March 2010 Archives

The University of Redlands baseball team gained a No. 23 ranking in the Week 5 D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll.
 
Redlands (21-3, 13-2 SCIAC) has slowly crept onto the voters' radars, winning 16 of its past 17 games. It took 10 innings to down the Bulldogs in their lone loss during that span, as Menlo College handed the team its last defeat on March 19 in the California Invitational by a count of 6-9.
 
This marks Redlands' first appearance in the D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll since it was ranked for five weeks at the start of the 2008 season.
 
The Bulldogs next take on Whittier College in a three-game Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) set on Friday (April 2) and Saturday (April 3). The Maroon and Gray travels to Whittier for a 3 p.m. bout on Friday before hosting the Poets in a Saturday doubleheader. The first pitch of game one is set for 11 a.m. at The Yard on Saturday.

Cal Poly Pomona held a pep rally to honor its men's basketball team which brought home a national championship a few days ago.

It was a festive 45-minute affair., The pep band played, the cheerleaders were on hand  and the Quad was adorned with green and gold balloons. Each player was introduced, as were the coaches. The athletes soaked up the atmosphere. All had a good time but no one enjoyed the moment more than junior Donnelle Booker.

Seniors Dahir Nasser and Austin Swift were the last introduced and they were the players who addressed the crowd.. Swift appeared the most emotional, on the verge of tears a couple if times. Perhaps it was the realization his collegiate career was over and couldn't have ended in a better way.

The mayor was on hand. Do politicians ever miss a chance to schmooze! It's almost annoying. Yes the city is proud of the team but this is a mayor who likely has not been to a game. Now he wants to be there to pat the boys on the back. If he had been to a game or knew anything about the team he wouldn't have referred to coach Greg Kaminksy (as opposed to Kamansky).

And he referred to athletic director Greg Swanson. (It's Brian Swanson).

But it was nice that the players had their day and were able enjoy the adoration of the student body.

Eight out of 10 players should return. So now the have to be up to the challenge of defending the title. I don't think that will be a problem though!

 

 

The party hasn't ended yet for the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team which capped off the best season in school history with its first NCAA Division II national championship.

The school will be holding a "Welcome Home" celebration to honor the team at noon on Tuesday in the school's quad near the heart of campus. It is open to the public. National championship T-shirts will be on sale for $15.

The Broncos, coached by Greg Kamansky defeated No. 2 Indiana, (Penn.) 65-53 in the nationally-televised championship game on Saturday and returned on Sunday - a tired but happy bunch.
The 28-6 record is the best in school history. The Broncos also finished as the NCAA's top scoring defense at 56.2 points a game and ranked among the top 10 in field goal percentage at 50.4 percent.

One television station was on campus today and at least one more is expected tomorrow.

For a year the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team had to live with the heartbreak that comes with losing a national championship game in the most dramatic way possible. But the Broncos now have happier memories.

Coach Greg Kamansky's team was in control from start to finish and defeated Indiana (Penn,) 65-53 in the NCAA Divison II national championship game in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday morning. It was the first title in men's basketball but the 14th for the school, the most being five in women's basketball.

Last year the Broncos suffered a 56-53 loss to unbeaten Findlay (Ohio) on a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime. But they took no chances and led wire to wire this time. The Broncos were up by 14 in the first half and 17 in the second. The Crimson Hawks didn't get closer than eight and that was in the last minute of the game, That's total control.

Austin Swift was named tournament MVP. That was a no-brainer with the way he played in the post-season. He had 12 points and six rebounds in the title tilt. But as usual the Broncos got contributions from everyone. Dahir Nasser also played a steady, heady game and was named to the All-Tournament team

Donnelle Booker and Tobias Jahn chipped in with 13 and 10 respectively. Jahn was MIA much of the year with injuries but he showed up big time when the Broncos most needed him.

The team will return home on Sunday with their Southwest flight due in at LAX around noon. 

 

 

The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team will play for a national championship for the second straight year.

The Broncos advanced to Saturday's nationally televised title tilt with a 71-63 win over Bentley (Mass.) in an NCAA Division II semifinal on Thursday at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

It was just a year ago that the eluisive national championship slipped away when the underdog Broncos lost to undefeated Findlay (Ohio) 56-53 on a 3-pointer in overtime by a guy that didn't score any other points in the game.

The Broncos will play Indiana (Penn.) which defeated St. Cloud State (Minn.) 76-70 in the other semifinal.

The Broncos played with poise down the stretch like they have done all season. It was Bentley that got the yipps, missing free throws and no fewer than five point blank layups in the last few minutes.

Austin Swift led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds. Dahir Nasser and Tobias Jahn had 11 while Mitchel Anderson chipped in with 10. Donnelle Booker snagged a team-high eight rebounds.

