was a formidable one. The Seasiders (27-2) came in ranked third nationally and were playing on their home floor, the Cannon Activity Center, in front of a boisterous crowd of 4,200. And they hadn't lost a game in two months.
The Seasiders like to push the tempo and came in averaging 92 points a game yet Cal Poly dictated the pace early and only trailed 28-23 at the half.
The home team led by as many as 15 points, that lead coming at 42-27 on a 3-pointer by West Region Player of the Year Lucas Alves with 13:57 to go.
The Broncos were still down by double digits late at 56-43 with 6:40 to play. But who would have thought the Seasiders would go the rest
of the game without a field goal.
The Broncos ended the game on a 16-2 run, finally taking their first lead of the contest at 57-56 on a pair of free throws by sophomore
forward Tobias Jahn with 51 seconds left. The Seasiders then battled back at their end with Alves nailing two free throws after a foul had
been called on Jahn with 34 seconds to go.
That set the stage for yet another dramatic finish. The Broncos moved the ball up court with superstar Larry Gordon doing much of the work.
He gave the ball up but got it back after two other passes. His first shot from close in was off the mark but he outhustled three Seasiders
for the ball and put the rebound up and in for the decisive points, sending the Cal Poly sideline into celebration with three seconds
left.
Gordon, who tallied 74 points and 38 rebounds in three games, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Jahn, who had 14
against the Seasiders, also was named to the All-Tournament team.
Gordon's 15 rebounds Wednesday gave him 928 for his career, just seven behind career leader Paul Scranton (1963-66).
``We stayed just close enough,'' Kamanasky said. ``With seven minutes left I knew we just needed a little bit of a run to get us close. I
thought it would rejuvenate us and they might tighten up. That's pretty much what happened. Our guys never quit.''
The weary Broncos won't practice today but will do so on Saturday at Kellogg Gymnasium.
They will be the only team in the Elite Eight not nationally ranked. Their quarterfinal game will be against Central Region champion
Southwest Minnesota State (28-6), ranked No. 12 in the last NABC poll. Other matchups will pit No. 1 Findlay (Ohio) against No. 2 C.W.
Post, No. 5 Gannon (Penn.) against No. 6 Central Missouri and No. 4 Augusta State (Ga.) against No. 15 Christian Brothers (Tenn.).
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team is peaking at the right time. It's a good thing because now coach Greg Kamansky's squad will be facing its most formidable foe thus far.
The Broncos will play Brigham Young-Hawaii on Wednesday in the Division II West Region final. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Hawaii time which is 10:30 p.m. our time. BYU has a television network so those with Direct TV should be able to get the game.
BYU Hawaii is ranked third in the country and has won 24 straight games while the Broncos (22-7) have won 13 of their last 14.
The Seasiders are the favorite but they also play in a very weak Pacific West Conference and the they don't leave the island to seek out better competition either. So how good are they really? No one really knows. They do have a great player in Lucas Alves though.
The Broncos do have the benefit of being battle tested because of the quality and depth of teams in the CCAA. The Broncos also seem unfazed my the magnitude of the game and they have a stellar leader on and off the court in senior Larry Gordon.
The Broncos are headed to Hawaii today and will practice in the venue on Tuesday.
Kamansky has already been named conference and West region Coach of the Year for good reason. The way the season started few would have guessed his team would still be playing. It has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Sometimes those are the teams that are the most dangerous.
Devin Montgomery has heard all the lines before. He's so old he'll be collecting social security before his eligibility runs out. He is so old he looks more like a coach than a player.
It is rare a day goes by when he doesn't hear it from a teammate or coach at least once.
The Cal State San Bernardino senior point guard may not be up in years when it comes to everyday life. But at 28, he is indeed an elder statesman on the hardwood. The series of events that derailed his playing career for more than six years make him even more appreciative of the chance he has to finish it off in style.
Montgomery helped the Coyotes to their eighth CCAA regular season title in 10 years, as well as a conference tournament championship.
Next up is the Division II West Sub-regional which starts today at
Western Washington University. The Coyotes (20-9) will square off against local rival Cal Poly Pomona at 5 tonight .
``They tease me about it all the time.'' Montgomery said about the age gap between him and his teammates. ``I do have to do a better job of taking care of my body and getting ready to play. I feel it the most when I try and dunk.''
Cal State is Montgomery's fourth and final stop on the collegiate
circuit which started with one-year stints at Duquesne, then Moorpark Community College.
He spent his junior season at Pepperdine in 2001-02, the highlight being an NCAA Tournament appearance against
Wake Forest in which he scored 18 points in an 83-74 loss at Arco Arena in Sacramento.
Despite that loss he looked forward to his senior season because the team had most of its starters back and the experience of being in the playoffs would be something to build upon. That never happened.
Two days before school started , Montgomery's maternal grandmother Ernestine Morgan, who helped raise him, collapsed and died at the family home.
He was hoping the sport would provide a refuge to help him escape the grief he was still feeling three months later. Then that was taken from him too - four games into the season. He was driving the lane and going up for a shot when an opponent from Cal State Fullerton went up to defend, only to come down hard on his hand.
Montgomery came out of the game for a few minutes to ice his hand but finished the game. When the adrenalin had worn off he knew something wasn't right.
``I never felt pain like that before,'' he said. ``To this day I
still hate Cal State Fullerton because of that."
An X-ray taken the next day revealed that the ligament had torn away from the bone. Rehabilitation didn't work and he ended up having surgery in December.
Montgomery couldn't travel with the team. He was on several
painkillers. And now he was without basketball. The lack of structure or an outlet for his frustrations showed. He started skipping classes and his grades suffered. He alienated himself from his teammates.
Even his closest friends had trouble getting through to him.
``We tried to stop by and get him out of the house, take him to the movies. Anything to get his mind off things,'' recalled T.K. Reed,his friend since travel ball and a former player at Cal State.
``He was having a hard time dealing with things.''
Then came another curveball. Montgomery became a father as son Devin Jr. was born in March of 2004. The thought of college basketball was the furthest thing from his mind. He took odd jobs just to help make
ends meet. He worked at basketball camps and did some private coaching just to stay in the game.
Montgomery always wanted to go back to finish school and use his last year of eligibility but that plan was put on hold - again and again
and again. His priority was his son whom he had custody of for the first two years. He kept promising mother Sharon Morgan, a
registered nurse at Los Angeles County Medical Center, he would go back but it became a standing joke.
``She went back after 10 years so she told me I had 10 years,'' Montgomery said with a laugh. ``I almost used it all.''
He talked with Reed several times about finally getting back on the court and his longtime friend put him in touch with Oliver.
The Coyote boss remembered seeing him play when he scouted Reed, who played in the same backcourt with Montgomery at Moorpark.
