Recently in CCAA Category
The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team has never missed the NCAA Division II playoffs in back-to-back years. But that is looming as a pretty strong possibility unless the Coyotes can regroup. Quickly!!!
The Coyotes were lambasted by Chico State on Saturday 73-58. And it wasn't even that close.
It's hard to figure out how the Coyotes could come out that flat. They started the night in a four-way tie for first place. That alone should have been enough motivation. But the Coyotes needed the game badly. They're facing the daunting task of finishing the regular season with four straight road games inlcuding back-to-back games at Humboldt and Sonoma the last weekend that are nearly impossible to sweep.
The Coyotes also don't have any quality wins to hang there hat on either. They were already 0-2 vs. Cal Poly Pomona and 0-1 vs. Humboldt. Now they're 0-2 against Chico as well.
They also had a couple of sub-par performances in nonconference play against Pac West foes Grand Canyon and Dixie State. The Dixie loss looks legit but the longer the season plays out the worse the loss to Grand Canyon seems to be. Its a far inferior conference and going 0-2 against two teams from there will not help.
The Coyotes are 2-0 against both Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. but those are two are both floundering and looking like averaget teams at best,.
So when the West Region rankings come out on Wednesday the Coyotes will be nowhere to be found. Their only chance at advancing to the postseason will be to win the CCAA Tournament. As wildly as inconsistent as this team has been, it doesn't appear capeable of putting together three straight quality wins, especially when their opponents will have the same sense of urgency.
It's disappointing because the pieces appeared to be there.
The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team swept a four-gameseries against St. Martin's to start the season. Two of the key performers in that series have earned weeklu honors.
Senior Geoff Broussard has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) baseball Pitcher of the Week while first baseman Chris Miller, also a senior, has been named Player of the Week.
Broussard, an Alta Loma High School graduate, pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits, walking one and striking out five in a 20-0 victory.
Miller, of Mission Viejo, batted .643 (9-for-14) with eight runs scored, two doubles, a triple, home run and 10 RBI, while posting a .684 on-base percentage and 1.143 slugging percentage during a four-game series sweep of visiting Saint Martin's.
Miller recorded three multi-hit games, including a 3-for-4 effort in the series opener when he scored a career-high four runs, homered and drove in four runs. He also scored at least one run in all four games as the Broncos outscored the Saints 57-10 in the series.
Cal State San Bernardino guard Angela Streets has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) women's basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 30 - Feb. 5.
Streets, a senior from Chandler, Ariz., had a solid weekend while helping the Coyotes to wins over Cal State Dominguez and Cal State L.A., and their first CCAA sweep of the season. She averaged 24.5 points on 14-for-29 shooting (46.2 percent), four rebounds and two assists while playing all but three minutes in her team's two games.
During a 64-49 win over the Toros on Friday, Streets scored 24 points, collected four rebounds, three assists, a steal and block. She followed that effort with 25 points, four rebounds and two assists in a 63-57 victory over Cal State L.A.
Riverside native Brandon Ward of Cal State Monterey Bay was named Men's Player of the Week.
Cal State San Bernardino is next in action on Friday when it hosts Cal State Stanislaus at 5:30 p.m.
CCAA Women's Basketball Players of the Week:
Nov. 7-13: Chelsea Carlisle (UC San Diego)
Nov. 14-20: Sarah Semenero (Cal Poly Pomona)
Nov. 21-27: Chelsea Carlisle (UC San Diego)
Nov. 28 - Dec. 4: Brandi Stephens (Cal State Monterey Bay);
Dec. 5-11: Theresa Henderson (Cal State Stanislaus)
Dec. 12-18: Ariel Marsh (Cal Poly Pomona)
Dec. 19-25: Catie Richards (Humboldt State)
Dec. 26 - Jan. 1: Megan Ford (Cal Poly Pomona)
Jan. 2-8: Syncro Bull (Chico State)
Jan. 9-15: Chelsea Carlisle (UC San Diego)
Jan. 16-22: Daisy Feder (UC San Diego)
Jan. 23-29: Jazzi Johnson (Cal State L.A.)
Jan. 30-Feb. 5: Angela Streets (Cal State San Bernardino).
What basketball fan doesn't like a good dunk? How about one that brings downs the house? Literally?
Well they don't get much better than the dunk by Cal State San Bernardino behemoth Kwame Alexander against CCAA foe Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday at Coussoulis Arena.
Alexander took a perfectly time Alley-Oop from Tre Brewer, soared through the air and dunked it home with such conviction it pulled the entire backboard down, bringing a roar from the small crowd. It was restored to its proper position even before the buzzing stopped.
Well the dunk is a hit on You Tube. Isn't everything these days? Punch in Kwame Alexanders's name and go to the entry "CSUSB Alexander Dunk PullsDown the Backboard." It wasn't posted until late Saturday and has already drawn 3,000 hits in less than 24 hours.
Stick with it because there are a couple of great slo-mo replays and note the backboard just misses coming down on the shoulder of a Dominguez player.
School officials are planning to put a highlight reel of his dunks this season. Those of us who get to watch him are spoiled by the ordinary dunk because there are so many spectacular ones. He's easily the most exciting player to watch in the conference and worth the price of admission.
Why there aren't more fans there to watch him alone is more puzzling. That's also a subject for another day!
Well, I had Thursday night off and it wasn't exactly a good "TV" night so I spent much of it watching the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies game. Why that game? Well former Cal State San Bernardino player Ivan Johnson is a rookie with the Hawks so I had a vested interest.
It's always nice when someone you saw through the growing stages makes it up to the professional ranks. There are two other prominent ones for me - Keyon Dooling of the Boston Celtics is one I know from his high school days back in Florida. The other is Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli, whom I also covered in the prep ranks as well as in the minor leagues.
Well Johnson is one we all knew had a chance of making it in the NBA IF his demons didn't get to him first. He's toiled in the D-League and overseas. This was a chance a lot of guys don't get, especially at 27.
Ivan seems to be making the most of it. He just missed a double-double with 10 points (the first two coming on a thuindering dunk), nine rebounds and two blocked shots. He logged 28 minutes, the most he has logged in a game this season.
The numbers were a bit skewed. The game was a blow out (96-77), not indicative of how well the Hawks have been playing as of late, so the subs did see a lot of action. But Ivan did play 10 uninterrupted minutes in the first half when it was still competitive.
Then the second half. Ivan did draw a technical foul late in the fourth quarter after a phantom foul call on him . . some things never change. Replays showed Ivan never touched the guy he supposedly fouled. The TV analyst also admitted the technical foul was really weak one. But when you're a rookie, you really can't say boo. Referees have the last word and they're going to send a message,.
He is averaging 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds.
With Al Horford out for the near future Ivan is going to continue to see steady playing time. He has played as little as 2 minutes but is typically between 15 and 25 minutes. He has been through a lot in his life and it is great to see him fulfilling his dream. It's a chance he needs to take full advantage of.
With spring sports in full swing now, there are a lot of sporting events in the area from which to choose. Here's the rundown on what's going on locally . . .
WEDNESDAY
Men's basketball
Chaffey at College of the Desert, 7 p.m.
San Bernardino Valley at Rio Hondo, 7 p.m.
Barstow at Mt. San Jacinto, 7 p.m.
Antelope Valley at Victor Valley, 7 p.m.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at La Verne, 7:30 p.m.
Occidental at Redlands, 7:30 p..m.
Pomona-Pitzer at Caltech, 7:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
San Bernardino Valley at Rio Hondo, 5 p.m.
Chaffey at Desert, 5 p.m.
Antelope Valley at Victor Valley, 1 p.m.
Barstow at Mt. San Jacinto, 5 p.m.
Baseball
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Azusa Pacific, 5 p.m.
THURSDAY
Women's basketball
Redlands at Whittier, 7:30 p.m.
La Verne at Occidental, 7:30 p.m.
Caltech at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 7:30 p.m.
Cal Lutheran at Pomona-Pitzer, 7:30 p.m.
Baseball
Azusa Pacific at Cal State San Bernardino (at Fiscalini Field), 2 p.m.
FRIDAY,
Men's basketball
Cal State Dominguez Hills at Cal State San Bernardino, 7:30 p.m
Cal Poly Pomona at Chico State, 7:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
Cal State Dominguez Hills at Cal State San Bernardino, 5:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona at Chico State, 5:30 p.m.
Baseball
Whitworth (Wash.) at Pomona-Pitzer, 2 p.m.
St. Martin's (Wash.) at Cal Poly Pomona, 2 p.m.
Cal State San Bernardino at Azusa Pacific, 2 p.m.
San Bernardino Valley and Chaffey at College of the Desert Tournament
Victor Valley at Grossmont, 2 p.m.
Softball
Cal Baptist at Cal State San Bernardino (DH), noon
Redlands at Azusa Pacific, 5 p.m.
SATURDAY
Men's basketball
Cal State Los Angeles at Cal State San Bernardino, 7:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State Stanislaus, 7:30 p.m.\
Victor Valley at Chaffey, 3 p.m.
Antelope Valley at San Bernardino Valley, 3 p.m.
Rio Hondo at Barstow, 3 p.m.
La Verne at Cal Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Redlands at Pomona-Pitzer, 7 p.m.
Whittier at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 7 p.m.
Women's basketball
Cal State Los Angeles at Cal State San Bernardino, 5:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State Stanislaus, 5:30 p.m.
Antelope Valley at San Bernardino Valley, 1 p.m.
Victor Valley at Chaffey, 1 p.m.
Cerro Coso at Barstow, 1 p.m.
La Verne at Cal Lutheran, 5 p.m.
Whittier at Clarmeont-Mudd-Scripps, 5 p.m.
Redlands at Pomona-Pitzer, 5 p.m.
Baseball
La Verne at Biola, 1 p.m.
St. Martin's at Cal Poly Pomona (DH) 11 a.m.
Azusa Pacific at Cal State San Bernardino (at Fiscalini Field) , 1 p.m.
San Bernardino Valley, Chaffey at College of the Desert Tournament
Victor Valley at Southwestern, noon.
Softball
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Azusa Pacific, noon
Pomona-Pitzer at vanguard, noon.
Swimming and diving
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Redlands, 10 a.m.
Caltech at La Verne, 10 a.m.
Pomona-Pitzer at Occidental, 10 a.m.
SUNDAY
Baseball
St. Martin's at Cal Poly Pomona, 11 a.m.
Chaffey at Desert Tournament
Softball
Redlands at Concordia-Irvine, 11 a.m.
Cal Poly Pomona guard Mitchel Anderson has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) men's basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 23-29.
It marks the second time this season he has been honored.
Anderson, a junior from Temecula, averaged 21 points on 68.0 percent (17-for-25) shooting and 7.0 rebounds to lead the Broncos to a pair of home wins over UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino that kept Cal Poly Pomona tied atop the CCAA standings.
During a 58-50 victory over the Tritons on Thursday, Anderson scored a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range and collected eight rebounds. He came back on Saturday to score 17 points, total six rebounds and three assists in a 67-54 win over Cal State San Bernardino.