The Broncos finished with a 34-26 advantage on the boards. They outscored the Falcons in the paint 30-14 and had a 23-10 in points off the bench.

It was a workman-like effort.

One more to go and redemption will be theirs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

University of Redlands sophomore Collin Gladys has been named Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Men's Athlete of the Week for the week of March 15-21.

Gladys won the program's second-ever NCAA Division III national title when he clocked the winning time of 1:48.55 in the men's 200 individual medley at the 2010 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships on Wednesday, March 17, at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

That time eclipsed the former school record of 1:49.53, which Gladys established at the 2010 SCIAC Swimming & Diving Championships on Feb. 21. By virtue of his finish, he earned All-America honors. Gladys also took fifth in the men's 100 breaststroke (55.29), setting a program record and gaining All-America laurels in the process. In addition, he received Honorable Mention All-America recognition for his contributions to the 16th-place 200 medley relay (1:34.70), the 15th-place 200 freestyle relay (1:24.71) and the 14th-place 400 freestyle relay (3:06.55).
 
Annie Perizzolo of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges captured the SCIAC Women's Athlete of the Week honor after winning two national titles at the 2010 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships. Perizzolo touched first in both the women's 100 and 200 breaststroke events.
 
The SCIAC Athletes of the Week are voted on by the eight conference sports information directors on a weekly basis,

Cal State San Bernardino's Bryan Le Duc will play in the NABC All-Star Game today at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. The event is being held in conjunction with the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Le Duc, a 6-foot-8 graduate student from Corona, averaged 14.1 points and 8.1 rebounds which earned him first-team All-CCAA and All-West region accolades.

It is a nice honor for Le Duc. He was one of just 10 players named to the West squad. The only other player from the CCAA participating is Humboldt State point guard Zac Tiedeman.

The West will be coached by Kim Anderson of Central Missouri.

The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team will leave for Springfield, Mass. on Saturday morning. The NCAA normally flies teams out on Sunday but it had difficulty getting flights and connections for the Broncos so they'll be leaving a day early.

The Broncos' Elite Eight opponent on Wednesday will be St. Joseph's College of Indiana. The Broncos (25-6) like to play up the underdog role but the Pumas will be the underdog here.

St. Joseph's (20-11) won the Midwest Region as the eighth seed, meaning it had to beat the No. 1 and host team on its home floor in the quarterfinal. They won a semifinal in overtime and the regional final in triple overtime.

It will be the 11th Elite Eight appearance for St. Joseph's and the fourth in eight years for the Broncos. The Pumas wee last at the elite Eight in 2007 while the Broncos made it to the championship game last season, only to lose to Findlay (Ohio) in overtime.

 

 

The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos are headed to Springfield once again!

The Broncos earned their fourth Elite Eight appearance in the last eight years wtih a 78-75 win over Brigham Young-Hawaii in the West Region final on Monday at Western Washington University. The Broncos are now 8-0 at WWU over the course of three regional tournaments there. Pretty amazing!

It makes 18 wins in the last 19 games for Coach Greg Kamansky's team.

The Broncos came out hot in the first half and hit a bunch of 3's. Mark Rutledge had three in a 17-3 run that boosted the Broncos to a 26-14 lead. BYU never adjusted and the Broncos kept firing bombs.They hit 10-of-18 tries with Donnelle Booker also hitting three and he had just six all season coming in.

CPP beat BYU in the regional final last year at Hawaii so one would think they might be a little fired up. But the Seasiders looked flat, especially early. Their effort was disjointed and they didn't really seem invested in the game.Hard to believe given the importance of the game.

Cal Poly was the better prepared and better coached team. Spectators and tournament personnel were all impressed with the Broncos poise and the way they executed their games plans against what seemed like more talented teams.

Austin Swift had another 19 points, giving him 59 in the three tournament games. He also had eight rebounds and six assists. He was the easy choice as tournament MVP. Dwyane Fells and Booker also made the all-tournament team. Booker has taken his game to another in the last six weeks.

 

The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos aren't intimidated by anyone. That is showing as the Broncos are leading Brigham Young-Hawaii 36-25 at the half in the NCAA Division II West Regional title game at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.

The Broncos have never been that great a perimeter shooting team but that has been big early as Cal Poly is 7-for-12 from long distance. It made five 3-point tries in a row in one stretch with Mark Rutledge coming off the bench and making three in a row, the last of which staked the Broncos to a 26-14 lead. 

Donnelle Booker leads the Broncos with xx points. He went down hard with 2:20 left in the first half when he charged the bucket and collided with a defender. He has been suffering from back spasms the last few days. That sure didn't help.

Rutledge has nine points and Dwayne Fells has seven as the Broncos are shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

BYU, which has players on its roster from five different countries, has gotten nine from Virgil Buensuceso. The Seasiders supposed all-world performer Lucas Alves has just four.