But it wasn't that easy. He had transferred so many times a lot of his college credits didn't apply so he had to take several summer
classes to get back in good enough academic standing to be eligible.
The rest is history. Montgomery earned first-team all-conference honors and heads into the regional ranked fifth in scoring (14.3 ppg)
, shooting .493 percent from the field and .754 from the line.
``I was willing to give the old man a chance,'' Oliver said with a laugh. ``I knew he could play even though it had been awhile, a long
while.''
Montgomery got off to a great start, totaling 76 points in his first three games. After a bit of slump midway through the season he is
delivering again. Oliver said the turning point was a closed-door meeting he had with Montgomery after a 73-71 overtime loss to Cal
Poly - the same team the Coyotes face today.
``He wasn't aggressive enough and wasn't playing at the speed at which I knew he could play. He's never exactly been a jet but I
didn't want him playing in slow motion either. I told him if he wasn't going to do that I would put someone in who would.''
The Coyotes lost the next game but then reeled off seven straight wins, a streak they hope to extend today. Montgomery dished out a
season-high 12 assists in a 79-77 CCAA Tournament quarterfinal win over Sonoma State, one of the helpers being a picture perfect entry pass to Brandon Brown for a game-winning dunk.
``It's nice to see him enjoying the game again,'' Reed said. ``I knew he still had it in him.''
Maybe you always can go back again.
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team polished off
Seattle Pacific Friday night 80-72, then retreated to a Bellingham, Wash. hotel room where several players fired up their laptops to see what was going on in Hawaii. CCAA brethren Cal State Dominguez Hills was playing at Brigham Young Hawaii and the Broncos were awaiting the winner of that game.
Hawaii it will be.
That was just fine for veteran coach Greg Kamansky and his resilient squad.
If the Toros had won the Broncos would have gotten a home game. But players said they preferred to play BYU-Hawaii, not because the exotic location proved more inviting than the confines of Kellogg Gymnasium or because one foe was more beatable than the other.
``We have final exams on Tuesday,'' senior standout Larry Gordon said. ``If we go back we have to take them. If we don't it can wait a few days.''
Kamansky was also taking the news in stride.
``We have a group of guys that really enjoy being together and when you have a group like that being on the road can be an even better bonding experience. It has helped our guys grow even closer together.''
Kamansky acknowledged that his most excited player is senior Jimmy Miyasaka, a walk-on from Honolulu who plays sparingly. His parents were in to see him play here on senior night but his grandparents have never seen him play in person.
The Broncos (22-7) drove the 100 miles from Bellingham to Seattle on Sunday and will be flying from Seattle to Hawaii this morning in preparation for Wednesday's Division II West Regional title game against the Seasiders (27-1) who are ranked third nationally and riding a 24-game win streak.
BYU may be the top seed in the region but the Broncos are playing well too. Cal Poly has won 13 of its last 14 games, the lone loss in that stretch coming to Cal State Monterey Bay in the semifinals of the CCAA Tournament.
Among those wins was a thrilling 83-81 overtime win against local rival Cal State San Bernardino in Friday's regional quarterfinal at Western Washington University. Gordon has been the driving force in the two regional victories thus far, totaling 56 points, 23 rebounds and seven assists.
In the win over Seattle Pacific it wasn't just Gordon doing the
damage. The Broncos shot 66.7 percent (30-for-45) as a team with Gordon, Tobias Jahn and Walter combining to go 23-for-26 from the field.
BYU-Hawaii , which advanced to the national semifinal last season, is led by 6-foot-9 Brazilian Lucas Alves (19.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg) whom Kamansky thinks has the potential to play in the NBA.
There are some Southern California connections as the team also includes former Citrus College standout Virgil Buensuceso (10.3 ppg, 6.2 apg), a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award which goes annually to the nation's top point guard, as well as former College of the Desert standout Nathan Sims (12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg).
The winner of Wednesday's game advances to the Elite Eight slated for March 26-29 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.
Seattle Pacific Friday night 80-72, then retreated to a Bellingham, Wash. hotel room where several players fired up their laptops to see what was going on in Hawaii. CCAA brethren Cal State Dominguez Hills was playing at Brigham Young Hawaii and the Broncos were awaiting the winner of that game.
Hawaii it will be.
That was just fine for veteran coach Greg Kamansky and his resilient squad.
If the Toros had won the Broncos would have gotten a home game. But players said they preferred to play BYU-Hawaii, not because the exotic location proved more inviting than the confines of Kellogg Gymnasium or because one foe was more beatable than the other.
``We have final exams on Tuesday,'' senior standout Larry Gordon said. ``If we go back we have to take them. If we don't it can wait a few days.''
Kamansky was also taking the news in stride.
``We have a group of guys that really enjoy being together and when you have a group like that being on the road can be an even better bonding experience. It has helped our guys grow even closer together.''
Kamansky acknowledged that his most excited player is senior Jimmy Miyasaka, a walk-on from Honolulu who plays sparingly. His parents were in to see him play here on senior night but his grandparents have never seen him play in person.
The Broncos (22-7) drove the 100 miles from Bellingham to Seattle on Sunday and will be flying from Seattle to Hawaii this morning in preparation for Wednesday's Division II West Regional title game against the Seasiders (27-1) who are ranked third nationally and riding a 24-game win streak.
BYU may be the top seed in the region but the Broncos are playing well too. Cal Poly has won 13 of its last 14 games, the lone loss in that stretch coming to Cal State Monterey Bay in the semifinals of the CCAA Tournament.
Among those wins was a thrilling 83-81 overtime win against local rival Cal State San Bernardino in Friday's regional quarterfinal at Western Washington University. Gordon has been the driving force in the two regional victories thus far, totaling 56 points, 23 rebounds and seven assists.
In the win over Seattle Pacific it wasn't just Gordon doing the
damage. The Broncos shot 66.7 percent (30-for-45) as a team with Gordon, Tobias Jahn and Walter combining to go 23-for-26 from the field.
BYU-Hawaii , which advanced to the national semifinal last season, is led by 6-foot-9 Brazilian Lucas Alves (19.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg) whom Kamansky thinks has the potential to play in the NBA.
There are some Southern California connections as the team also includes former Citrus College standout Virgil Buensuceso (10.3 ppg, 6.2 apg), a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award which goes annually to the nation's top point guard, as well as former College of the Desert standout Nathan Sims (12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg).
The winner of Wednesday's game advances to the Elite Eight slated for March 26-29 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.
University of Redlands junior center fielder Kayla Peterson (San Jose, CA) was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Female Athlete of the Week for her outstanding contributions during the Bulldogs' doubleheader sweep against Cal Lutheran University on March 7, 2009.