Cal Poly Pomona is next in action on Friday when it travels to Chico State for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Guard Jazzi Johnson of Cal State Los Angeles is the women's player of the week.
CCAA Men's Basketball Players of the Week:
Nov. 7-13: Amir Carraway (Chico State)
Nov. 14-20: Reggie Jones (Cal State Stanislaus)
Nov. 21-27: Steven Pratt (Sonoma State)
Nov. 28 - Dec. 4: Roshun Wynne (Cal State East Bay)
Dec. 5-11: Reggie Jones (Cal State Stanislaus)
Dec. 12-18: Wayne Andrews (Cal State Dominguez Hills)
Dec. 19-25: Nate Roth (Cal State San Bernardino)
Dec. 26 - Jan. 1: Mitchel Anderson (Cal Poly Pomona)
Jan. 2-8: Griffin Reilly (San Francisco State)
Jan. 9-15: Will Olsem (Sonoma State)
Jan. 16-22: Damario Sims (Chico State)
Jan. 23-29: Mitchel Anderson (Cal Poly Pomona).
Want to check out some of the local college sports action? Well there are a lot of contests to choose from!
MONDAY
Women's basketball
Cerro Coso at Chaffey, 5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Men's basketball
Chaffey at San Bernardino, 7 p.m.
College of the Desert at Barstow, 7 p.m.
Rio Hondo at Victor Valley, 7 p.m.
La Verne at Caltech, 7:30 p.m.
Occidental at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 7:30 p.m.
Pomona-Pitzer at Whittier, 7:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
Cal Lutheran at Redlands, 7:30 p.m.
Chaffey at San Bernardino, 5 p.m.
Rio Hondo at Victor Valley, 5 p.m.
College of the Desert at Barstow, 5 p.m.
THURSDAY
Men's basketball
UC San Diego at Cal Poly Pomona, 7:30 p.m.
Cal State San Bernardino at San Francisco State, 7:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
UC San Diego at Cal Poly Pomona, 5:30 p.m.
Cal State San Bernardino at San Francisco State, 5:30 p.m.
Redlands at Occidental, 7:30 p.m.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Pomona-Pitzer, 7:30 p.m.
Whittier at La Verne, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Baseball
Westmont at Pomona-Pitzer, 2 p.m.
SATURDAY
Men's basketball
Cal State San Bernardino at Cal Poly Pomona, 7:30 p.m.
Barstow at Chaffey, 3 p.m.
Mt. San Jacinto at San Bernardino, 3 p.m.
College of the Desert at Victor Valley, 3 p.m.
La Verne at Redlands, 7 p.m.
Pomona-Pitzer at Occidental, 7 p.m.
Cal Lutheran at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 7 p.m.
Women's basketball
Cal State San Bernardino at Cal Poly Pomona, 5:30 p.m.
Mt. San Jacinto at San Bernardino, 1 p.m.
Desert at Victor Valley, 1 p.m.
Barstow at Cerro Coso, 1 p.m.
Cal Lutheran at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 5 p.m.
Pomona-Pitzer at Occcidental, 5 p.m.
La Verne at Redlands, 5 p.m.
Swimming and diving
La Verne at Pomona-Pitzer, 11 a.m.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Cal Lutheran, 11 a.m.
Redlands at Whittier, 11 a.m.
Here's what's happening in local college sports this week
MONDAY
Women's basketball -
San Bernardino Valley at Cerro Coso, 6 p.m.
Chapman at La Verne, 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY
Men's basketball
San Francisco State at Cal Poly Pomona, 7:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
San Francisco State at Cal Poly Pomona, 5:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Men's basketball
Rio Hondo at Chaffey, 7 p.m.
San Bernardino Valley at Barstow, 7 p.m.
Victor Valley at Mt. San Jacinto, 7 p.m.
Whittier at La Verne, 7:30 p.m.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Pomona-Pitzer, 7:30 p.m.
Redlands at Occidental, 7:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
San Bernardino Valley at Barstow, 5 p.m.
Rio Hondo at Chaffey, 5 p.m.
Victor Valley at Mt. San Jacinto, 5 p.m.
THUSRDAY
Women's basketball
Occidental at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 7:30 p.m.
La Verne at Caltech, 7:30 p.m.
Cal Lutheran at Redlands, 7:30 p.m.
Pomona-Pitzer at Redlands, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Men's basketball
Humboldt State at Cal State San Bernardino, 7:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State Dominguez, 7:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
Humboldt State at Cal State San Bernardino,5:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State Dominguez, 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Men's basketball
Sonoma State at Cal State San Bernardino, 7:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m.
Antelope Valley at Chaffey, 3 p.m.
San Bernardino Valley at College of the Desert, 3 p.m.;
Barstow at Victor Valley, 3 p.m.
Clarmeont-Mudd-Scripps at Whittier, 7 p.m.
Redlands at Caltech, 7 p.m.
La Verne at Pomona-Pitzer, 7 p.m.
Women's basketball
Sonoma State at Cal State San Bernardino, 5:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State Los Angeles, 5:30 p.m.
Antelope Valley at Chaffey, 1 p.m.;
Victor Valley at Barstow, 1 p.m.
La Verne at Pomona-Pitzer, 5 p.m.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Whittier, 5 p.m.
Redlands at Caltech, 5 p.m.
Cal State San Bernardino senior basketball player Jessica De La Cruz remains hospitalized at Loma Linda following a nasty fall in the second half of Saturday's game against Cal State east bay.
De La Cruz, who had been averaging 5 points and 2.6 assists, took a tumble as teams broke for the other end of the court after an errant East Bay shot. She got bumped by an East Bay player and fell backward, only to hit her head on the knee of another player before htting the court.
She had a seizure which lasted several minutes and was eventually taken out on a stretcher.
Cal State coach Kevin Becker went to see her this afternoon and said she is doing better but more tests will be taken in the next few days. He didn't want to go into further detail because of student-privacy laws,
De La Cruz is from Northern California but Becker said she did have family in attendance at the game.
CCAA men's basketball teams may be just seven games into a 22-game conference schedule but it is clear that there is no one dominant team.
Cal Poly Pomona was 8-0 and 5-0 in CCAA play before being throttled by Cal State East Bay 57-54 on Thursday. That put the Broncos and local rival Cal State San Bernardino in a tie for first place. Then the Coyotes lost to Chico State in ugly fashion 63-56 on Friday.
No game is a gimme in this conference and there doesn't seem to be a team to beat. Humboldt State was the coaches pick for the top spot but the Lumberjacks are, ugh, well, lumbering. They have already lost four conference games. Not close enough to that team to know what the problem is.
As for the two locals, well the Coyotes offense seems just chaotic since point guard Nate Roth went down with a knee injury a week ago in the opening minutes against the Broncos. It is point guard by committee right now. What the best option is right now depends on the night.
Then D.J. Shumpert injured a knee midway through the second half at Chico on Friday. He tried to shake it off and go back in but had to come right back out. The extent of that injury has yet to be determined. Not what the Coyotes need!
Cal Poly Pomona was ranked No. 6 going into Thursday's game. I think that was a bit much, but likely based on reputation. The Broncos hadn't lost yet but they really hadn't been tested. Yes they beat San Bernardino but neither team played well in that one and both tried to give it away.
Dominguez seems a bit down too. LA. looks like it has talent but we say that every year about the Eagles and they never seem to live up to billing.
But look out for East Bay. The Pioneers have already beaten Humboldt and now Pomona. That's a team on the rise that can play with no pressure since all eyes seem to be focused on the traditional powers.
It's going to be survival of the fittest in this conference this year.
In Johnson's only season with the Coyotes (2006-07), the San Antonio native was the team's top scorer (15.5 ppg.) and rebounder (4.7 rpg.) and helped CSUSB to a 26-6 overall record and a school-best NCAA semifinalist finish at the Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass. He earned first-team All-CCAA honors and was an NCAA West Regional All-Tournament member and an NABC All-West Region selection.
Since Johnson finished his collegiate career, he has played professionally in China, Puerto Rico and South Korea and has had several stints in the NBA Development league, more commonly known as the D-League.
Johnson was a D-League All-League performer for the Erie BayHawks last season. Appearing in 49 games with 42 starts, he averaged 22.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and finished third in the league in scoring.
The Hawks play at Charlotte tonight and play host to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team suffered a big blow when senior point guard Nate Roth went down with a knee injury three minutes into the Coyotes overtime loss to Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday.
Roth was on crutches a night later when the Coyotes took on San Francisco State. There was no definite word on the injury but the prevailing thought seemed to be it is probably an MCL, not the dreaded ACL which would be season ending.
Roth said he is going to try and rehab with hopes of coming back later in the season. Of course that could change if he gets a different diagnosis.
It is too bad because he was coming off a 20-point, eight assist effort against UC San Diego that earned him CCAA Player of the Week honors.
Now the Cal State offense is chaotic at times. Walk-ons Vaughn Adams and Juan Martinez did an admirable job on Friday, combining for 24 points. Johnny Bell had nine. So right now its point guard by committee.
The good news for the Coyotes is they are 5-1 with road wins at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles, both of which are serious contenders.
The Coyotes are on the road this week at Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus, both of whom are off to good starts although they have not played particularly strong schedules. Neither is an easy place to play and the Stany game will pit Cal State coach Jeff Oliver against the man he replaced in Larry Reynolds, who now heads the Warriors.
I didn't think anyone could top Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver when it came to the quote department. He is by far the most entertaining when it comes to interviews, be it pre-game, post-game doesn't matter.
Well his best friend and former assistant Paul Trevor has surpassed him - at least for the moment. Trevor is in his second year as head coach at San Francisco State after spending eight successful seasons alongside Oliver at Cal State.
Trevor was back at Coussoulis Arena on Friday as the Gators maded their annual trek South to play the Coyotes. It has been a tough season so far as the young Gators are 2-9 overall and 0-5 in CCAA play. They're dead last in the 12-team conference.
I spent a few minutes talking to Trev at halftime of the women's game. which preceded the men's.
In talking about his team's struggles Trevor offered this gem . . .
"We're like a team right out of the Wizard of Oz. My No. 1 could use a heart, my No. 2 could use a brain and my 1, 3 and 5 could use a little bit of courage."
Trevor added that he is confident in his players and thinks they'll get it together but they're going through the growing pains that can happen when you're competing in a top-notch conference.
The Coyotes prevailed 73-54 but the Gators played hard. Despite giving up the first 12 points of the game, they came back and were down by just five points midway though the second half.
Cal State San Bernardino senior point guard Nate Roth has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) men's basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 19-25.
The Riverside native tallied 20 points and established career-highs in assists (8), rebounds (5), free throws (8) and free throw attempts (10), while shooting 62.5 percent (5-for-8) from the field, in the Coyotes' 71-63 victory over UC San Diego on Dec. 19.
Cal State San Bernardino is next in action on Thursday when it hosts Cal Poly Pomona at 7:30 p.m.