The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball had the day off and the Broncos needed it to recharge after a draining 76-75 overtime win against Western Washington University in the NCAA Division II West Region semifinal on Saturday..

The Broncos (24-6) will be playing Brigham Young Hawall (22-5) at 7 p.m. on Monday for the right to move on the Elite Eight..

Neither team used its shoot-around time on Sunday. Broncos coach Greg Kamansky thought his team would be better off getting some rest and BYU doesn't ever practice or play on Sundays for religious reasons.

The day off should help the Broncos, more than the Seasiders. BYU has some depth but Kamansky played just eight players in the overtime game. He used nine in the quarterfinal but one of those played just a minute.

It was a good day to stay inside anyway. It wasn't all that cold, but there was a steady rain much of the day. When doesn't rain in Washington? It might get up to 60 today. That's pretty mild for a March day in Washington.

One more note, ran into Ira Graham after the game on Saturday. He is the former Fontana High School standout who had a stellar career playing at Western Washington. He has used all his eligibility but is finishing up school. He says he is headed to China this week to play professional ball and will be the same league with another local - Sheldon Pace..

 

 

The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos found a way again. Nothing surprises me about this team any more. The Broncos beat Western Washington 76-75 in overtime in West Region semifinal play.

The winning bucket came fron Dwayne Fells, off a pass from Dahir Nasser with a second left.

Austin Swift was huge with 22 points. That follows an 18-point performnance the previous night in the quarterfinals. He had two baskets in the closing minute of regulation, including a huge 3-pointer.

Swift has emerged as the leader of thit team, the same way Larry Gordon was the on-court leader in the magical run a year ago.

Now the focus will be on BYU-Hawaii. The Seasiders likely can't wait to get their hands on the Broncos since they are the team that ended their run last year.

Game time Monday is 7 p.m. Judging the way BYU--Hawaii disposed of Cal State San Bernardino, it should be a great game.

 

It's over for the Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team. The Coyotes fell to BYU-Hawaii 77-58, The Seasiders were stronger and more physical and it showed in every aspect of the game.

The Coyotes didn't do anything well. They shot just 37 percent and had 23 turnovers. That isn't going to win many games, especially aqgainst quality foes. The way the game was called didn't help. Both Lawrence Tyson and Corey Caston fouled out.

BYU-Hawaii came in the sixth seed but it is better than that and everyone knew it. The talk among coaches, players and fans was that no one wanted to see BYU. The team was a No. 1 preseason selection by one publication. Star player Lucas Alves missed eight games with a knee injury which led to some early losses.

The Coyotes were gracious in defeat. Oliver came into the interview room with Tyson and Caston. Sometimes these sessions with the losing teams are tough. You get very little out of the players. But the Cal State players were articulate. That didn't go unnoticed by other media members.

 

The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team is trailing Brigham Young Hawaii at the half 39-22 in the West Region semifinal at Western Washington.

Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky took one look at the officials before the game even started and said the Coyotes were in big trouble. He wasn't wrong.

Cal State has been called for 13 fouls while BYU has eight. Cal State has been called for five charges alone. Forget the fact that the BYU point guard is charging every time he touches the ball.

All Cal State's big men have two fouls. Point guard Corey Caston has two.

The Coyotes have 15 turnovers and they're shooting 30.8 percent.

It looks like it will be up the the Broncos to represent!

 

Leave it to Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver to provide the comic moment of the first day of play at the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament at Western Washington University.

Remember Oliver has been an outspoken critic of the conference since Day 1. He never resists a chance to tell anyone - media or otherwise - exactly what he thinks.

So Oliver is in the postgame press conference after his team beat Humboldt State 75-66 in the fourth meeting of the season between the two conference foes. He is sitting at a table in front along with players Corey Caston, Aaron Hill and David Jefferson.

Someone brings up the fact that the Coyotes are playing well and have some momentum.

Oliver then says "I'd like to thank the conference for having a tournament," looking directly at conference commissioner Robert Hiegert who was standing in the back of the room.

Everyone in the room laughed, all apparently knowing the back story.

Oliver looked at Hiegert and said, ``Sorry, I couldn't resist"

Everyone laughed again. Oliver's face was bright red, not sure if it was from laughing or because his team was 10 minutes removed from court. We all know he gets pretty worked up!

There was nothing surprising about the outcomes on the first day. All went pretty much as planned. So the semifinals should both be outstanding.

It's Brigham Young-Hawaii vs. Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona vs. Western Washington.

The first game will pit two outstanding point guards - Caston and BYU's Virgil Buensuceso. Hopefully neither will get in foul trouble defending the other and we can watch them go at it all night.