Playing a vital role in the Bulldogs' two victories over the Regals, Peterson went 4-for-5 for an .800 batting average to go along with a slugging percentage of 1.600 and an on-base mark of .833. She was perfect in the outfield with one putout. During the 13-5 win in the first game, she was a home run short of the cycle but batted in a career-high six runs while crossing the plate once.
The male winner for last week was Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' Max Rose, a pitcher/outfielder for the Stag baseball team.
The SCIAC Sports Information Directors nominate and vote on the athletes of the week every Tuesday.
The honors just keep coming for Cal State San Bernardino junior center Brandon Brown and senior guard Devin Montgomery.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced their all-West Region team in NCAA Division II and Brown was voted to the first team and Montgomery to the second team.
Brown, a 6-7 postman who was all-CCAA conference first-team, the CCAA's newcomer of the year and MVP of the CCAA tournament, is now eligible to be considered for the NABC all-America teams that will be announced at the Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass later this month.
Earlier last week, Brown was voted by sports information directors in the West Region to the Daktronics all-West Region first team.
Montgomery, a 6-foot guard, was an all-CCAA first-team selection.
Joining Brown on the NABC all-region first team were Larry Gordon of Cal Poly Pomona, Lucas Alves of BYU-Hawaii, Michael Hernandez of Cal State Dominguez Hills, Ira Graham of Western Washington and Jake Linton of Saint Martin's.
Along with Montgomery, the other second-teamers on the NABC all-star teams were Jerrell Smith of CSU Dominguez Hills, Zac Tiedeman of Humboldt State, Matt Penoncello of Central Washington, Kenny Barker of Alaska Anchorage and Jay DeMaestri of Hawaii Hilo.
Greg Kamansky of Cal Poly Pomona was voted coach of the year by the NABC.
Brown led the CCAA in scoring at 21.5 points per game, was No. 3 in rebounding at 8.7 rebounds per game, No.4 in field goal percentage (56.0), No. 1 in blocked shots (39 - 1.7/game) and No. 1 in offensive rebounds per game (2.8). He was the team leader in all those categories.
Montgomery was No. 6 in the CCAA in scoring (14.3 ppg), No. 12 in field goal percentage (49.8), No. 9 in assists (3.1/game), No. 7 in 3-point FG percentage (40.7). He led the team in assists (94) and averaged 2.4 rebounds a game and shot 75 percent from the foul line.
The Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball teams have had some great games in the past. Both have great coaches and quality athletes. Each game just adds to the rivalry.
The team split games this season with one of those decided in overtime.
So it is probably fitting that they are going to be squaring off on neutral ground in a West Regional quarterfinal at Western Washington University in Bellingham.
The coaches like and respect each other, as do the players. The teams are travel partners so for much of the season they're on the same flight when it comes to road trips, especially with each within sneezing distance of the same airport.
Both teams will leave on Wednesday in preparation for Friday's game. As usual they will be on the same flight. It's one thing for that to be the norm during the regular season. But this is a playoff game with everything on the line.
So that will be a little awkward.
Since this is a playoff tournament the NCAA makes the arrangements, as opposed to the schools making their own as they do during the regular season. There are enough flights out of Ontario that probably didn't need to happen.
But at least one won't be faced with some travel problem the other doesn't.
The winner plays again on Saturday, about the same time the losing team will be arriving home. At least they won't be on the same flight then.
Former Fontana High School standout Ira Graham is finishing his collegiate career in fine fashion. Graham, a 6-foot guard at Division II Western Washington, has been named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Graham helped the Vikings to a 21-5 record and their first outright GNAC championship in the eight-year history of the conference.
Western Washington, which shared the GNAC title in 2002 and 2005, is the No. 2 seed and will host one of two sub-regional tournaments beginning Friday at Sam Carver Gymnasium. Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona will be playing in that event.
Graham finished third in the conference in scoring this winter averaging 18.7 points per game and also ranked 10th in steals, averaging 1.2 per game. He made 53.3 percent of his shots.
He has always had good games against the locals schools and is hoping he gets one last chance to square off against them.
The San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team will square off against City College of San Francisco at 1 p.m. Thursday at Selland Arena in Fresno in a state tournament quarterfinal.
The Wolverines were the third seed out of the South and will be playing the second seed out of the North.
SBVC might be the toughest team to prepare for because of its balance. Coach Quincy Brewer doesn't really have a starting five. He has 10 guys the same caliber and it's a matter of who is hitting on that day. Scout them one day and that doesn't mean those coming up big will be the ones doing ao the next game.
It's also nice to have a team made up mostly of Inland Empire athletes representing the school. SBVC is no stranger to the state tournament scene. But in the past the Wolverines have done it with collection of players with temporary addresses in the IE.
Another marquee matchup will pit North top seed Fresno, sure to have a boisterous crowd on hand, against Riverside which upset defending state champion Citrus.
The Tigers, coached by John Smith, will also be a great representative of the Inland Empire.
Well the pairings for the Division II men's basketball playoffs are official and to no one's surprise Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona will be doing battle once again.
The two teams split regular season meetings with each winning on its home floor. This showdown will take place on neutral territory as Western Washington will host a four-team sub-regional. That's another whole story.
But it will be good to see the teams square off with so much on the line, adding to what has become an interesting rivalry. It also guarantees the area a team in the semifinals. Broncos vs. Coyotes, Coyotes vs. Broncos.
Neutral court.
Player of the Year Larry Gordon against CCAA Tournament MVP Brandon Brown.
Both coaches were playing it cool on Sunday night, perhaps not wanting to provide bulletin board material for the other.
Oh so many subplots.
The whole sub-region scenario is ludicrous. Call it the Alaska/Hawaii rule. The NCAA just didn't like the thought of having to fly seven teams to one location so they changed the rules in midstream. Instead of having eight teams go to one location the NCAA has divided the West Region into two sub-regions with the winners squaring off to decide who goes to the Elite Eight.
The rule only affects the West because it is the only region so spread out it would be in a siuation where seven teams have to fly in.
Now you have to make decisions on the two teams that get to host. Cal Poly was in perfect position last week at No. 2 in the region but it lost. Western Washington should not have been able to leapfrog three teams in one week and get the nod ahead of the Broncos who beat the Vikings head to head.
The other brain-numbing move was the award of the eighth and final seed to Humboldt State over UC San Diego. Humboldt lost two of three games against San Diego, both by double digits. One of those came just last week in the CCAA Tournament. Humboldt played a far easier schedule and played the majority of its nonconference schedule at home an has lost four of its last five games. San Diego has a reason to be furious.