Humboldt State junior guard Catie Richards earned weekly honors on the women's side. She scored 25 points in 29 minutes, shooting 10-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, recorded four rebounds, three assists and a steal during a 76-60 win over Cal State Stanislaus on Dec. 19.
CCAA Men's Basketball Players of the Week:
Nov. 7-13: Amir Carraway (Chico State)
Nov. 14-20: Reggie Jones (Cal State Stanislaus)
Nov. 21-27: Steven Pratt (Sonoma State)
Nov. 28 - Dec. 4: Roshun Wynne (Cal State East Bay)
Dec. 5-11: Reggie Jones (Cal State Stanislaus)
Dec. 12-18: Wayne Andrews (Cal State Dominguez Hills)
Dec. 19-25: Nate Roth (Cal State San Bernardino).
CCAA Women's Basketball Players of the Week:
Nov. 7-13: Chelsea Carlisle (UC San Diego)
Nov. 14-20: Sarah Semenero (Cal Poly Pomona);
Nov. 21-27: Chelsea Carlisle (UC San Diego)
Nov. 28 - Dec. 4: Brandi Stephens (Cal State Monterey Bay)
Dec. 5-11: Theresa Henderson (Cal State Stanislaus)\
Dec. 12-18: Ariel Marsh (Cal Poly Pomona)
Dec. 19-25: Catie Richards (Humboldt State).
Cal Poly Pomona guard Ariel Marsh was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) women's basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 12-18.
Marsh, a sophomore from Chino Hills, Calif., scored a season-high 31 points on 12-for-14 shooting, including 7-of-8 from behind the three-point arc, in 27 minutes to help the 11th-ranked Broncos post an 82-69 victory over defending NAIA national champion Azusa Pacific on Thursday,
Cal Poly Pomona will next be in action on Dec. 29 when it returns to CCAA play at Cal State San Bernardino.
Most wondered what would happen to the Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team after All-everything guard Reyana Colson graduated. Well the Broncos haven't skpped a beat.
Coach Danelle Bishop's team turned in a 70-52 win over visiting Dixie State (Utah) on Saturday at Kellogg Gymnasium. Wins over in-region foes loom large when rankings start coming out later in the season because they're a big factor in advancing to the postseason.
While Colson was the focal point of the Bronco attack for the previous four years, the team now has balance. It may not have one player of that caliber but it has several with potential to hit for double digits consistently.
Newcomer Ariel Marsh was the big contributor on Saturday. Marsh, who previously played at Ayala High School and Citrus College, scored 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 5-for-5 shooting from the line.
Senior Sarah Semenero, whose game took off late last season, added 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Senior forward Megan Ford had an "off" game from the scoring standpoint with just eight. But she contributed in other ways - 10 rebounds and a career-high six assists.
So the Broncos are now 6-0 and looking pretty solid!
On a side note - the renovations made to the gymnasium make a huge difference. The court surface has been redone and the lighting is significantly better. Stadium-style chairback seats have replaced the outdated wooden bleachers. The improvements were long overdue. Kellogg Gymnasium no longer looks like an old high school facility.
Luis Gonzalez of the Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer team has been named All-American in each of his four years as a collegiate student-athlete.
With results announced Wednesday after a vote of the region's sports information directors, Gonzalez earned a spot on the Daktronics NCAA Division II All-American Third Team.
While at Cerritos College in 2008 and 2009, Gonzalez was tabbed the Junior College National Player of the Year and reached the All-American level in both seasons. Now with Wednesday's announcement, as a Bronco he has picked up Division II All-American mention for both 2010 and 2011 to complete the four-year achievement.
As a junior at CPP in 2010, the forward from Long Beach, Calif., led the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in points with 33 and set a new conference single-game record for points with 10 in a 7-0 rout of Cal State East Bay. At the end of that season, he became just the second player in program history to receive the All-American status.
Fast forward to the recently concluded 2011 campaign and Gonzalez managed to match the spectacular output of 2010 with the same amount of points - 33. He paced the CCAA in goals with 14, raising his career total to 26. That amount puts him second all-time on the Broncos' leaderboard behind the 35 from Johnny Lima (1985-88).
Now, Gonzalez stands as the only player in program history to be named All-American in two different seasons while at CPP. Reaching All-American status in four-straight seasons, through his time at Cerritos and in Pomona, is even more remarkable.
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team is two wins away from that elusive national championship.
The Coyotes (31-0) turned in a solid performance in a 3-0 win over Flagler College (Fla.) in Thursday's quarterfinal. The day lacked any real drama with all the matches pretty much going as expected.
The Coyotes won without a dominant performance from two-time national player of the year Samantha Middleborn. She had eight kills but it took her 18 swings which amounted to an attack percentage of .278, well under her average of .495. But when you have tons of other weapons you can still come away with a relatively easy win.
Priscilla Collings had 11 kills (.357%) while Megan Johnson managed 10 (.474).
A crowd of more than 1,000 was on hand. There were even fans in the upper tier. I haven't seen that for any sport in my eight or so years covering the school's teams. That crowd might have been even bigger had the weather been better. Hopefully tonight being a weekend match , the team draws even more.
The semifinals will pit the Coyotes Elite Eight nemesis Concordia-St. Paul against Tampa, Fla. at 5 p.m. with the Coyotes next facing Hillsdale, Mich. at 7:30 or so. Most of the talk on Thursday was about the anticipated matcghup between No. 2 Tampa and No. 3 Concordia, which is trying for an unprecedented fifth straight national title.
The championship will be decided at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Cal Poly Pomona senior guard Sarah Semenero was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) women's basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 14-20.
Semenero,led the 19th-ranked Broncos to a pair of wins over West Regional opponents at the CCAA/GNAC Classic in Monmouth, Ore. last weekend. Semenero averaged 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.0 rebounds as Cal Poly Pomona defeated Northwest Nazarene and Western Oregon.
Semenero finished with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while also tallying nine boards, three steals and an assist in the Broncos' 62-55 win over Northwest Nazarene on Friday. She followed that effort with 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals in a 69-53 victory over host Western Oregon on Saturday.
Cal Poly Pomona opens CCAA play on Wednesday when it travels to the Bay Area to take on San Francisco State at 3 p.m.
CCAA Women's Basketball Players of the Week:
Nov. 14-20: Sarah Semenero (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal State San Bernardino has been chosen to host the NCAA Division II Volleyball Elite Eight.
It was pretty much a no-brainer, although the NCAA hasn't seemed real thrilled to put the event out West in the past, preferring to defer to states more centrally located. This is the first time a West team has hosted since Cal State did so eight years ago.
Why was it such an easy decision?
Well the Coyotes are ranked No. 1 and they're the only undefeated team in the country.
If you're the NCAA you probably want the host team to at least make it to the championship match and the Coyotes should do so, barring something totally unexpected.
The draw is set up in advance on a rotating basis. This year the Coyotes face the Southeast Region winner in the quarterfinal. That's Flagler College from St. Augustine, Fla. That is traditionally one of the weakest regions in the country - the others being the Atlantic and East.
And all thosre region reps are on the Coyotes' side of the draw.
Tampa, Fla. and Concordia St. Paul, the team that has betaen the Coyotes at the national tournament the last three years, are both in the other half. So Cal State will have to play one of those - not both. And it wouldn't be until the championship match.
The area is easily accessible and there are plenty of choice in airports. It's going to be a heck of a lot easier getting in and out of California in December, than say, Minnesota!
The event will be held Dec. 1-3. It will be a great weekend of action. The community should come out and support the event. It's not often you have an a national championship being decided in you're own backyard.
Here's the schedule so mark your calendars . .
Coussoulis Arena - hosted by Cal State San Bernardino
First Round - Dec. 1
12:00 p.m. - Tampa (32-1) vs. Bridgeport (21-7)
2:30 p.m. - Concordia-St. Paul (31-2) vs. Central Missouri (30-4)
5:00 p.m. - Wheeling Jesuit (36-3) vs. Hillsdale (30-2)
7:30 p.m. - Cal State San Bernardino (30-0) vs. Flagler (31-6)
Semifinals - Dec. 2
5:00 p.m. - Semifinal One
7:30 p.m. - Semifinal Two
Finals - Dec. 3
7:00 p.m.
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team will host the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament, beginning on Thursday. There will be eight teams competing and one berth in the Elite Eight up for grabs.
Let's hope the community shows up to support the event. First off, it's great entertainment. The West Region boasts top notch teams and THE best is the local team. High school players and coaches shouldn't waste the opportunity to see that level of play.
The school has a first-class venue and it's easy to get to.
Next Sunday the NCAA will announce where the Elite Eight will be held. Cal State is among the schools who have put in bids to host the event. The Coyotes have trekked all over the country the last three years and they have put in bid to host, only to be denied.
The NCAA looks at a lot of things when it comes to picking a site - one is attendance. Poor attendance figures at this week's event won't help the Coyotes cause. The NCAA hasn't given the event to a West Coast team since 2003 and they're looking for any reason to short-change the area yet again.
Here is the rundown for quarterfinal play on Thursday . . .
Noon - No. 3 Sonoma State (21-6) vs. No. 6 Hawaii Hilo (15-6)
2:30 p.m. - No. 2 UC San Diego (21-5) vs. No. 7 Grand Canyon (22-6)
5 p.m. - No. 4 Brigham Young-Hawaii (18-3) vs. No. 5 Seattle Pacific (21-6)
7:30 p.m. - No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino (27-0) vs. No. 8. Alaska-Anchorage (18-8).
The folks at the CCAA office should just hand over the Player of the Year award for women's volleyball to Cal State San Bernardino's Samantha Middleborn. Right now! No need to vote. She is the best player in the conference - by far.
On Monday she was named Molten/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week for the fifth time.
Her numbers were sop impressive it would hard to make a case for anyone else. In helping the Coyotes close out CCAA play with three wins and conclude the first undefeated regular season in program history, Middleborn totaled 51 kills in 75 attempts, registered a .600 hitting percentage and tallied 28 total blocks. During a three-set win against UC San Diego, the 2010 National Player of the Year collected 15 kills, six digs and recorded a .462 hitting percentage.
On Friday against Cal State Monterey Bay, Middleborn had 24 kills and 14 digs while posting a .600 hitting percentage in four sets. She closed out the weekend with 12 kills, eight blocks and an .857 attack percentage in a three-set win over Cal State East Bay.
Middleborn improved her NCAA Division II-leading hitting percentage to .504 and tops the country with a 1.62 blocks per set.
The top-ranked Coyotes are next in action on Thursday when they host Alaska Anchorage in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Cal State San Bernardino Samantha Middleborn has been named Molten/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 31 - Nov. 6. It marks the fourth time this season she has been honored.
Middleborn, a senior from Rialto, had another dominating performance in helping the Coyotes to a weekend sweep, their sixth straight CCAA title and ninth in the last 11 years.
In six sets against Humboldt State and No. 23 Sonoma State, Middleborn totaled 19 kills (3.17 per set), 15 total blocks and recorded a .333 attack percentage while registering 26.5 points.
Middleborn recorded a .526 attack percentage against Humboldt State, and tied a career-high with 10 block assists in a straight set win over Sonoma State.