BYU is the team no one wanted to play. The Seasiders had some losses early but many were because of some injuries or they would have been seeded higher, They are certainly not a sixrth seed. The Seasiders are very good and might have the best player in the tournament in Lucas Alves. But they haven't seen a team that plays defense like the Coyotes.

BYU, no doubt, wants Pomona. It lost to the Broncos in the regional final on its own home floor last year. That has not been forgotten!

Dixie State was no match for the experienced Broncos. Western Washington will give the Broncos a test and they''ll have the home court advantage. The place was jammed pack for the Vikings win over Central Washington. Broncos coach Greg Kamansky likes to play the underdog card. He was doing that after his team's win over Dixie State. Whatever works!

I think it at least one local team will make it to Monday's championship game. At the moment I'm not sure which one. But it wouldn't surprise me if both did - giving us a Coyotes vs. Broncos No. 4.

 

 

The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team did what was expected and turned in a 71-62 win over Dixie State (Urtah) in West Regional quarterfinal play at Western Washington University on Friday.And the game really wasn't that close.

The Broncos (23-6) got 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists from senior Austin Swift. Mitchell Anderson and Dahir Nasser had 11 and 10 respectively. Cal Ploy shot 51 percent (26-for-51) from the field but still were not good from the free-throw line - 13 of 22.

Dixie had never appeared in the playoffs and it showed as it struggled early., Cal Poly didn't play great early but the Broncos stayed poised and pulled away as the game went on.

The Broncos advance to play the winner of the game going on now between Central Washington and host Western Washington.

The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team is on to the West Region semifinals.

The Coyotes earned a spot opposite Brigham Young- HawaII in Saturday's semifinal with a 75-66 win over CCAA rival Humboldt State. The game looked every bit like the first three between the teams this season.

It was close most of the way, then Cal State went on a mini-run to go up up six, then held on.

The Coyotes shot 42.3 percent (22-for-52) and were led vby Aaron Hill with 17 points. Devon Davis added 16 with six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Corey Caston and Bryan Le Duc added 12 and 10 respectively.

Humboldt shot 36.8 percent (21-for-57) and was led by big man Brian Morris with 17 points  and six rebounds.

 

It's halftime in Bellingham Washington and the Cal State San Bernardino men lead rival Humboldt State 34-31 in a Division II West Region quarterfinal.

It's been an OK half for the Coyotes. They shot 41.4 percent from the field. Devon Davis and Aaron HIll have nine points each. Corey Caston has seven.

The Coyotes like to shoot the three but they have not been as fast and loose with the three as they are at times. They attempted eight in the first half, making three. Bryan Le Duc hasn't had that many touches. He has just three attempts, with the first not coming until he hit a 3 with 3:36 left in the half.

Humboldt is shooting 38.5 percent and has an 18-16 edge in rebounding. Both teams had seven assists. Humboldt has eight turnovers, San Bernardino six.

The Humboldt pep pand is here. They still sound more like a polka band!

The winner of the game will play Brigham Young-Hawaii. The Seasiders beat Seattle Pacific 76-72 in what most thought would be the best game of the day.

Stay tuned!

 

 

It's a busy day on the local college basketballl front as four teams continue their quest for titles today.

The majority of the action will be going on in the Great Northwest as the Cal Poly Pomona women are at Seattle Pacific to take on Alaska Anchorage in the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament. That game will tip off at 5:30 p.m.

If I had to pick a team it would have to be Anchorage. The Seawolves went to the Final Four the last two years while the Broncos have a roster full of players that have never been to the playoffs. Its a game between the fourth and fifth seeds which is usually a tossup so I hope I'm wrong.

Meanwhile the Cal Poly men and Cal State San Bernardino men are about a 90 mile drive away at Western Washington University for the men's regional. The Coyotes will play CCAA foe Humboldt State (again) at 2:30 p.m. while the Broincos will follow against Dixie State (Utah). 

As far as Cal State-Humboldt . . . have to go with the Coyotes who have beaten them two of three meetings this season and, for the most part, have won all the big games against the Jacks, And it's on a neutral court, another reason to favor the Yotes.

Take the Broncos all the way. Dixie is the team most in the tournamenr wanted. Never been to the playoffs,m out of a weak conference, the list of reasons goes on and on. The Broncos are seasoned and playing well. No reason to think they won't win that one. 

Closer to home, the San Bernardino Valley College men play Foothill in the community college state quarterfinal at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks at 5 p.m. The Wolverines have won 20 straight games. Make it 21 after today!

 

 

The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team is back in the playoffs after a four-year absence.

The Broncos have drawn the No, 5 seed for the Division II West Region tournament which begins on Friday at Seattle Pacific University. The quarterfinal foe for the Broncos will be No. 4 seed Alaska-Anchorage.