Cal State San Bernardino junior center Brandon Brown is a lot like Shaq. OK so he isn't quite as big as Shaq and we're not talking about players at the same level. But he is a lot like the former Laker player in the personality department.
The Coyotes (20-9) had just polished off Monterey Bay 80-78 in the CCAA Tournament finale and the team photos had been taken with the championship banner. Brown then grabbed the banner, flung it around his shoulders like a cape and started racing around the Coussoulis Arena floor.
Definitely something Shaq would do.
Coach Jeff Oliver called his star player "a big kid" after the game.
Brown poured in 34 points from all points on the floor. Most of those points came in the paint but he hit a couple of fadeaway jumpers and had a couple shots from the baseline in the final minute that were huge.
Brown scored the first 12 points of the game for the Coyotes. Asked afterward if the Coyotes game plan was to go to him often early, he replied.
"Not not really, I was just feeling juicy."
Uh-huh, something Shaq would say.
Hard to believe he wasn't named MVP of the conference. All he did was lead the CCAA in scoring and blocks and place third in rebounding. And his team tied for the regular season title, making the eighth time the Coyotes have finished first in the last 10 years.
That honor went to Cal Poly Pomona's Larry Gordon who is rounding out a stellar career with the Broncos. But his numbers were down this year. It isn't a career award, it's a player of the year honor and no player did more for his team, especially down the stretch than Brown.
In a few hours the Coyotes and the Broncos will find out where they're headed for the West Region Tournament. It would be great if the Broncos got the nod. They were in position to do so until laying an egg against Monterey Bay Friday in the semifinal.
The Cal State San Bernardino women's basketball team pulled off one upset but couldn't quite finish off another and fell to No. 2 seed Humboldt State 67-57 in CCAA Tournament semifinal play Friday at Coussoulis Arena.
Humboldt State, which has won 10 straight games, will play for the title at 5:30 p.m. tonight against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The Coyotes (11-17) , seeded eighth in the field, stunned No. 1 UC San Diego in Tuesday's quarterfinal and played a near flawless first half but couldn't stick with the more well-rounded Lumberjacks (23-6) in the late going.
``We played well but the longer it went the more our weaknesses were exposed,'' Coyotes coach Kevin Becker said. ``They came up with some big shots late and were getting the rebounds. Rebounding and post play have been our problems for us all season.''
The Coyotes led by as many as 14 points in the first half, that
edge coming when Jaclyn Rainville hit a 15-foot jumper to put Cal State up 32-18 with 5:45 left. The Lumberjacks finished the half with a 11-0 run and only trailed 32-27 at the half.
Cal State also hung in early in the second. Humboldt State pulled even at 38-all on a bucket off the inbounds pass by Andrea Bobic. It was later even at 42.
But the visitors then put together a 12-1 that put them ahead for
good. Five of those points came from Katie Franci. The run also
included a 3-pointer by Jennifer Enos. The Lumberjacks built a
double-digit lead for the first time at 54-43 on a bucket underneath by Taylor.
The Coyotes last ditch effort came when Shannon Gholar scored on a layup after a steal at the Humboldt end that made it 56-50 with 2:03 to play. But the Lumberjacks pulled away at the free-throw line, making seven of eight tries the rest of the way with reserve Luiza Osborne hitting all six of hers.
Cal State shot 32.4 percent (23-for-71) for the game but had only one player in double figures, that being Morgan Pryor who tallied 20 points. Krystal Urza and Rainville chipped in with nine each. Rainville also snagged a team-high eight rebounds while Ashlee Ford had six assists.
Humboldt, ranked fourth in the West Region, shot 41.5 percent
(22-for-53) from the field and 69.2 percent (18-for-26) from the
line. It also benefited from a 49-40 edge on the boards.
It had four players finish in double figures led by Brittany Taylor
with 15. Franci contributed 13 points and 16 rebounds.
``They can score from all five positions. That's different than any
other team in the conference,'' Becker added. ``And they have
multiple threats in most places.''
Becker was pleased with how his team finished after losing nine
straight games midway through conference play.
``The coaching staff was very positive with us,'' Pryor said. ``They didn't give up on us and didn't let us give up on ourselves. We had our ups and downs. It would have been a better season if the ups had lasted a little longer.''
C S DOMINGUEZ HILLS 74
CHICO STATE 61
Sophomore Neka Mixon scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists to lead the Toros (20-9) past the Wildcats (16-13) in the other semifinal. Third-seeded Dominguez also got 10 points and five assists from Etiwanda graduate Aujanee Baldwin.
Chico State's Melissa Richardson led all scorers with 18 points.
Humboldt State, which has won 10 straight games, will play for the title at 5:30 p.m. tonight against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The Coyotes (11-17) , seeded eighth in the field, stunned No. 1 UC San Diego in Tuesday's quarterfinal and played a near flawless first half but couldn't stick with the more well-rounded Lumberjacks (23-6) in the late going.
``We played well but the longer it went the more our weaknesses were exposed,'' Coyotes coach Kevin Becker said. ``They came up with some big shots late and were getting the rebounds. Rebounding and post play have been our problems for us all season.''
The Coyotes led by as many as 14 points in the first half, that
edge coming when Jaclyn Rainville hit a 15-foot jumper to put Cal State up 32-18 with 5:45 left. The Lumberjacks finished the half with a 11-0 run and only trailed 32-27 at the half.
Cal State also hung in early in the second. Humboldt State pulled even at 38-all on a bucket off the inbounds pass by Andrea Bobic. It was later even at 42.
But the visitors then put together a 12-1 that put them ahead for
good. Five of those points came from Katie Franci. The run also
included a 3-pointer by Jennifer Enos. The Lumberjacks built a
double-digit lead for the first time at 54-43 on a bucket underneath by Taylor.
The Coyotes last ditch effort came when Shannon Gholar scored on a layup after a steal at the Humboldt end that made it 56-50 with 2:03 to play. But the Lumberjacks pulled away at the free-throw line, making seven of eight tries the rest of the way with reserve Luiza Osborne hitting all six of hers.
Cal State shot 32.4 percent (23-for-71) for the game but had only one player in double figures, that being Morgan Pryor who tallied 20 points. Krystal Urza and Rainville chipped in with nine each. Rainville also snagged a team-high eight rebounds while Ashlee Ford had six assists.
Humboldt, ranked fourth in the West Region, shot 41.5 percent
(22-for-53) from the field and 69.2 percent (18-for-26) from the
line. It also benefited from a 49-40 edge on the boards.
It had four players finish in double figures led by Brittany Taylor
with 15. Franci contributed 13 points and 16 rebounds.
``They can score from all five positions. That's different than any
other team in the conference,'' Becker added. ``And they have
multiple threats in most places.''