Cal State San Bernardino will attempt to close out an undefeated regular season when it hosts UC San Diego, Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay beginning on Wednesday.
Molten CCAA Women's Volleyball Player of the Week:
Aug. 29 - Sept. 4: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Sept. 5-11: Keala Peterson (Sonoma State)
Sept. 12-18: Taylor Krenwinkel (Sonoma State)
Sept. 19-25: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Sept. 26 - Oct. 2: Jessica Leek (Chico State)
Oct. 3-9: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Oct. 10-16: Marquis Mora (Cal State L.A.)
Oct. 17-23: Halimah Oswald (San Francisco State)
Oct. 24-30: Katie Condon (UC San Diego)
Oct. 31 - Nov. 6: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team garnered 28 of 31 first-place votes and moved up to No. 1 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released on Monday.
The Coyotes (24-0, 19-0) spent much of the season at No. 3 and were No. 2 last week. The top spot became up for grabs when No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth lost to reigning national champion Concordia-St. Paul.
The Coyotes posted 3-0 wins last week over Humboldt State and Sonoma State, with the win over the Seawolves securing them a sixth straight CCAA title and ninth in 11 years.
The Coyotes have three matches left, all at Coussoulis Arena. They host nemesis UC San Diego at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Cal State Monterey Bay at 5 p.m. on Friday and close out the regular season on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Cal State Monterey Bay.
Here's the top 25 rundown:
1. Cal State San Bernardino 24-0
2. Minnesota-Duluth 27-1
3. Concordia-St. Paul (26-2)
4. Washburn (28-1)
5. Tampa, Fla. (28-1)
6. Nebraska_kearney (26-1)
7. Central Missouri (24-4)
8. Hillsdale (26-2)
9. Southwest Minnesota State (21-6)
10. Wayne State (Neb) (22-7)
11.Metro State (22-5)
12. Ferris State (25-2)
13.West Texas A&M (31-2)
14. Wingate, N.C. (27-0)
15. UC San Diego (19-4)
16. Northern Kentucky (24-4)
17. Lewis (23-5)
18. Angelo State (28-4)
19. Armstrong Atlantic (33-1)
20. Minnesota State (18-8)
21. Indianapolis (19-7)
22. Eckerd (22-4)
23. Sonoma State (19-6)
24. Flagler (25-6)
25. Regis (21-8)
Seattle Pacific (20-6)
Wheeling Jesuit (30-3)
The Cal State San Bernardino basketball team gave the UCLA Bruins all they wanted before falling 80-72 Sunday at Citizens Bank Arena. The Coyote even led 70-68 with 7:23 left but then came three straight turnovers and they were never in front again.
Coach Jeff Oliver should be pleased. His team hustled and played hard. It had too. The Coyotes are big by Division II standards but the Bruins are just plain big. At 6-10, 305 pounds, sophomore Joshua Smith is a small house.
He scored 26 points with seven rebounds and three blocks. Reeves Nelson had a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards.
Of course the little Division II team wasn't going to get any calls. The Bruins went to the free-throw line 41 times (making 33) while the Coyotes had 21 tries (making 15). So the Coyotes outshot UCLA from the field.
Two calls were highly suspect. With UCLA up 67-61with 4:47 left Cal State's Tre Brewer connected on a runner in the lane.
Then down 76-70 with 1:20 left Hakeem Washington got called for a charge.
Oh well, it was a good try.
Oliver's big men loomed large. Theron Laudermill tallied 16 points and six boards while D.J. Shumpert added 14 points , seven rebounds and five blocks. His game has really progressed from last year which ended with him sidelined with academic issues.
Brewer and Kwame Alexander each had nine before fouling out. Alexander's fifth foul came while defending Smith with 5:11 left while Brewer departed after that charging call.
So it looks like the Coyotes should be right in the mix for a CCAA title.
The regular season tips off on Friday with Cal State squaring off Westmont at 7 p.m. It will be a night of quality competition with the Cal State volleyball team starting things off with a 5 p.m. match against Cal State Monterey Bay.
The No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team (24-0, 19-0) wrapped up its sixth straight CCAA championship and the ninth in 11 years by beating Sonoma State 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 28-26) at Coussoulis Arena.
Their dominance in recent years has been impressive. Last year the Coyotes won the conference by a whopping six matches which is pretty much unheard of. It looks like they're going to win it by nearly that many again this season.
Part of that is the Coyotes talent and the fact that they have a veteran team with nine seniors, many of whom have played their whole careers together. But the conference as a whole has also been a bit down the last two years.
The Coyotes should be No. 1 in the next national poll due to come out on Monday. Minnesota-Duluth, who was No. 1 last week, lost a match earlier this week to reigning national champion Concordia St. Paul.
The Coyotes moving up to No. 1 and being undefeated can't do anything but help their chances at securing hosting rights to this year's Ellite Eight. The biggest factor not in Cal State's favor is that the NCAA seems to go out of its way to not give the tournament to the West. The last time a West team hosted was in 2003 when the Coyotes did so.
Another factor in Cal State's favor is the draw. One would think the NCAA wants to give it to a school that has a decent shot at reaching the final and this year the draw is set up for the Coyotes to do so. The Coyotes wouldn't play the Central Region winner - be it Duluth or Concordia - until the championship match.
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team (22-0) is one of just two unbeatens left in NCAA Division II and moved from third to second in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released Monday.
No. 1 and previously unbeaten Tampa (Fla.), now 25-1, was upset by unranked Eckerd and fell to fifth. Minnesota-Duluth (25-0) is the new No. 1 as seven places in the top 10 changed.
The Coyotes could work their way up to No. 1 before it's all over because Minnesota-Duluth still has a match left against Concordia-St. Paul which is trying for its fifth straight national title and is currently No. 6. If you're the Coyotes you probably want Concordia to win that one. Being the only unbeaten and No. 1 would probably further their cause when it comes to hosting the event.
The only problem is the NCAA seems to not want a West Region to host since one hasn't done so since 2003 when the Coyotes did so.
The Coyotes look like they have a good chance at running the table with their last five matches all at Coussoulis Arena where they have won 56 straight matches dating back to the end of the 2008 season.
The Coyotes also are ranked first in the West Region which actually carries more weight because the No. 1 team typically hosts the eight-team regional which determines the Elite Eight representative.
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team remained No. 3 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association poll but there was a change at the top.
Reigning champion Concordia-St. Paul lost a conference match to formerly No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth 3-2. It dropped to No. 4 with Duluth moving to No. 2 and Tampa, Fla., moving to 1 from 2.
Cal State Athletic Director Kevin Hatcher said his school is putting the finishing touches on the bid it will submit to host both the NCAA Division II West Region and national tournaments. Paperwork is due on Sunday.
The hosting rights for regionals typically go to the No. 1 team in each region but there are four guidelines that go into the national selection. A West Region representative has not hosted the Elite Eight since Cal State did so in 2003.
Here is the top 25 rundown:
1. Tampa, Fla. 23-0
2. Minnesota-Duluth 23-0
3. Cal State San Bernardino 20-0
4. Concordia-St. Paul 22-1
5. Washburn, Kan. 22-1
6. Nebraska-Kearney 23-1
7. Hillsdale, Mich. 21-2
8. Central Missouri 19-4
9. Southwest Minnesota State 17-6
10. Metro State, Col. 19-4
11. Ferris State, Mich. 19-2
12. West Texas A&M 25-2
13. Wayne State, Neb. 17-6
14. Northern Kentucky 20-3
15. Wingate, N.C. 23-0
16. Armstrong Atlantic, Ga. 28-0
17. Angelo State, Tex. 25-2
18. UC San Diego 15-4
19. Minnesota State 15-7
20. Lewis, Ill. 18-5
21. Colorado School of Mines 17-6
22. Sonoma State 18-3
23. Indianapolis 15-6
24. Seattle Pacific 16-5
25. Regis, Col. 19-6.
Cal State San Bernardino goalkeeper Chelsey Jones has been named the Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 10-16.
Jones, a sophomore from Hesperia, was solid in goal while helping the Coyotes to a pair of wins over southern California rivals Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A.
In 180 minutes in front of the net, Jones posted a pair of shutouts while totaling seven saves. The weekend performance marked her third straight blanking of an opponent and brought her season shutout total 4.5.
Cal State San Bernardino, which has won a school-record six consecutive matches, returns to the pitch on Friday when it hosts CCAA North Division leader Sonoma State beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Wilson/CCAA Women's Soccer Player of the Week:
Aug. 29 - Sept. 4: Lisa Ohberg (Cal State L.A.)
Sept. 5-11: Tiffany Hollis (Cal State Dominguez Hills)
Sept. 12-18: Cassie Callahan (UC San Diego)
Sept. 19-25: Nicole Vanni (San Francisco State);
Sept. 26 - Sept. 2: Kasey Wall (Chico State)
Oct. 3-9: Casey Hirsch (Cal State San Bernardino);
Oct. 10-16: Chelsey Jones (Cal State San Bernardino).
Former Etiwanda high School standout Marquis Mora, now a junior at Cal State Los Angeles, has been named Molten/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 3-9.
Mora led Cal State L.A. to a pair of CCAA wins over Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay. In eight sets, she totaled 45 kills, eight digs, 13 total blocks and 53 points (6.6 per set), while posting a .567 hitting percentage.
Mora had a career-high 28 kills and a hitting percentage of .765 to lead the Golden Eagles to a four-set win over Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday. Her 28 kills are tied for the conference single-match high this season and are tied for eighth on Cal State L.A.'s all-time list. Her .765 hitting percentage is second all-time in program history (minimum of 15 attacks) and the highest ever for a player with more than 20 kills and 30 attacks. She also had seven blocks and totaled 32.5 points (8.1 per set) in the game.
On Saturday, Mora had 17 kills and six blocks to lead the Golden Eagles past Cal State East Bay. She hit at a .364 clip and her final two kills got the Golden Eagles to match point and then ended the contest. She had 20.5 points in the match.
Cal State L.A. returns to action on Friday when it travels to UC San Diego for a 7 p.m. contest.
Molten CCAA Women's Volleyball Player of the Week:
Aug. 29 - Sept. 4: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Sept. 5-11: Keala Peterson (Sonoma State)
Sept. 12-18: Taylor Krenwinkel (Sonoma State)
Sept. 19-25: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Sept. 26 - Oct. 2: Jessica Leek (Chico State)
Oct. 3-9: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Oct. 10-16: Marquis Mora (Cal State L.A.).
Cal State San Bernardino senior middle blocker Samantha Middleborn has been named Molten/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 3-9. It marks the third time this season she has been honored.
Middleborn, of Rialto, led the No. 3 Coyotes to a road sweep at Cal State East Bay and Cal State Monterey Bay over the weekend. The two victories helped Cal State San Bernardino conclude the first half of CCAA play with an 11-0 conference mark and 16-0 overall record.