The Broncos were the CCAA runner-up, with UC San Diego finishing first. Cal Poly lost in the semifinals of last week's CCCAA Tournament to Chico State, a team it had beaten twice. That likely had more to do with a brutal travel schedule than anything else.

A game between a 4 and a 5 seed is usually a toss-up The Broncos have the talent to win the event but their key players need to get right. Junior guard Reyana Colson is a marvelously talented player but she took a beating over the course of the year and hasn't been her typical self the last few games.

They also have senior forward Stephisha Walton who can score and rebound with the best of them. Sophomore forward Megan Ford continues to get better. Cal Poly also has some solid role players who get the job done with little fanfare.

This is a huge stepping stone for a storied program about a decade removed from its glory days.If coach Scott Davis has his way, it will be back there with the elite teams soon!

 

The San Berndino Valley College men's basketball team opens play in the CCCAA Elite Eight at 5 p.m. on Friday at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. The next foe for Quincy Brewer's Wolverines (30-2), who have won 20 straight games, will be Foothill (22-7).

That seems to bode well for SBVC, the No. 1 seed out of the South, as Foothill is the No. 4 out of the North. Foothill was only the No. 14 seed in the North draw so they are the Cinderella story of the playoffs thus far.

The Owls do play in a competitive conference with their most notable foes being Ohlone and San Francisco, so they can not be overlooked.

The one man playing like a beast right now is Orlando Brazier - 45 points and 24 rebounds in the last two playoffs games. I like SBVC's athleticism and depth. They also have the experience, with an entire team of players that went to the Elite Eight last year, only to lose in triple overtime because they couldn't make a free throw.

All the games will be well worth watching if you're in the area!

Here is the men's quarterfinal schedule . . .

Game 1
Irvine Valley (S-3) vs. San Francisco (N-2), 1 p.m.

Game 2
Saddleback (S-4) vs. Ohlone (N-1), 3 p.m.

Game 3
Foothill (N-4) vs. San Bernardino (S-1), 5 p.m.

Game 4
San Jose City (N-3) vs. Citrus (S-2), 7 p.m.

The women's quarterfinals are on Thursday. Here is that schedule too.

Game 1
Pasadena (S-4) vs. San Francisco (N-1), 1 p.m.

Game 2
Mt. San Antonio (S-3) vs. Santa Rosa (N-2), 3 p.m.

Game 3
Chabot (N-4) vs. Fullerton (S-1), 5 p.m.

Game 4
Laney (N-3) vs. Ventura (S-2), 7 p.m.

 

 

 

The Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes won the rubber match between neighborhood rivals, beating Cal Poly Pomona 58-52 in the CCAA Tournament final at Humboldt State. Both teams looked like teams playing three games in as many nights. Throw in a brutal travel schedule and it isn't surprising both teams were not at their best.

The game was Cal Poly's for the taking. The Broncos were up 52-46 with3:26 left. Tournament MVP Bryan Le Duc made two free throws, then came a Cal Poly turnover, then a 3-pointer by Aaron Hill. now it's 52-51.

Then another turnover (Kind of sounds like the last minute of the SBVC game) . The Coyotes miss a free throw but Devon Davis gets the putback and its 53-52 Coyotes. LeDuc hit a 3-pointer late to put it away.

Now they will wait to see where theyt are going for the regional and what the pairings will be. Knowing both coaches, I have to think they would rather not play each other for a fourth time. Typically teams in the same conference would rather play someone else first.

Sounds like the folks at Humboldt State did a great job hosting the event, That is not surprising. But the attendance for the men's final was just 290. Really! The fans at Humboldt are the first to pound their chest and talk about what great fans they are. Yes they sell out at home, What else is there to do in Arcata?  But it's a little surprising more didn't turn out for the final game - even if it were to boo public enemny No. 1 and public enemy No. 2.

Attendance for the women's game, which preceded the men's and did include the host school, was about 900. So no one stuck around.

Hopefully both teams can overcome the rigorous schedule and put in good showings at the West Regional. Pairings are usually announced on Sunday but are being delayed because some Pac West teams have makeup games on Monday night. That is a result of games being postponned because of the threat of a Tsunami a week ago.

 

The SBVC men's basketball team did it again! This time it was Aaron Edwards lofting up a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left to give the Wolverines an 80-77 win over Southwestern in a Southern California Regional Final.

It was the 20th straight win and sends SBVC into the Elite Eight for the second straight year. The tournament will not be in Fresno this year. It will be at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

It wasn't looking good for the home team. It was down 77-72 but scored eight points in the last 37 seconds. It helped that the Jaguars completely melted down and forgot out to inbound.

The furious finish started when Nate Roth hurled up a 3, (he was four steps beyond the arc at the top of the key), with 28 seconds left. That made it 77-75. Then there was a scramble for a loose ball at the same end. Orlando Brazier came up with it and threw it in to Maurice McGee for an easy two - tie game 77-77 with 15 seconds left.