Becker was pleased with how his team finished after losing nine
straight games midway through conference play.
``The coaching staff was very positive with us,'' Pryor said. ``They didn't give up on us and didn't let us give up on ourselves. We had our ups and downs. It would have been a better season if the ups had lasted a little longer.''
C S DOMINGUEZ HILLS 74
CHICO STATE 61
Sophomore Neka Mixon scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists to lead the Toros (20-9) past the Wildcats (16-13) in the other semifinal. Third-seeded Dominguez also got 10 points and five assists from Etiwanda graduate Aujanee Baldwin.
Chico State's Melissa Richardson led all scorers with 18 points.
The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team escaped - again.
The Coyotes slipped past longtime nemesis UC San Diego 76-72 in a CCAA Tournament semifinal Friday night to earn a spot in tonight's 7:30 p.m. title game against unheralded Cal State Monterey Bay (16-13).
The Coyotes (19-9) nipped Sonoma State 79-77 in Tuesday's
quarterfinal and coach Jeff Oliver is pleased to see his team start knocking down some shots at crunch time, something it had trouble with earlier in the season.
``We're making the most of our opportunities and taking advantage of some mismatches," Oliver said. ``I think it's a matter of our guys better understanding their roles and feeling more comfortable in the offense. It's good to see.''
The Coyotes led by as many as 11 in the second half, that lead coming at 62-51 with 8:45 left. But the Tritons (17-11) came back as they always do. San Diego evened the game at 67 on a baseline drive by Shane Poppen, who surged past defender Brandon Brown, playing it safe after being called for his fourth foul.
The game was tied again at 70 with 1:40 to play. The Coyotes got a fadeaway jumper from Tim Denson to go up 72-70 with 1:13 left. The Tritons failed to answer as Kelvin Kim missed an open look from the top of the key, his favorite shot.
Cal State's Devin Montgomery scrambled for the rebound with 45 seconds left and sank a pair of free throw to up the lead to four, 74-70.
Montgomery was at the line twice more and delivered two with 18.2 seconds left and one of two later to seal the outcome.
``I was just trying to relax and make them,'' Montgomery said. ``I
was in that position before and didn't come through. I wasn't really thinking about it, but I was thinking about it. I didn't want to fail in that position again.''
The Coyotes, ranked seventh in the West Region, shot 57.4 percent (27-for-47) from the field with Brown's 22 leading the way. Montgomery and Denson contributed 15 and 13 respectively. DuBois Williams had a steady game with eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
San Diego came in needing to win the tournament to advance to the West Region Tournament, something it did last year. The Tritons got 24 from Jordan Lawley and 16 each from Alan Husted Poppen.
The Coyotes entered the tournament seeded third despite claiming a share of the regular season title for the eighth time in 10 years. Monterey Bay was the seventh seed but it upended No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday, then followed with an ugly-but-effective win over the top-seeded Broncos.
Cal State swept both regular season meetings against the Otters.
``That's going to be another tough one,'' Oliver said. ``They play
hard and don't quit and they have the momentum right now.''
The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team delivered its first blow Tuesday when it throttled No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills. It turned in another stunner on Friday, upstaging top-seeded Cal Poly Pomona 54-49 in overtime in a CCAA Tournament semifinal at Coussoulis Arena.
The Otters (16-13), the eighth seed, were playing for their lives
with the tournament bid the only chance they had of making the West Region Tournament. The Broncos (20-7), who came in riding an 11-game winning streak, have already secured a spot in that event but were playing for the right to possibly host a sub-regional.
``Their season was on the line and they were playing like it,''
Broncos senior Larry Gordon said. ``We knew they were going to come in and play hard and we really didn't step up and answer. ''
The game was not a particularly well-played one on either side. The Otters shot just 33.9 percent (19-for-56) including a woeful 16.7 percent (3for-16) from long distance. Meanwhile the Broncos shot a slightly worse 33.3 (15-for-45) with 18 turnovers.
How bad was it? Well the Broncos went the first 11 minutes of the second half without a field goal, a driving layup by Dahir Nasser breaking that drought. But it wasn't like the Otters played well enough to capitalize as they only led 29-28 despite after that play.
``We were fortunate to be as close as we were,'' Broncos coach Greg Kamansky said. ``It was more about bad offense but they did play good defense and just got after us and we didn't respond.''
The second half was tight all the way with neither team managing more than a four-point lead. It was tied at 38 with 2:08 to go but Gordon knocked down two free throws to give the Broncos back the lead, 40-38.
The Otters had three shots on their next possession before the
Broncos Dwayne Fells came up with the defensive rebound. They failed to convert as Gordon misfired and the Otters Steve Monreal grabbed the rebound with 50 seconds left.
The upstarts converted as Monreal drove the baseline and sunk a shot to even it again at 40-all. It stayed that way as Nasser missed a 3-pointer to leave the game tied after regulation.
The Otters led the extra period all the way with two free throws
by Monreal, making it 50-46 with 19 seconds to go. The Broncos
Walter Thompson buried a 3-pointer at the other end with 13 seconds to go, bringing the Broncos back within one point but that was as close as the Broncos would get.
``We were dysfunctional on offense,'' Kamansky said. ``We seemed a little too tight and then we were hanging our heads. We got what we deserved.''
Gordon led the Broncos with 17 points, highlighted by his 1,400th career field goal which came on a driving base line move with 6:59 left in the game. He also had six rebounds and a career-high seven steals which also stands as a best by any player in the conference this season.
Monreal led the Otters, who will be making their first appearance
in a conference tournament final, with 18 points. Joe Mitchell
snagged 14 rebounds.
The Otters (16-13), the eighth seed, were playing for their lives
with the tournament bid the only chance they had of making the West Region Tournament. The Broncos (20-7), who came in riding an 11-game winning streak, have already secured a spot in that event but were playing for the right to possibly host a sub-regional.
``Their season was on the line and they were playing like it,''
Broncos senior Larry Gordon said. ``We knew they were going to come in and play hard and we really didn't step up and answer. ''
The game was not a particularly well-played one on either side. The Otters shot just 33.9 percent (19-for-56) including a woeful 16.7 percent (3for-16) from long distance. Meanwhile the Broncos shot a slightly worse 33.3 (15-for-45) with 18 turnovers.
How bad was it? Well the Broncos went the first 11 minutes of the second half without a field goal, a driving layup by Dahir Nasser breaking that drought. But it wasn't like the Otters played well enough to capitalize as they only led 29-28 despite after that play.
``We were fortunate to be as close as we were,'' Broncos coach Greg Kamansky said. ``It was more about bad offense but they did play good defense and just got after us and we didn't respond.''