In seven sets, Middleborn tallied 32 kills in 52 attempts, with just five errors, collected four service aces, eight digs and eight block assists while recording a .519 hitting percentage. The 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Player of the Year, totaled 19 kills and posted a .720 attack mark during a four-set win over Cal State East Bay and concluded the week with 13 kills, three service aces, five digs and a .333 hitting percentage at Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday.
Cal State San Bernardino returns to action on Friday when it travels to Cal Poly Pomona for a 7 p.m. contest.
Molten CCAA Women's Volleyball Player of the Week:
Aug. 29 - Sept. 4: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Sept. 5-11: Keala Peterson (Sonoma State)
Sept. 12-18: Taylor Krenwinkel (Sonoma State)
Sept. 19-25: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino)
Sept. 26 - Oct. 2: Jessica Leek (Chico State)
Oct. 3-9: Samantha Middleborn (Cal State San Bernardino).
Cal State San Bernardino remained third in the NCAA Division II poll by the American Volleyball Coaches Association released on Monday.
Reigning champion Concordia-St. Paul (15-0) remains first with Tampa, Fla. (14-0) in second. The top six places are the same as last week. The Bears received all 32 first-place votes.
The Coyotes (13-0) are one of three CCAA teams mentioned. UC San Diego (10-2), whom the Coyotes will play on Wednesday, dropped from 12th to 16th after a loss to Sonoma State on Saturday. Chico State (12-3) moved into the poll at No. 24.
Sonoma State was in the receiving votes category.
Senior forward Luis Gonzalez of Cal Poly Pomona has been named the Wilson/CCAA Soccer Player of the Week for games ending Sept. 25.
The 2010 All-American scored the lone goal in Cal Poly Pomona's 1-0 win over Sonoma State and concluded the weekend with three goals, including the game-winner, in a 5-1 victory over Humboldt State.
Gonzalez played just 18 minutes Sunday in the rout of the Lumberjacks and scored three times in that short span, raising his season total of goals to a conference-best eight and his career total to 20 for a tie for fourth on the Broncos' all-time leaderboards.
This marks the second time that Gonzalez has earned the CCAA weekly honor. Last year he received selection for the week of Oct. 18 to Oct. 24 after setting a new single-match record for the conference in points with 10 against Cal State East Bay.
Cal Poly Pomona is next in action on Friday when it hosts Cal State L.A. in a battle of the South Division's top two teams.
Wilson/CCAA Men's Soccer Player of the Week
Aug. 29 - Sept. 4: Antti Arvola (Cal State L.A.)
Sept. 5-11: Trevor Hurst (Sonoma State)
Sept. 12-18: Taylor Varnadore (Sonoma State)
Sept. 19-25: Luis Gonzalez (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal Poly Pomona senior Dwayne Fells received NCAA Division II Preseason Honorable Mention All-American honors from the Sporting News.
The 6-foot-6 forward finished the 2010-11 season with the fourth-best field goal percentage in the conference at .563. Fells started all 28 games for the Broncos, as the team went 17-11 overall and 13-9 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
Fells paced CPP in rebounds with an average of 5.9 per game. That mark ranked 10th on the league leaderboard. The Fullerton native poured in a career-high 24 points on Jan. 8 in a narrow 64-62 road loss at Humboldt State. He grabbed nine rebounds on two different occasions, the first coming Jan. 18 against Cal State San Bernardino and the second coming Jan. 28 against Cal State Monterey Bay.
Joining fellow senior Matt Rosser, Fells is one of the two returning starters for the Broncos in 2011-12. Also expected to make key contributions is Mitchel Anderson, a junior guard who split time last season between the starting and reserve roles.
One other CCAA player received mention: Humboldt State's Randy Hunter, who previously played at Citrus College.
Sporting News NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Preseason Top 10
1. Bellarmine (KY)
2. Lincoln Memorial (TN)
3. West Liberty (WV)
4. Alabama-Huntsville
5. BYU-Hawaii
6. Benedict (SC)
7. Missouri Southern
8. Augustana (SD)
9. Metro State (CO)
10. UMass-Lowell
Sporting News Preseason All-America Team
First Team
Phillip Brown (Georgia Southwestern)
Jet Chang (BYU-Hawaii)
Braydon Hobbs (Bellarmine)
Jeremy Kendle (Bellarmine)
Josh Magette (Alabama-Huntsville)
Second Team
Marcus Goode (Benedict)
Desmond Johnson (Lincoln Memorial)
Trevin Parks (Johnson C. Smith)
Taylor Rohde (Alaska-Anchorage)
Cody Schilling (Augustana, SD)
Honorable Mention
Jason Adams (Missouri Southern)
Daniel Bailey (Queens, NC)
Stefan Bonneau (C.W. Post)
Shammel Brackett (UNC Pembroke)
Alvin Brown (USC Aiken)
Zane Campbell (Alabama-Huntsville)
Kyle Caiola (Findlay)
Xavier Collier (Benedict)
Dan Comas (Chestnut Hill)
Jarrell Douglass (Limestone)
Brent Eaton (Hillsdale)
Brent Evans (Queens, NC)
Reggie Evans (Metro State)
Dwayne Fells (Cal Poly Pomona)
Gerald Fulton (Missouri-St. Louis)
Patrick Grubbs (Pitt Johnstown)
Rob Gutierrez (St. Rose)
Ali Haidar (Michigan Tech)
Alex Hall (Drury)
Trevon Hamlet (Southern Connecticut)
Ahmad Harris (Bloomfield)
Cedric Harris (West Liberty)
Greg Hayes (Mount Olive)
Mike Hollingsworth (Wayne State, MI)
Randy Hunter (Humboldt State)
Travis Hyman (Bowie State)
Thomas Manzano (New Mexico Highlands)
Cameron McCaffrey (Augustana)
Adrian Moss (Indianapolis)
Andy Poling (Seattle Pacific)
Da'Ron Sims (West Georgia)
Ashton Smith (Indiana, PA)
Derek Staton (Mount Olive)
Isaac Thornton (Fairmont State)
Liki Turner (Francis Marion)
Odell Turner (Wingate)
Clayton Vette (Winona State)
Anthony Young (Kentucky Wesleyan)
The 8-0 Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes' volleyball team remains in the third position in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top 25 poll.
The Coyotes are in the poll for the 156th straight time and inside the top 10 for their 71st straight appearance.
Coach Kim Cherniss will lead her team Wednesday night as it steps outside of CCAA play with a match at NCAA newcomer, but longtime foe Cal Baptist. The match is at 7 p.m. at CBU.
CSUSB completes the week with matches Friday (Chico State) and Saturday (Cal State Stanislaus) at home. Matches for both nights are also at 7 p.m.
Concordia St. Paul remains at the top this week and Tampa is second.
Cal State's biggest CCAA rival, UC San Diego (8-0), is ranked 10th.
The assignment is a five-year stint and includes chairing the NCAA West Region championship.
"I am honored for this opportunity and to be a part of Division II's March Madness,'' Hatcher said. "The West has represented itself very well over the last three seasons with each of its teams reaching the championship game and earning Final Four berths in the last four seasons.''
The committee is comprised of eight individuals who represent each of the tournament's regionals.
The 2012 Elite Eight will be played in Highland Heights, Ky., and hosted by the University of Northern Kentucky.
Hatcher replaces Northwest Nazarene Director of Athletics Rich Sanders, who fulfilled his five-year commitment this past March.
Hatcher also is a member of the NCAA Softball West Regional committee.
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team moved up from third to second in the American Volleyball coaches Association Top 25 poll.
The Coyotes went 4-0 over the weekend as a tournament they hosted. The most noteable win was over No. 17 Western Washington.
Cal State jumped over Central Missouri which lost twice, one of those to No. 1 and reigning national champion Concordia St. Paul. Central Missouri lost 3-0 so it probably didn't deserve to be No. 2 anyway.
The CCAA is also represented by No. 15 UC San Diego. Cal State Los Angeles was in the receiving votes category.
The Coyotes open CCAA play this weekend with San Francisco State on Friday and Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, both at Coussoulis Arena where they have won 50 straight matches.
When Tobias Jahn starts his first professional season this fall, he won't be in an unfamiliar overseas atmosphere. In fact, he'll be right at home.
A native of Germany, Jahn signed a professional contract this week with Erdgas Ehingen of the Basketball Bundesliga's second league "Pro A." The team is based out of Ehingen, a town in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg.
"Tobias has had a fantastic college career and now we want to help him get started in his professional basketball career," Ehingen head coach Ralph Junge said. "He is a guy that is difficult to get out of the gym. With this attitude, he is exactly at the right place in Ehingen."
Jahn completed his four-year career with Cal Poly Pomona in 2011 and helped the Broncos capture the 2010 NCAA Division II title with clutch performances in the March postseason push. In the Elite Eight semifinal win over Bentley, the 6-foot-9 forward scored 11 points off the bench and grabbed six rebounds in 20 minutes. Jahn collected 10 points including his second three-pointer of the season in the title game against Indiana (Pa.).
"I realized after my visit to Ehingen that this was the best place for me to develop," Jahn said. "I am looking forward to working with Ralph Junge and Felix Czerny."
Through his time with the Broncos, Jahn totaled 113 games played and 2,358 minutes. He also collected 478 rebounds to go along with a scoring average of 7.3 points per game.
Five-time defending conference champion and NCAA Division II Pacific Region Champion Cal State San Bernardino received the maximum number of votes possible and was tabbed as the conference coaches' unanimous pick to capture the 2011 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title.
The Coyotes also open the season ranked third in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II national poll.
The Coyotes, winners of five straight CCAA titles and eight overall since 2001, totaled 121 points and 11 first-place votes. UC San Diego, which tied for second a year ago, finished second in the poll after collecting 100 points and one first-place vote. Sonoma State was third with 95 points, Cal State L.A. was fourth after garnering 89 points and Cal State East Bay rounded out the top five with 84 points.
Chico State (68) was picked sixth and followed by Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State, which tied for seventh with 54 points each. Cal Poly Pomona (45) was ninth, Cal State Stanislaus (34) placed 10th, Humboldt State (17) finished 11th and Cal State Dominguez Hills (15) rounded out the poll.
Cal State San Bernardino is coming off a 28-2 overall record, including a 21-1 mark, in CCAA play. The Coyotes defeated Seattle Pacific in the Pacific Region final before seeing their season come to an end at the hands of Concordia-St. Paul in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals. It marked the third straight season that Cal State San Bernardino had its season ended by the Golden Bears.
Entering her 21st season at Cal State San Bernardino, head coach Kim Cherniss welcomes back 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Player of the Year Samantha Middleborn and All-American setter Camille Smith.
The 2011 campaign is slated to begin Thursday, September 1 with a trio of tournaments. Cal State San Bernardino will host the Coyote Labor Day Classic, while Sonoma State and UC San Diego compete in the Hawaii Tournament in Honolulu, and Humboldt State hosts the Humboldt State Tournament. CCAA play is slated to commence on Friday, September 9 with a full slate of contests.