Again the Jaguars threw the ball away. After a time out SBVC got the game-winner. Roth passed th ball to Sydney Hall, who everyone in the gym thought was taking the shot. He has been the guy in that situation all year. But he deferred to Aaron Edwards who had a more open shot - nothing but net.

Brazier was a beast - 25 points and 15 rebounds. He has been the guy coming up huge in the playoffs. No one else wa in double figures although McGee had nine. Hall, Roth and Tre Brewer had eight each. Hall also had seven assists.

Great game! .

 

The San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team is on the court getting ready for a 7 p.m., game against Chula Vista Southwestern., One player is no where to be found, at least not yet. That's Maurice McGee.

The only reason it's a little odd is that coach Quincy Brewer benched him for last Saturday's game because he was late showing up for pregame. The Wolverines won without him. Brewer was disappointed because he said McGee had the best week of practice he has had in his two years at the school.

I'll definitely be checking into that situation. McGee is the team's leading scorer. The Wolverines have a lot of depth so they can win without him but it will be tougher. Then again it might be better because having a player not on the same page with the rest of the team can also be a distraction.

If Brewer did kick him off the team it's an admirable move for a team with so much on the line. But it also shows that the coach doesn't put up with crap from anyone.

SBVC has won 19 games in a row but Souithwestern is no slouch. It has won 18 straight.Southwestern has a very large (a round) player in Charles Joseph. But the Wolverines have three athletic big men to throw at him, even without McGee,

We'll see

Well Maurice is here. He wasn't out on the court early when players were shooting around but did come out for the final few minutes. He is not starting though. We'll see when and if he makes his first appearance in the game.

McGee made his first entrance with 11:20 left in the first half. He ended up playing 17 minutes (of the 40) with nine points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Well the CCAA braintrust may have decided to ship the conference tournament all the way north to thriving metropolis of Arcata but that doesn't mean Southern California teams still aren't the cream of the crop.

The championship game on the men's side will be an All-Inland Empire affair as top seed Cal Poly Pomona square off against local rival Cal State San Bernardino, which was seeded third. Game time is 7:30 p.m. If you want to view the game go to the CCAA website (GoCCAA.org) and follow the links. The quality of the broadcast is pretty good.

The game will also be aired on KCAA-AM (1050) which carries all Coyote games.

The Coyotes advanced with a hard-fought 64-55 win over the host Lumberjacks. It is a tough place to play for sure but the Coyotes seem to have the Lumberjacks number, winning 11 of 15 meetings. Losing the last time they were there sure had to be some incentive. Junior point guard Corey Caston was nothing short of spectacular, knocking down all the big shots.

Meanwhile the Broncos survived Chico State, blowing a 17-point lead but winning 80-77. A desperation jack from three-quarters court by Jay Flores lipped off the rim. It would have been something had THAT gone in.

Cal State and Cal Poly have played twice this season, with each wining on the road. Now it's on neutral court. It will be interesting to see who the Humboldt faithful root for, if they show up. My guess is it will be Pomona because San Bernardino seems to be public enemy No. 1

The Broncos have won 15 games in a row. The one thing the Broncos have going for them is Dwayne Fells and Donnelle Booker are playing far better now than they were in either of the previous meetings between the teams. Fells had a career-high 19 against the Wildcats on Friday.

More food for thought . . . There is a pretty good shot the two could be squaring off again next week in the West Region tournament, likely to be held in Seattle. The Broncos are currently ranked third which means they would draw the No. 6 in the quarterfinal. The Coyotes are currently seventh but could very well move up, even if they lose tonight, based on their win Tuesday over a quality San Fran team as well as Friday's win over No.; 5 Humboldt

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The University of Redlands women's basketball team fought till the end but came up short, losing to Puget Sound 54-42 in a first round playoff game Friday at George Fox University in Oregon.

It was the first trip to the playoffs in school history for the Bulldogs. It hurts to come up short when you fought through so much adversity all season. The Bulldogs were plagued by injuries all season and had to pull off big wins over their two niggest rivals in the last week of the season in Cal Lutheran and Occidental.

Then they had to beat those same two opponents again in the SCIAC Tournament. They did just that.

So while it hurts to lose, the Bulldogs can be proud. They set the school record for wins with 22. They also set the bar higher for the next team. These players were part of the first playoff team in school history. They might make it again next year but there is always something about the first.

Redlands will graduate just two players, good ones in Ali Bueno and Meghan Yetman. But with the players they have coming back and the experience gained this season the Bulldogs will be a formidable foe again next season. 

The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team lost to Chico State 71-56 in CCAA Tournament semifinal play today at Humbdolt State.