The second half was tight all the way with neither team managing more than a four-point lead. It was tied at 38 with 2:08 to go but Gordon knocked down two free throws to give the Broncos back the lead, 40-38.
The Otters had three shots on their next possession before the
Broncos Dwayne Fells came up with the defensive rebound. They failed to convert as Gordon misfired and the Otters Steve Monreal grabbed the rebound with 50 seconds left.
The upstarts converted as Monreal drove the baseline and sunk a shot to even it again at 40-all. It stayed that way as Nasser missed a 3-pointer to leave the game tied after regulation.
The Otters led the extra period all the way with two free throws
by Monreal, making it 50-46 with 19 seconds to go. The Broncos
Walter Thompson buried a 3-pointer at the other end with 13 seconds to go, bringing the Broncos back within one point but that was as close as the Broncos would get.
``We were dysfunctional on offense,'' Kamansky said. ``We seemed a little too tight and then we were hanging our heads. We got what we deserved.''
Gordon led the Broncos with 17 points, highlighted by his 1,400th career field goal which came on a driving base line move with 6:59 left in the game. He also had six rebounds and a career-high seven steals which also stands as a best by any player in the conference this season.
Monreal led the Otters, who will be making their first appearance
in a conference tournament final, with 18 points. Joe Mitchell
snagged 14 rebounds.
The men's basketball teams from Chaffey College and San Bernardino Valley are just one step away from the state tournament slated for Fresno March 12-15.
Both teams will try and take that next step on Saturday. SBVC will be at home to play Miramar while Chaffey will head to Mission Viejo to try and upend top-seeded Saddleback. Both games will tip off at 7 p.m.
Each team has a rock as its star player - For Chaffey its 6-5 sophomore wing Winston Robinson. For SBVC it's 5-9 sophomore guard Warren Fuselier.
All Robinson does is knock down shots, make his free throws and rebound. He is averaging 17 points a game and can score from anywhere on the court. he is big enough and strong enough to battle for points in the paint and he is smooth enough and has enough range to make the 3-pointer.
Even better is his ability to deliver at crunch time. Not all players can do that. I have seen a handful of Chaffey games, all of them close ones, and he has been the guy making the plays down the stretch.
Fuselier is the only sophomore on a talented, but sometimes erratic Wolverine squad. His statistics don't stand out in the same way. He is averaging 12 points a game. But the SBVC team is a more balanced one with about eight players able to deliver in double digits any given night.
Fuselier scores when he has to but is also adept at distributing the ball and creating shots for others. He knows his shot and takes smart ones that come in the framework of the offense. He doesn't force shots that aren't there.
When there is chaos around him Fuselier is able to keep his cool. His teammates take a cue from him. That was evident on the Wolverines' 81-78 win over West Los Angeles Saturday.
Both players can take their teams a long way. The teams are separate halves of the draw so both could be representing the Inland Empire in Fresno later this month.
The 2009 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Basketball Tournament opens on Tuesday with first-round games at campus sites. The top eight teams in both the men's and women's fields will square off in an attempt to advance toward the tournament title and earn the CCAA's automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Cal Poly Pomona (19-6, 15-5) is the top seed on the men's side, while UC San Diego (26-3, 19-1) is the women's No. 1 seed.
The tournament format calls for the top four seeds to host first-round games and the winners will advance to the semifinals at Coussoulis Arena on the campus of Cal State Bernardino beginning Friday, March 6. The championship games are scheduled for Saturday, March 6, with the women tipping off at 5 p.m. and the men scheduled to get underway at 7:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona, which tied Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State San Bernardino for the regular season title, earned the No. 1 seed based on tie-breaker formulas and will host No. 8 seed San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) on Tuesday beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Other men's first-round contests match No. 7 Cal State Monterey Bay (14-13, 8-12) at No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-6, 15-5), 7:30 p.m.; No. 6 Sonoma State (12-15, 8-12) at No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino (17-9, 15-5), 7 p.m.; and No. 5 Humboldt State (20-10, 13-7) at No. 4 UC San Diego (16-10, 13-7), 7:30 p.m.
UC San Diego, which posted the best regular-season conference record on the women's side since Cal State Bakersfield went 21-1 during the 2002-03 campaign, will host No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino (10-16, 8-12) at 5:30 p.m.
Other first-round games pit No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (13-14, 8-12) at No. 2 Humboldt State (21-6, 16-4), 7 p.m.; No. 6 San Francisco State (13-14, 8-12), at No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills (18-9, 13-7), 5:30 p.m.; and No. 5 Chico State (15-12, 11-9) at No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona (16-13, 12-8), 5:30 p.m.
This season marks the second year of the CCAA Men's Championship Tournament after it was re-instated following a 15-year absence. UC San Diego ascended from the No. 7 seed to capture the 2008 title.
The Tritons, who finished in a five-way tie for third place during the regular season, recorded a road victory at No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino (63-59, OT) before defeating San Francisco State (72-65) and Cal Poly Pomona (64-56) to capture the conference crown.
Last year also marked the return of women's postseason for the time since 1998 and Chico State came out on top. The Wildcats claimed the No. 1 seed after posting a 17-3 conference record and claimed the tournament title following victories over Cal State Dominguez Hills (62-45), Cal Poly Pomona (78-74) and UC San Diego (69-63).
Six schools have both their men's and women's teams participating in the tournament and three are hosting doubleheaders. UC San Diego, Cal State San Beranrdino, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Humboldt State and San Francisco State have both their men's and women's teams competing.
UC San Diego, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills are hosting both men's and women's games.
All of the action can be followed by logging onto www.goccaa.org.
2009 CCAA Tournament Schedule
March 3 (Tue) - At Campus Sites
Women
No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino (10-16, 8-12) at No. 1 UC San Diego (26-3, 19-1); 5:30 p.m.
No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (13-14, 8-12)) at No. 2 Humboldt State (21-6, 16-4); 7 p.m.
No. 6 San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) at No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills (18-9, 13-7); 5:30 p.m.
No. 5 Chico State (15-12, 11-9) at No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona (16-13, 12-8); 5:30 p.m.
Men
No. 8 San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) at No. 1 Cal Poly Pomona (19-6, 15-5); 7:30 p.m.
No. 7 Cal State Monterey Bay (14-13, 8-12) at No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-6, 15-5); 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 Sonoma State (12-15, 8-12) at No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino (17-9, 15-5); 7 p.m.
No. 5 Humboldt State (20-10, 13-7) at No. 4 UC San Diego (16-10, 13-7); 7:30 p.m.
March 6 (Fri)
Women's Semifinal Game 1: 12:30 P.M.
Women's Semifinal Game 2: 3:00 P.M.
Men's Semifinal Game 1: 5:30 P.M.