2011 CCAA Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank - School (First Place Votes) - Points - 2010 Record
1.Cal State San Bernardino (11) 121 28-2, 21-1
2.UC San Diego (1) 100 19-9, 15-7
3.Sonoma State 95 17-10, 14-8
4.Cal State L.A. 89 16-11, 13-9
5.Cal State East Bay 84 20-7, 15-7
6.Chico State 68 14-14, 9-13
T7.Cal State Monterey Bay 54 15-10, 12-10
T7.San Francisco State 54 14-13, 11-11
9. Cal Poly Pomona 45 10-17, 8-14
10. Cal State Stanislaus 34 13-14, 10-12
11. Humboldt State 17 2-24, 2-20
12. Cal State Dominguez Hills 15 3-25, 2-20
Former Cal State San Bernardino pitcher Aaron Brooks is spending his first professional season with Idaho Falls Chukars (Gotta love some of those minor league team names!) of the Rookie Pioneer League.
Brooks, a product of Cajon High School, was drafted in the ninth round by the Kansas City Royals last June, following completion of his junior year.
He is 4-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 50 innings. It's an admirable start. Brooks has appeared in 10 games, eight of those as a starter. He has given up 54 hits with 46 strikeouts. He still has that trademark control - just five walks.
Brooks was named this week's Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week after hurling five and two-third scoreless innings against Capser in which he gave up six hits and struck out a career-high 10.
For Reyana Colson, the dream has become a reality.
One of the most decorated players to ever wear the Green and Gold, Colson will begin her professional career in September. She recently signed a contract with KR Reykjavik of the Icelandic League.
"I was waiting all summer for the call," Colson said. "It's something that I've worked hard for and I'm excited to see where it takes me. From what I've heard, this league is a sort of stepping stone to better opportunities."
The team is based out of Reykjavik, the capital and largest city in Iceland. Last year's squad featured Chazny Morris, a former Division I star from Missouri-Kansas City. Colson's contract has her joining the team in mid-September and competing in Iceland for eight months.
"Hopefully I can stay healthy and continue playing professionally as long as possible," she said. "To be able to travel the world and play the game I love has been my ultimate goal."
In talking about her summer search in trying to land a professional contract, Colson thanked Broncos' head coach Danelle Bishop and CPP professor Dr. Renford Reese for their help. While Bishop helped her continue her basketball training and build contacts overseas, Reese assisted Colson in finding an agent and creating a player profile package with video.
"From the time that I started college at Cal Poly Pomona, I've gained a lot of confidence in myself and I've been able to crawl out of my shell," Colson said. "On the court, I learned to be a leader and also to appreciate everything that I've been given."
The 5-foot-6 guard earned NCAA Division II All-American honors in March after leading the Broncos to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2002 and through her career, she totaled 1,931 points. Her academic success was just as remarkable, as she received Academic All-American mention in 2011 as well.
The 2012 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's and Women's Basketball Championships have been awarded to UC San Diego.
The 16-team event will be contested February 28 - March 3 with the semifinals and championship games slated for RIMAC Arena (5,000) on the campus of UC San Diego in La Jolla.
The championship format calls for eight men's and eight women's teams to compete in first-round games at campus sites on February 28 with the winners advancing to the semifinals on March 2 in La Jolla. The championship games will be played on Saturday, March 3.
"Through a vote of the CCAA's Executive Council, UC San Diego was chosen as the championship site over Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino," Hiegert said. "Since the return of the CCAA Basketball Championships in 2008, the event has continued to grow and last year's tournament provided tremendous competition and dramatic finishes.
"By electing UC San Diego as the 2012 host, southern California fans, and in particular those in the San Diego area, will have an opportunity to watch outstanding Division II college basketball," Hiegert added. "UC San Diego has a tremendous athletics staff and the conference is confident that Director of Athletics Earl Edwards and his staff will put on an outstanding event in an excellent facility."\
UC San Diego will be the fourth different institution to host the tournament since 2008.
"UC San Diego is extremely pleased to serve as the host site for the CCAA basketball championships this season," Edwards said. "We are excited to showcase CCAA basketball and all it has to offer in our community and look forward to welcoming the participating student-athletes and coaches to San Diego."
Since its return in 2008, the CCAA Tournament has been held at Cal State San Bernardino (2008 and 2009), Humboldt State (2010) and Cal State East Bay (2011).
Cal State Dominguez Hills is the defending men's champion while Cal Poly Pomona captured the women's title in 2011.
Former Cal Poly Pomona baseball standout Travis Taijeron has earned New York-Penn League Player of the Week honors.
Taijeron, who led the Broncos to the NCAA Division II West Region championship game in May, plays for the New York Mets Short-A affiliate the Brooklyn Cyclones. He was an 18-th round draft selection by the Mets in June.
For the week Taijeron hit 435 (10-for-23) with two doubles, three homeruns and six RBI. After lifting a solo shot against State College last Sunday, he went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and four RBIs in Monday's 9-5 win over the Spikes. He had at least one hit in his remaining six games, including solo blasts against Connecticut on Thursday and Vermont on Sunday. The 22-year-old outfielder is tied for third in the league with seven homers and is sixth with 28 RBIs.
It's that time of year when teams are battling for survival. A whole host of local teams were in action on Friday. Oh where to start . . .
The toughest loss of the day was that by the University of Redlands softball team which lost to host Texas-Tyler in a 15-inning extravanganza. The Bulldogs were on the brink of defeat until Sarah Beeman knocked in two runs with a double in the seventh and Redlands led 5-4.
Not so fast. Tyler then scored one. On they went.
In the ninth Lizett Casillas hit a grand slam home run, 9-5 visitors lead. Home team answeres with four. On they went.
Tyler eventually won it in the 15th on a solo home run. The Bulldogs played the equivalent of two games and must somehow find the energy to play a morning elimination game on Saturday.
It wasn't good news for the other local team playing there. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps lost to Louisiana College 8-3 and are one loss from being done.
On a brighter note, the Cal State San Bernardino softball team picked up a huge win in its regional playoff opener, upending defending national champion Hawaii Pacific 3-2 in eight innings behind the pitching of senior Cassidy Lee.
In baseball, Cal Poly Pomona remained alive, turning back Sonoma State 11-4 behind the hitting machine that is Travis Taijeron. The Broncos are in the loser's bracket playing Chico State in an elimination game.
In golf Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' Tain Lee finished second in the national championship tournament in Greensboro, N.C. He was ninth as a freshman and won it last year as a sophomore. That's quite a resume already.
University of Redlands was 10th, making its sixth top 10 finish in right years. University of La Verne was 15th.
The Cal State San Bernardino softball team is back in the NCAA playoffs for the only the second time and the first since 2008.
The seventh-seeded Coyotes (32-22) are headed to Kaneohe, Hawaii and will open play Friday against second-seeded and defending national champion Hawaii Pacific (37-10).
There will be two four-team double-elimination West Regionals, one hosted by Hawaii Pacific and the other by Chico State. The teams that emerge from each of those competitions will square off in a best-of-three series.
"We're excited," Coyotes coach Tacy Duncan <NO1>name is right <NO>said. "Our conference is very tough, so we feel like that has really prepared us for the postseason."
The Coyotes played the Sea Warriors, winners of the Pacific West Conference, on April 2 in a tournament on a neutral field and Hawaii Pacific emerged with an 8-6 win. Having seen the opponent is reason for Duncan to be optimistic.
"We played them in a close game and we didn't even use our best pitcher," Duncan said while referring to senior Cassidy Lee. "She has been pitching great and we're confident with her out there."
Cal State, led by All-CCAA selections Priscilla Curiel, Jacquelyn Holtzclaw, Jamie Leffingwell and Brittney Butler, is one of four teams from the CCAA to advance.
Sonoma State (36-20) is in the same bracket with the Coyotes and will face Dixie State (33-12) while Chico State (29-17) and UC San Diego (36-13) will compete at Chico. Western Washington (36-14) and Central Washington (33-14) round out the field at Chico.
The only other time the Coyotes competed in the regional they went 2-2 in the tournament held at Humboldt State.
Travis Taijeron of the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team was named by the College Baseball Lineup as a semifinalist for the 2011 Division II Tino Martinez Award. The honor will be presented to the most outstanding player in D-II college baseball.
The annual honor is named after the former University of Tampa Spartan, United States Olympian, first round draft pick and MLB All-Star, Tino Martinez.
Taijeron leads the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in homeruns with 14, which puts him 18th nationally. In leading the Broncos to the conference tournament, which will be held in Stockton, Calif., this week, the senior outfielder hit .459 in the final month of the regular season.
The San Diego native is a three-time CCAA Player of the Week and his 30 career homeruns ranks second all-time in the CPP record books.
The 47 semi-finalists for the Tino Martinez Award represent 41 different schools from across the nation. Each of the eight geographic regions are represented, with a minimum of five players selected from each area.
Five players comprise the semifinalists from the Atlantic, East and West Regions, six student-athletes make up the list from the Midwest and Central, and six players have been included from the South, South Central and Southeast.
The finalists are scheduled to be named on Thursday, May 19. The winner will be announced after the conclusion of the DII Baseball Championship held in Cary, N.C., from May 28 to June 4.
Cal Poly Pomona right-hander Erick Ruvalcaba has been named the Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 2 to May 9,
Ruvalcaba, a junior from Whittier, turned in a big-time effort in Friday's series opener against Cal State L.A. With the Broncos seeking a win to enhance their chances of earning a CCAA Tournament berth, Ruvalcaba hurled a complete-game three-hit shutout against the Golden Eagles.
In nine innings of work, Ruvalcaba walked two and struck two as he pitched the Broncos to a 6-0 victory that helped CPP earn a series split and a CCAA Tournament berth.
Cal Poly Pomona, seeded fourth in the CCAA Tournament, will face No. 1 seed UC San Diego Thursday at 3 p.m. The double-elimination tournament runs Thursday through Saturday at the University of the Pacific's Klein Family Field in Stockton.
Wilson/CCAA Pitcher of the Week
Jan. 31 - Feb. 6: Branden Petrangelo (San Francisco State);
Feb. 7-13: Daniel Simmons (UC San Diego);
Feb. 14-20: Tim Shibuya (UC San Diego);
Feb. 21-27: Scott Tully (Cal State Monterey Bay);
Feb. 28 - Mar. 6: Gabriel Asakura (Cal State L.A.);
Mar. 7-13: Nick Rodarte (Cal State L.A.);
Mar. 14-20: Aaron Appino (Cal State Monterey Bay);
Mar. 21-27: Andrew Stueve (Cal State Stanislaus);
Mar. 28 - Apr. 3: Vinny Pacchetti (Cal State Stanislaus);
Apr. 4-10: Gabriel Asakura (Cal State L.A.);
Apr. 11-17: Guido Knudson (UC San Diego);
Apr. 18-24: Aaron Brooks (Cal State San Bernardino);
Apr. 25-May 1: AJ Comaskey (San Francisco State);
May 2-9: Erick Ruvalcaba (Cal Poly Pomona).
Burns, an Oceanside native, has been a stalwart for the Coyotes during her four seasons. She became the Coyotes' all-time leader in saves in the final game of the 2010 season and earned All-American honors in the process.