It isn't surprising since it took three flights to get the entire team to the thriving metropolis of Arcata. Flights canceled, rescheduled, connecting flight canceled, drive seven hours. It was indeed a circus for the Broncos. It's also the reason a CCAA Tournament doesn't need to be held there.

It is too hard to get a team, let alone two (the Bronco men play later tonight), there on such short notice. Humboldt folks will lament they have to travel all the time and that is true but this is a lot of teams to inconvenience when you have one day to make arrangements.

Supposedly the crowd there is great. Well there are about 100 people at the women's game taking place right now that involves the Lumberjacks.

No the tournament doesn't always have to be in the South. But at least there are plenty of flights in and out of the Bay area.

Now coach Scott Davis will wait. The Broncos were ranked fifth in the region which would appear good enough to get the team into the regional. But if Humboldt wins the women's title Cal Poly could get bumped.

It would be a shame because the Broncos are deserving, more so than the Lumberjacks who have laid an egg the last two weeks of the season with lame losses to East Bay and Cal State Stanislaus, two of the worst teams in the conference.

 

The season ended for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps basketball teams as the Stags were turned back by Chapman 58-47 on Thursday in a first round playoff game. The win avenged an earlier loss as the Panthers were beaten by CMS by a one point early on.

It was a great atmosphere for college basketball. The Hutton Sports Center was packed with fans from both schools. Students on the Chapman side didn't sit down even once.

SCIAC Player of the Year Chris Blees had a particularly bad night scoring just seven points on 2-for-13 shooting from the field. He shot an air ball on a 3-pointer in the first half and pretty much heard it from the crowd every time he touched the ball after that.

Welcome to playoff basketball on the road.

The CMS followers returned the favor when one of the Chapman players did the same.

The game was even at 44-all but CMS managed just three points in the last seven minutes., It was a combination of everything - turnovers, missed free throws, not getting the key rebound.

CMS coach Ken Scalmanini was going for his 200th career win in his 12 years at the school. He'll have to wait until next year. CMS ends a still-solid season at 21-7. Chapman improves to 24-2.

Chapman has a couple of area players, both pretty good ones. Griffin Ramme had 21 points while Justin Riley had six points, seven rebounds, three steals and a monster block. Both are out of Damien High School.

 

Cal State San Bernardino's Gene Webster, Jr. has been named California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Golfer of the Week for the week of March 1-7.

Webster, a senior from San Bernardino, turned in a career-best performance in claiming individual medalist honors at the 17-team Coyote Classic that was contested in earlier this week at the par-70 Arrowhead Country Club.

After opening with a 1-under par 69 in Monday's first round, Webster came back on Tuesday to shot 63-64 for a 54-hole score of 14-under par 196 and seven shot victory.

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CCAA Golfers of the Week

Sept. 25-30: Kyle Souza (Chico State); Oct. 2-6: Joe Aldis (Cal State San Bernardino), Sylvester Gama (Chico State); Oct. 9-13: Sylvester Gama (Chico State); Oct. 14-20: Kyle Souza (Chico State); Oct. 21-27: Patrick Bauer (Sonoma State); Feb. 3-9: Ryan Indovina (Cal State Dominguez Hills); Feb 21-28: Jonathan Cockerill (Cal State Stanislaus); Mar. 1-7: Gene Webster, Jr. (Cal State San Bernardino).

 

Freshman Allie Bollella and sophomore Tyler Harp of the University of Redlands swimming & diving program earned Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Athlete of the Week honors for the women and men, respectively, for the week of Feb. 22-28, as announced on Wednesday by the conference office.
 
Bollella earned the SCIAC Women's Athlete of the Year Award for swimming & diving after winning three individual events and competing on four relays that placed among the top two at the 2010 SCIAC Swimming & Diving Championships from Sunday, Feb. 21, through Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Bollella clocked an NCAA "A" qualifying time in the 200 freestyle (1:52.33) and registered NCAA "B" marks in the 50 freestyle (23.70, prelims) and the 100 freestyle (51.79). She contributed her talents to four Bulldog relays (200 freestyle relay, second place, 1:36.69; 200 medley relay, second place, 1:50.10; 800 freestyle relay, first place, 7:42.42; 400 freestyle relay, second place, 3:30.70), three of which met NCAA "B" qualification.

In addition, she set three individual program records and three relay program records while lowering the SCIAC meet standards in the 50 freestyle, the 100 freestyle, the 200 freestyle and the 800 freestyle relay. Also, her 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle performances eclipsed the former SCIAC overall standards in those respective events.
 
Harp won the SCIAC Men's Athlete of the Year Award for swimming & diving for the second time in as many years following the 2010 SCIAC Swimming & Diving Championships, which occurred from Sunday, Feb. 21, through Tuesday, Feb. 23. He took home the conference title in three individual events and participated on four first-place relays. Harp achieved an NCAA "A" cut in the 200 freestyle (1:39.32) and clocked NCAA "B" standards in the 50 freestyle (20.77) and the 100 freestyle (45.30).