Men's Semifinal Game 2: 8:00 P.M.
March 7 (Sat)
Women's Championship - 5:00 PM
Men's Championship - 7:30 PM
2009 CCAA Tournament Ticket Prices
First Round (at campus sites)
Reserved (if available) -- $12
General Admission -- $10
Students (with ID), Seniors & Youth -- $5
Semifinals and Finals
Reserved -- $12
General Admission -- $10
Students (with ID), Seniors & Youth -- $5
*Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the Cal State Bernardino ticket office at (909) 537-5048 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. beginning March 3.
Cal Poly Pomona (19-6, 15-5) is the top seed on the men's side, while UC San Diego (26-3, 19-1) is the women's No. 1 seed.
The tournament format calls for the top four seeds to host first-round games and the winners will advance to the semifinals at Coussoulis Arena on the campus of Cal State Bernardino beginning Friday, March 6. The championship games are scheduled for Saturday, March 6, with the women tipping off at 5 p.m. and the men scheduled to get underway at 7:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona, which tied Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State San Bernardino for the regular season title, earned the No. 1 seed based on tie-breaker formulas and will host No. 8 seed San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) on Tuesday beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Other men's first-round contests match No. 7 Cal State Monterey Bay (14-13, 8-12) at No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-6, 15-5), 7:30 p.m.; No. 6 Sonoma State (12-15, 8-12) at No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino (17-9, 15-5), 7 p.m.; and No. 5 Humboldt State (20-10, 13-7) at No. 4 UC San Diego (16-10, 13-7), 7:30 p.m.
UC San Diego, which posted the best regular-season conference record on the women's side since Cal State Bakersfield went 21-1 during the 2002-03 campaign, will host No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino (10-16, 8-12) at 5:30 p.m.
Other first-round games pit No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (13-14, 8-12) at No. 2 Humboldt State (21-6, 16-4), 7 p.m.; No. 6 San Francisco State (13-14, 8-12), at No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills (18-9, 13-7), 5:30 p.m.; and No. 5 Chico State (15-12, 11-9) at No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona (16-13, 12-8), 5:30 p.m.
This season marks the second year of the CCAA Men's Championship Tournament after it was re-instated following a 15-year absence. UC San Diego ascended from the No. 7 seed to capture the 2008 title.
The Tritons, who finished in a five-way tie for third place during the regular season, recorded a road victory at No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino (63-59, OT) before defeating San Francisco State (72-65) and Cal Poly Pomona (64-56) to capture the conference crown.
Last year also marked the return of women's postseason for the time since 1998 and Chico State came out on top. The Wildcats claimed the No. 1 seed after posting a 17-3 conference record and claimed the tournament title following victories over Cal State Dominguez Hills (62-45), Cal Poly Pomona (78-74) and UC San Diego (69-63).
Six schools have both their men's and women's teams participating in the tournament and three are hosting doubleheaders. UC San Diego, Cal State San Beranrdino, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Humboldt State and San Francisco State have both their men's and women's teams competing.
UC San Diego, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills are hosting both men's and women's games.
All of the action can be followed by logging onto www.goccaa.org.
2009 CCAA Tournament Schedule
March 3 (Tue) - At Campus Sites
Women
No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino (10-16, 8-12) at No. 1 UC San Diego (26-3, 19-1); 5:30 p.m.
No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (13-14, 8-12)) at No. 2 Humboldt State (21-6, 16-4); 7 p.m.
No. 6 San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) at No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills (18-9, 13-7); 5:30 p.m.
No. 5 Chico State (15-12, 11-9) at No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona (16-13, 12-8); 5:30 p.m.
Men
No. 8 San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) at No. 1 Cal Poly Pomona (19-6, 15-5); 7:30 p.m.
No. 7 Cal State Monterey Bay (14-13, 8-12) at No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-6, 15-5); 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 Sonoma State (12-15, 8-12) at No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino (17-9, 15-5); 7 p.m.
No. 5 Humboldt State (20-10, 13-7) at No. 4 UC San Diego (16-10, 13-7); 7:30 p.m.
March 6 (Fri)
Women's Semifinal Game 1: 12:30 P.M.
Women's Semifinal Game 2: 3:00 P.M.
Men's Semifinal Game 1: 5:30 P.M.
Men's Semifinal Game 2: 8:00 P.M.
March 7 (Sat)
Women's Championship - 5:00 PM
Men's Championship - 7:30 PM
2009 CCAA Tournament Ticket Prices
First Round (at campus sites)
Reserved (if available) -- $12
General Admission -- $10
Students (with ID), Seniors & Youth -- $5
Semifinals and Finals
Reserved -- $12
General Admission -- $10
Students (with ID), Seniors & Youth -- $5
*Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the Cal State Bernardino ticket office at (909) 537-5048 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. beginning March 3.
It looks like Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky will be the one getting the last laugh.
He is the first to admit his team hardly looks imposing when it takes the court for pregame warmups. He has been down to eight players for much of the year and those eight don't look like the most athletic bunch.
But the Broncos (19-6, 15-5) finished tied for first in the CCAA with more physically imposing teams from Cal State San Bernardino (17-9, 15-5) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-6, 15-5).
Cal Poly got the tiebreaker and will enter this week's CCAA Tournament as the top seed. It will host No. 8 San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kellogg Gymnasium. Friday's semifinals and Saturday's championship game will be at Coussoulis Arena on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino.
"It's actually pretty funny," Kamansky said. "We're out there with our seven, eight guys and we're clanking shots all over the place. Other coaches are laughing at us. Fans are laughing at us. I know. I've seen it."
Six weeks ago the Broncos were in desperation mode. They were 9-6 overall and 5-5 in conference play. Kamansky was just hoping to get in the conference tournament. He never imagined being the top seed. But the Broncos swept the back half of their schedule, a significant feat in such a depp conference.
They will head into Tuesday's game riding a 10-game win streak.
"It just goes to show what can happen when you have good team chemistry and guys believe in the system and their teammates," Kamansky said.
The Broncos are led by senior Larry Gordon (14 ppg, 10.3 rpg), a mainstay in the lineup for his four years. Austin Swift (10.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Walter Thompson (11.6 ppg) have emerged as good complimentary players.
But Kamansky credits the team's hot streak up to the improved play of his young post players - true freshman Dwyane Fells (5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore Tobias Jahn (8.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
"They have given us a presence in the paint we didn't have early on" he said. "It adds another dimension to this team."
While the Broncos have pretty much clinched a spot in the West Region tournament no matter how they fare this week, they still have something to play for.
They are currently ranked third in the region and could move up to second since No. 2 Dominguez Hills lost last week.