This season Burns has 420 saves with 30 assists and 60 steals for the Coyotes, who open the WWPA Tournament at 9 a.m. Friday against Cal State Monterey Bay at Chabot College in Hayward. The tourney is hosted by Cal State East Bay.
In her career, Burns has 1,566 saves and owns three of the top five single-season saves in school history.
Sophomore Misty Vu was named to the honorable mention squad. The Riverside native leads the Coyotes with 81 goals.
Cal State San Bernardino junior outfielder David Silvas, who has blistered the baseball during the month of April, was named this week's California Collegiate Athletic Association Batter of the Week for the week of April 18-23.
The Moreno Valley native continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the CCAA over the last three weeks. He currently owns a club-best, 9-game hitting streak and is hitting .485 over those nine games (16 of 33 with eight extra-base hits - 6 doubles, 2 HRs).
During the 4-game series against CSUMB that puts the Coyotes into 4th place by percentage points over CPP and CSULA, he hit .538 and capped the series with a 3-for-4 effort in the series finale that included back-to-back-to-back doubles.
He is 24-for-53 (.453) with 11 extra-base hits in his last 14 games.
Junior right-hander Aaron Brooks, who dominated in his opening-game series start against Cal State Monterey Bay on April 21, was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week.
The San Bernardino native set the tone in the weekend series against CSUMB on Thursday, with his third complete game and first shutout of the year in a 2-0 win. Brooks faced just 31 batters - four over the minimum -- and did not allow an Otter to reach past second base after the first inning.
He retired 14 in a row -- from the last out of the 3rd inning through the first out in the 8th -- and struck out six, did not issue a walk and scattered five hits.
For the season, is 4-6 with a 2.78 ERA. He owns 70 strikeouts and just eight base on balls. He has allowed 64 hits and opponents are hitting just .229 against him in 77.2 innings.
Cal State San Bernardino outfielder David Silvas is this week's Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Baseball Player of the Week for his showing in games April 4-10.
Silvas, a junior from Moreno Valley, led the Coyotes' offense during a four-game series split at nationally-ranked Chico State. He hit .400 (6-for-15) with three runs scored, three doubles and three RBI, while recording a .600 slugging and .471 on-base percentage.
On the season he his batting .33 with 11 doubles, two home runs, 18 RBI and 19 runs scored.
Cal State San Bernardino will host local rival Cal Poly Pomona in the opener of a four-game series at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Fiscalini Field.
Junior catcher Jenzen Torres of the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team has been named NCAA Division II National Player of the Week.
The award is released through the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA). Slippery Rock sophomore left-hander Joby Lapkowicz earned the National Pitcher of the Week honor after throwing a no-hitter on Sunday.
Torres led the Broncos' offense during a series win over Cal State East Bay. In four games, he batted .462 (6-for-13) with five runs scored, four home runs and 13 runs batted in while registering a 1.365 slugging percentage and getting on base at a .588 clip.
The Valencia, native, who accounted for 18 of CPP's 42 runs scored in the series, hit safely and scored at least one run in three of the four games. In the series opener, a 19-3 win for the Broncos, Torres went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a pair of home runs and career-high six RBIs. That total of 19 scores was the highest amount in program history since 2002.
The CPP squad returns to action this weekend with a four-game road series at San Francisco State. The series opener will start at 3 p.m. Friday.
Cal Poly Pomona will hold a rally to honor the women's basketball team which advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
Festivities are scheduled for noon on Thursday in Center Court of the Bronco Student Center. It is open to the public free of charge. It will be similar to the one held last year to honor the men's team after it brought home a national championship.
Coach Danelle Bishop and the players will be introduced with a chosen few addressing the crowd.
The Broncos advanced to the national tournament last month for the first time since 2002. They were second in the CCAA in the regular season but won the conference tournament and the NCAA Division II West Regional.
The Cal State San Bernardino women's cross country team will hold a 5K-10K fun run beginning at 8 a.m. on Sunday. It is the primary fund-raiser for the program which competes in the fall.
The event typically draws about 300 participants according to Coyotes coach Tom Burleson, who added the biggest challenge is finalizing a date when the event doesn't conflict with other local events.
The starting line is is off by the school's soccer fields and the course winds around the campus.
The entry fee of $25 includes a T-shirt. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. on site on race day. Applications are also available on-line through the school's athletic department web site.
"This is big for us," Burleson said. "The budget is tough and we're like everyone, just trying to make it work. This provides most of the money for our operating budget."
Cal State San Bernardino claimed both CCAA weekly honors in softball as junior Brianna Godfredson has been named pitcher of the week and junior shortstop Courtney Wilhelms has been named player of the week for their showing in games March 14-21.
Godfredson posted a 4-0 record, 1.56 earned-run average and two complete-games in seven appearances last week to help the Coyotes to a 7-1 record against Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Stanislaus. In 27 innings, she allowed 24 hits, nine runs (six earned), walked 12 and struck out 13.
Wilhelms batted .536 (15-for-28) with 11 runs scored, a double, five home runs and 17 RBIs while posting a 1.107 slugging percentage and .581 on-base percentage. She posted six multiple-hit and five multiple-RBI games. During a four-game series against Cal State Stanislaus, she batted .600 (9-for-15) with five runs scored and 10 RBIs.
Cal Poly Pomona outfielder Travis Taijeron has been named the Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Week for the week of March 6 to March 13,
It marks the second time this season he has been honored.
Taijeron, a senior from San Diego, Calif., had a productive weekend at the plate as he helped the Broncos take three out of four at Cal State Stanislaus. He posted a .417 batting average (5-for-12) with six runs scored, two home runs and three RBIs while recording a .917 slugging percentage and .529 on-base percentage.
Taijeron, who hit safely in all four games and scored a run in three of the four contests, launched a leadoff homerun in the ninth-inning Friday to lift the Broncos to a 4-3 victory on Friday.
Currently in the conference ranks for season statistics, Taijeron is first in total bases (52), first in homeruns (6), second in slugging (.684), second in runs batted in (21), fourth in walks (14) and fifth in on-base percentage (.473).
CPP has a week off before opening a four-game series at defending CCAA champion UC San Diego on March 24.
Wilson/CCAA Player of the Week
Jan. 31- Feb. 6: Travis Taijeron (Cal Poly Pomona)
Feb. 7-13: Thomas Shull (Cal State Stanislaus)
Feb. 14-20: Manny Acosta (Cal State L.A.)
Feb. 21-27: Garrett Tuck (UC San Diego)
Feb. 28-Mar. 6: Blake Tagmyer (UC San Diego)
Mar. 7-13: Travis Taijeron (Cal Poly Pomona).
Cal Poly Pomona senior guard Reyana Colson has added yet another award to her gorwing tally.
The 5-foot-6 dynamo has been named NCAA Division II West Region Player of the Year. That comes on the heels of her selection as CCAA Player of the Year last week.
The native of Compton ranks second nationally in scoring at 21.4 points per game. She is also averaging 6.4 rebounds, 4.7 assist and 2.8 steals. She is the only player at the Division II level to rank within the top 50 nationally in points, assists and steals.
Colson has collected four double-double performances to raise her career total to 20. She ranks fourth all-time in scoring at Cal Poly with 1,849 points.
Four of the five players named to the first and team and eight of 10 overall will be competing in the NCAA Division II West regional tournament at Cal Poly Pomona this week.
Second team selections included Broncos junior Megan Ford as well as Cal State San Bernardino senior point guard Eisha Sheppard.
Ford, named Most Valuable Player at last week's CCAA Tournament, is averaging 13.2 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds. She ranks seventh in the conference in scoring and fourth in rebounding.
Sheppard, a former standout at San Bernardino Valley College, is averaging 15 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Players selected to the region first team are now eligible for national honors which will be announced March 22.
The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team will host the NCAA Division II West Region tournament beginning Friday. The Broncos were No. 5 in the previous poll and moving up that many spots in the last poll is pretty much unheard of, no matter what sports we're talking about.
Rumor has it the other schools in contention for hosting rights were Grand Canyon and Cal State Monterey Bay.
I am happy the Broncos are getting that opportunity. This is an experienced team with a lot of depth that is led by the best player in the conference, and probably in the West, in Reyana Colson.
I am glad Grand Canyon did not get the nod. I have a friend of 30 years who lives 30 minutes from that school so a trip there might have been nice and I had a place to stay.
But I attended a men's basketball tournament there in December in which the Cal Poly men played. The tournament staff was in such a hurry to clear out the joint I didn't have 10 minutes to write a story. It's the only time in my professional career I have had a press table pulled out from under my laptop and the chair pulled out from under me.
I vowed to never cover and event there again.
Monterey Bay might not have been a bad choice but they lost two of three games against the Broncos, including Saturday's CCAA title game. Giving the Otters the nod ahead of the Broncos would not have been a good choice.
Hosting a regional is a big responsibility but the Cal Poly staff is up for the challenge.
Here is the tournament schedule -
Friday, March 11
12:30 p.m. - #3 Cal State Monterey Bay (26-3) vs. #6 Dixie State (24-3)
2:30 p.m. - #2 Grand Canyon (27-2) vs. #7 Seattle Pacific (20-8)
5:30 p.m. - #4 Western Washington (26-3) vs. #5 Alaska Anchorage (25-6)
7:30 p.m. - #1 Cal Poly Pomona (25-4) vs. #8 Cal State San Bernardino (21-7)
Saturday, March 12
5:00 p.m. - Semifinal No. 1
7:00 p.m. - Semifinal No. 2
Monday, March 14
7:00 p.m. - West Region Championship Game
UC Riverside assistant baseball coach Randy Betten has been named head coach at Cal Poly Pomona, becoming just the fifth in the school's 51-year history. Betten, 39, had worked for the Highlanders the last six years after also serving at both Cal Baptist and Riverside Community College but this will be his first head coaching position.
``It was an attractive position, not just because of the tradition of Cal Poly Pomona and its great academic reputation but because I grew up here,'' he said. ``I am looking forward to getting back to the roots of this community because there is a lot of talent in this area.''
Betten replaces Mike Ashman who directed the Broncos program for 15 years before stepping down in August. Last year the Broncos went 26-27 overall, including an 18-22 mark within the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Broncos last made the CCAA Tournament in 2005, with the program's most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament coming in 1993.
The Broncos captured Division II national titles in 1976, 1980 and 1983.
Betten had individual meetings with each of his 31 returning players on Tuesday. The team starts practice on Thursday in preparation for its regular season opener on Feb. 3 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Jimmy Ramos, who had served as interim head coach since Ashman's departure, will remain on staff as an assistant to Betten which should ease the transition.
``The first order of business is getting organized and familiarizing myself with the personnel we have coming back. They are all excited about getting started,'' he said. ``The first game is going to be here before we know it.''
After joining the UCR staff in September of 2004, Betten helped guide the Highlanders to the Big West Conference title in 2007 as the squad was ranked as high as 13th in the nation during the year. That championship marked the first time in 20 years that a Division I program in the UC system won its conference championship outright.