He also competed on four of Redlands' first-place relays (200 freestyle relay, 1:23.49; 200 medley relay, 1:33.21; 800 freestyle relay, 6:46.10; 400 freestyle relay, 3:03.78), all of which gained NCAA "B" qualification. Harp lowered the program and SCIAC overall standard in the 200 freestyle, while his 200 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay teams also set program and SCIAC overall marks. This marks Harp's third athlete of the week honor. He was previously given the distinction on Feb. 10, 2010 and Feb. 19, 2009.
 
The SCIAC Athletes of the Week are voted on by the conference's eight sports information directors on a weekly basis.
 

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has released its first regular season NCAA Division II Poll and Cal State San Bernardino is ranked at an all-time school high at No. 5.
 
The Coyotes are 11-2 overall and 11-1 in CCAA play. Since losing the season opener, CSUSB has gone 11-1, losing its only conference game to Sonoma State. It swept its two other CCAA series.
 
Six teams in the first poll were not ranked and did not receive any votes in the preseason and six teams had just received votes in the preseason poll. Only 13 teams that were ranked in the preseason top 25 are still in the first poll.
 
Florida Southern tops the first regular season poll with Mount Olive (N.C.) at No. 2. Preseason No. 1 Emporia State (Kan.) is No. 3 while Southern Arkansas is No. 4.
 
Other CCAA teams in the poll are No. 10 UC San Diego and No. 16 Chico State.
 
The Coyotes are also ranked No. 25 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30 Poll.

The new Division II West Region poll is out, As expected Cal State San Bernardino moved up from eighth to seventh. The Coyotes won their last two regular season games while Central Washignton, which was ranked seventh last week, lost two games although they were to the teams ranked first and second in the region.

There was better news for the Coyotes the previous night. Cal State Dominguez Hills lost to Chico State 63-60 in CCAA Tournament quarterfinal play on Tuesday. Dominguez is ranked 10th in the region and had the Toros won the CCAA Tournament they likely would have bumped the Coyotes out of the mix.

Cal Poly Pomona and Humboldt State are ranked third and fourth in the region and have already punched their tickets. Only one more CCAA team is getting in and with Dominguez out of the mix it clears the way for the Coyotes.

The monkey wrench would be if Chico were to win the CCAA Tournament. But listen to those around the conference and Dominguez was clearly a bigger threat than Chico.

The conference semifinals will be at Humboldt State on Friday. Cal Poly Pomona will square off with Chico State while the Coyotes get to play the host Lumberjacks, a team to whom they lost the last time they played.

On the women's side Cal Poly Pomona moved up a spot to fifth in the region.

 

 

Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky has been named CCAA Men's Basketball Coach of the Year for the second year in a row and the third time in his career. There was no other choice. Humboldt's State's Tom Wood might have been a sentimental choice for some because he is retring after a long and successful career.

But Kamanksy continues to do more with less. The Broncos have less scholarship money available than most schools and far more modest resources and facilities. And yet they are in contention every year.

The Broncos graduated the star player from their magical run a year ago and yet here they are again, winners of 13 straight games and another conference title with who knows what else to come.

The Broncos had senior Austin Swift named to the first-team wieh Dwayne Fells, Donnelle Booker and Dahier Nasser on second team.

Cal State San Bernardino is represented by Bryan LeDuc on first team and guards Corey Caston and Aaron Hill on second team. Those players were deserving as well.

 

The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men and University of Redlands women's basketball teams now know the opponents they will be facing in first-round playoff action this week.

The Stags (21-6) will stay close to home and head to Chapman University (23-2) for a 7 p.m. contest on Thursday. The winner of that game will then travel to Whitworth (Wash.) for a second-round game on Saturday.

It was the scenario that coach Ken Scalmanini predicted the night before the draw was announced. He doesn't like it but understands the logic.

"It really doesn't have the whole playoff feel to it," he said. "It's a team we play every year. There is something about getting on a plane and making a trip that gives it more of a playoff feel."

The two teams did play earlier this season with the Stags prevailing 57-56.

Meanwhile the University of Redlands women, making their first playoff appearance in school history, will play the University of Puget Sound (23-4) on Friday at George Fox University.

The Bulldogs (22-5) survived two thrillers in the SCIAC tournament, winning their games by a total of three points, one in overtime.

"It might be our first time there but we're not just happy to be there. We want to win," Redlands coach Rich Murphy said. "The girls are determined. They aren't just happy showing up."

Redlands has not seen Puget Sound this season but did lose to the Loggers in a nonconference game last year.