If they can finish second they would likely host a four-team sub-regional if the NCAA decides to use that format rather than the traditional eight-team regional at one site.
"Who would have thought?" Kamansky sighed.
CAL POLY WOMEN GET CHICO STATE
The men's game will follow the 5:30 p.m. women's game as coach Scott Davis' team also earned a home game.
The No. 4 seeded Broncos (16-13, 12-8) will host No. 5 Chico State (15-12, 11-9). The teams split during the regular season with each winning on its home floor.
On the season the Broncos are 9-3 at Kellogg Gymnasium.
Unlike the Cal Poly men, the women need a big effort in the tournament. They currently sit eighth in the West Region, despite having two wins over No. 6 Dominguez Hills and one over No. 7 Northwest Nazarene.
"I think we need to win it to get in even though we have those wins over teams ahead of us," Davis said.
UC San Diego (26-3, 19-1) is the top seed but Davis is most leery of No. 2 Humboldt State (21-6, 16-4) which has won eight straight games.
"They are playing the best right now and they have a lot of weapons," he said.
For the Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team the task is simple -- win the CCAA tournament or the season is over.
The Coyotes (17-9, 15-5) painted themselves into a corner with losses to Cal Poly Pomona and UC San Diego. Now, there is no margin for error.
The Coyotes open play in the CCAA tournament at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Coussoulis Arena against Sonoma State (12-15, 8-12), with whom they split during the regular season.
The good news for coach Jeff Oliver's team is that Friday's semifinals and Saturday's finals will also be at Coussoulis, where the team is 10-1 this season.
Cal State is ranked 10th in the region and needs to be eighth to secure a spot in the West Region tournament. There are a half a dozen teams in the hunt for the last few spots, a couple of whom are playing in the CCAA event.
The winner of the CCAA tournament gets the conference's automatic playoff bid.
"We need to win at least two and even that leaves room for doubt," Oliver said. "We're going in with the mindset that we have to win three."
The Coyotes were part of a three-way tie for first with Cal Poly Pomona (19-6, 15-5) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-6, 15-5), giving them at least a share of the conference title for the eighth time in 10 years. But the seeding for the tournament came down to a third tiebreaker.
The Broncos, who will host San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) in an opening-round game, were 2-0 against Cal State Los Angeles (the ninth-place team and the best of the teams that didn't make the tournament) compared to Cal State Dominguez Hills' 1-1 mark against the Golden Eagles.
The Coyotes were made the third seed based on their 9-5 record against tournament teams. Both Pomona and Dominguez Hills had 10-4 marks.
That logic mystifies Oliver.
"You're rewarding Dominguez and Pomona for losing to teams that are the bottom of the barrel, that didn't make the tournament. That doesn't make sense," he said.
While Sonoma State has played the Coyotes tough, it has not had an answer for big man Brandon Brown (20.6 points per game, 8.9 rebounds), who has scored 45 points in the two games against the Seawolves and is coming off a 32-point showing against San Francisco State on Friday.
"He has been dominant," Oliver said. "He has had head on straight and doing a better job of not letting adversity get to him."
Cal State women headed south
The Cal State women will need to repeat their upset of two weeks ago to get another home game as they will play their CCAA tournament opener at RIMAC Arena against top-seeded UC San Diego (26-3, 19-1), which also comes in ranked ninth nationally.
Coach Kevin Becker's team, finishing in a three-way tie for sixth, was last in the pecking order when it came to the tiebreaker, so it was left with the eighth seed.
The Coyotes (10-16, 8-12) were the only conference team to beat the Tritons, doing so 64-59 on Feb. 14, behind the scoring punch of unheralded players Lisa Takata and Ana Onaindia.
"Obviously, they're going to be ready for us," Becker said. "We're going to have to play even better than we did the last time we played them."
For years and years the success of the athletic teams from the Orange Empire Conference has been crammed down our throats. Yes those teams are good, in pretty much every sport. But most of those are located in more affluent areas and the schools have the resources most other community college's don't.
So it is nice to see the Foothill Conference thriving, at least in basketball.
It had five teams qualify for the postseason on the men's side and all five won at least one playoff game. Victor Valley was the No. 5 team and it defeated Long Beach City, the No. 2 qualifier out of the South Coast Conference (North Division).
Antelope Valley and Victor Valley both lost on Saturday. The Rams were sent home by defending state champion Citrus. No shame in that.
San Bernardino Valley, Chaffey and Mt. San Jacinto remain. Chaffey looks to have the toughest foe coming up as it will play at No. 1 Saddleback. But Victor Valley beat Saddleback during the season so maybe the Panthers can pull it off. I wouldn't bet against any team that has Winston Robinson on it.
SBVC will be hosting Miramar, also on Saturday. The Wolverines got the benefit of an upset as No. 11 Miramar upended No. 6 Fullerton, a perennial state championship contender. SBVC escaped with a win over West Los Angeles but will need a better effort to get by Miramar.
Then there's Mt. San Jacinto which will face No. 4 San Diego City. The Eagles boast the conference Player of the Year in Melvin Goins. That says a lot.
On the women's side five teams qualified. The only ones left are San Bernardino Valley and Antelope Valley, who tied for the top spot. Despite being the No. 1 seed out of a tough conference SBVC got a 12 seed, only to hit the road and beat No. 5 Palomar, Next up is No. 4 Pasadena City, a formidable foe.
Last year the the CCAA instituted a conference tournament to determine its automatic qualifier for the first time. Coaches were pretty much split down the middle as to whether or not they liked it - half did, half didn't.
On the men's side many coaches didn't like the thought of having to play three games in five days before going to the West Regional, especially when the two other conference in the region don't have a tournament.
Ironically all four top seeds lost to the 5-8 seeds. Those top four didn't have a whole lot of motivation as all four seemingly had locked up their spots in the region no matter how they fared.
The exact opposite is true this time around. Everyone is playing for something. Traditional powers UC San Diego, Humboldt State and Cal State San Bernardino are playing for their postseason lives.
The lower seeded team from Monterey Bay, San Francisco State and Sonoma State know winning is the only way they can get in.
The only teams that seem to have their ticket punched to the regional are Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills. But if one of them can win it they could be in line to host a sub-regional if the NCAA goes to that format.
It should mean some great basketball games coming up. Tuesday's quarterfinals will be hosted by the highest seeded school. The Cal Poly men and women will both be playing at home, as will the Cal State San Bernardino men.
The semifinals and finals will be at Cal State San Bernardino's Coussoulis Arena Friday and Saturday.
About Michelle
Michelle Gardner has been a staff writer for The Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin since 2002 and has covered the local college sports scene since 2004. She ventured West after working at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale for eight years and is a graduate of the University of Florida.
E-mail Michelle here.
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