Before becoming part of the UCR program, Betten served as an assistant for Cal Baptist in 2004, when the Lancers overcame a slow start to post a 30-22 record and finished as runners-up in the Region II Tournament.
Prior to his time with the Lancers, Betten served as an assistant under Dennis Rogers at Riverside Community College (1996-2003). He was the head assistant when the Tigers won three straight California Community College state championships from 2000 to 2002.
Throughout his coaching career, Betten has had 40 position players either drafted or signed to professional contracts.
Betten played professionally for six years after being taken in the 26th round by the California Angels in the 1995 draft. He reached as high as the Triple-A level with the Angels' teams in Vancouver and Edmonton in 1998 and 1999. He began his coaching career in 2000 with the Angels Midwest League affiliate, Cedar Rapids.
Betten graduated from the now-defunct New Life Christian High School in Highland. He began his college career at RCC, earning All-American, All-Southern California and All-Orange Empire Conference honors in 1992 and 1993. He then earned a scholarship to Arizona State and was part of a team that finished third in the 1994 College World Series. In 1995, Betten earned All-Pacific 10 Conference first team honors while serving as a team captain.
Betten earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Thomas Edison State College in 1998. He also earned a master's degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific in 2002.
Betten and wife Amy and their three children live in Riverside.
Cal Poly Pomona claimed both CCAA Basketball Player of the week honors with senior guard Reyana Colson chosen the top player on the women's side and junior forward Dwayne Fells selected on the men's side.
Colson was named tournament Most Valuable Player after leading the Broncos (6-0) to a 2-0 record at the GNAC/CCAA Challenge. She averaged 25.5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in leading Cal Poly Pomona to wins over Western Oregon and Northwest Nazarene.
It is the second time this season she has been so honored.
Fells helped the Broncos (3-3) to a split of their games at the Grand Canyon Christmas Classic. He averaged 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2 blocks in a loss to Montana State-Billings and a win over Simon Fraser. He shot 64 percent from the field (16-for-25).
Both teams return to action on Dec. 29, hosting San Francisco State as the teams resume CCAA play.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced its Division II All-American nods today and four players from Cal State San Bernardino are among those honored.
Junior Samantha Middleborn and senior Jane Chafeh made the first team while senior Nicole Moore made the second and sophomore Camille Smith the third team. It is the first time the school has had four All-Americans. It has three on four occasions.
It is a quite an accomplishment given that just 42 players are selected nationwide - 14 to each of the three teams. The only school that had more named was No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul which had five players honored. That is the team the Coyotes will play in the NCAA quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Coyotes are a very balanced team which makes it hard to rack up the lofty numbers needed for individual honors most of the time. Coach Kim Cherniss was disappointed junior Megan Johnson didn't figure into those All-American selections as well.
But she'll be just as happy if the Coyotes bring home the big proze this week!
Three players from Cal State San Bernardino and one from Cal Poly Pomona were among those named to the Division II Daktronics All-West Region Men's Soccer team.
The Coyotes (13-6-1), who won the CCAA South Division and were ranked as high as third nationally this season, were represented on the first team by sophomore goalkeeper Tanner Olinger and senior forward Obu Agwu. They also had junior defnder Brett Faggioni named to the second team.
Olinger recorded a goals-against average of 0.62, highlighted by nine shutouts. Five of those came consecutively near the end of the regular season.
Agwu, a graduate of Alta Loma High School, led the team in scoring with 12 goals and three assists. He was tied for first in the CCAA in goals and second in points.
Faggioni was an anchor in the defense that helped pitch nine shutouts.
The lone representative for the Broncos (10-7-1) is junior Luis Gonzalez who was named to the second team.
The transfer from Cerritos College led the CCAA in points (33) and tied for first in goals 12. He also broke a conference record with a 10-point game against Cal State Monterey Bay that included four goals and two assists.
It's official! Cal State San Bernardino will host the NCAA Division II West Region tournament which begins on Thursday.
The Coyotes (25-2) will be making their 11th straight regional appearance and will get No. 8 seed Brigham Young-Hawaii (16-7) in Thursday's quarterfinal. That's a favorable matchup for Cal State with BYU out of a Pac West Conference that isn'tparticularly strong in volleyball.
Of course the top-seeded Coyotes are playing so well it probably won't matter who they will be facing, They have won 12 straight matches and have an even more impressive streak of 43 wins on their home court.
If the Coyotes take care of business in their opener, they would face the winner of the quarterfinal featuring two CCAA teams - No. 5 Sonoma State and No. 4 UC San Diego. Cal State beat both those teams twice with scores of 3-0 each time.
The other bracket pits No. 3 Western Washington (19-3) against No. 6 Alaska-Anchorage (18-8) and No. 2 Seattle Pacific (24-2) against No. 7 Cal State Los Angeles (16-10).
The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team made its home debut on Sunday and had no trouble cruising past Dominican 80-55 at Kellogg Gymnasium.
It was really never a game. The visitors led 14-10 nine minutes in but the Boncos dominated after that. The Penguins has 29 turnovers. You're not going to win many games when you can't handle the ball.
The star was senior forward La'Kenya Simon-West who netted a career-high 22 points with six rebounds, and three steals. Simon-West came off the bench last year and was used primarily as a three-point specialist.
Reyana Colson and Megan Ford added 16 points each. Colson had hre normal solid all-around game with five rebounds, six assists and five steals.
The Dominican team also included a local in Don Lugo graduate Kayla Valentine, a freshman guard, who had six points.
It was good news and bad news for the Cal State San Bernardino men's soccer team.
The Coyotes (13-5-1) made the postseason for just the third time in history. The bad news, though, is losses in the last two matches cost the Coyotes the right to host a game, so they'll be hitting the road.
Chico State will host the Super Region 4. The Coyotes will be facing Pacific West champion Grand Canyon (14-2-2) at 4 p.m. Friday in the first round while the host Wildcats (13-6) will play CCAA North foe Sonoma State (14-5-1) at 7 p.m.
"Our guys are excited about the opportunity," said Cal State San Bernardino coach Noah Kooiman, this year's CCAA Coach of the Year. "It's a little disappointing we're not hosting, but it's the playoffs. "We got a taste of it last year, so we're better prepared this time around."
The Coyotes have been ranked as high as No. 3 in the country and were No. 1 in the West Region the last three weeks, but Cal State lost its regular-season finale to Cal State Dominguez Hills 1-0 and its CCAA tournament semifinal to Sonoma State 1-0.
Sonoma State won the event by beating Dominguez in the final. Kooiman thinks Sonoma State winning tipped the hosting right to Chico. Had Dominguez gotten in, the South would have had two teams and the Coyotes likely would have been the host team.
"We'll never know, but that's how we think it would have worked out," Kooiman said.
It will be the third playoff berth for the Coyotes, who were beaten last year by Cal State Los Angeles 5-3. The previous berth was in 1991, when the school was competing at the Division III level.
The Coyotes haven't played Grand Canyon this season. They defeated Chico State 2-1 and lost to Sonoma State twice, 3-1 and 1-0.
Division III women's soccer
Surprise SCIAC tournament winner University of Redlands has drawn a first- round playoff matchup against Chapman on Thursday.
The Bulldogs (10-9) were seeded fourth for the SCIAC tourney but earned the conference playoff berth by upsetting top- seeded Cal Lutheran and No. 2 Occidental in the conference tournament.
Redlands hasn't given up a goal in more than 285 minutes dating back to its 5-0 victory over Whittier on Oct. 30. It has seven shutouts.
Chapman (12-6), which competes as an independent, gained one of 21 Pool B/C bids to the NCAA tournament. It defeated Redlands 3-2 in nonconference play earlier this season.
Division III men's soccer
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (14-3-2) will be the SCIAC's lone postseason representative and compete in a four- team sectional. The Stags will play host team Texas-Tyler University (12-3-1) on Saturday.
The winner of that game will face the winner of the game between Trinity-Texas and Pacific.
Claremont-Mudd finished second to the University of Redlands in the regular season but upended the Bulldogs 1-0 in the SCIAC tournament to earn the automatic bid.
Division III volleyball
For the first time since 1999, the University of La Verne will not be participating in the postseason.
Regular-season champion Cal Lutheran won the SCIAC's automatic bid by also winning the conference tournament.
The Leopards (19-11) were 11-9 in mid- October but went 8-2 over their last 10 matches to make a push for an at-large bid, then lost the tournament finale to Cal Lutheran.
West Region representatives Cal Lutheran, Colorado College and Whitworth each received automatic bids into the 63-team field by virtue of winning their respective conferences. Puget Sound (18-6) earned the West's lone at-large berth.
Cal State Los Angeles middle blocker Marquis Mora has been named Molten/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 1-7.
Mora, a sophomore from Rancho Cucamonga, played big in the middle as the Eagles defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills and No. 25 Cal State East Bay and lost to UC San Diego.
In 11 sets, she totaled 33 kills, 12 total blocks and posted an impressive .508 attack percentage. In 59 attack attempts, the Cal State L.A. sophomore had just three hitting errors.
In a three-game sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills, Mora collected eight kills without an error, two block assists and recorded a .571 hitting perencetage. She followed that effort with 10 kills, four block assists registered a .625 attack percentage againt Cal State East Bay.
Mora, a graduate of Etiwanda High School, ended the week with 15 kills, six total blocks and a .414 hitting percentage in a five-set win over UC San Diego.
Molten CCAA Women's Volleyball Player of the Week:
Aug. 30 - Sept. 5: Roxanne Brunsting (UC San Diego)
Sept. 6-12: Roxanne Neely (Cal State East Bay)
Sept. 13-19 Rheann Fall (Cal State Monterey Bay)
Sept. 20-26: Lianne Vicchio (Cal State Stanislaus)
Sept. 27 - Oct. 3: Jane Chafeh (Cal State San Bernardino)
Oct. 4-10: Melanie Lashbrook (Cal State Monterey Bay)
Oct. 11-17: Roxanne Brunsting (UC San Diego)
Oct. 18-24: Ally Sather (Sonoma State)
Oct. 25-31: Roxanne Neely (Cal State East Bay)
Nov. 1-7: Marquis Mora (Cal State L.A.).
The Cal Poly Pomona cross country teams will host the 2010 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships this weekend at Whittier Narrows Regional Park.
In the 2009 conference championships on the men's side, the Broncos finished second to Chico State. The Wildcats enter this year's meet as the favorite once again, with CSUC holding the top spot in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCA) West Region rankings.
"It's going to take a championship attitude and a championship race from our team," CPP head coach Troy Johnson said. "We've prepared the best we can. The rankings don't matter at this point, it's all about what happens Saturday."
The Broncos will look to carry over their momentum from last month into November, after CPP took first at the UC San Diego Triton Classic while topping CCAA rival UCSD by five points. Leading the Broncos in that race was senior Matthew Prentice, who put together CPP's top time in that event for the second-straight year.
This Saturday's men's race will start at 9 a.m., while the women's event begins at 10 a.m.
Scouting the Field
Aside from Chico State holding the top spot in the latest USTFCCCA regional poll, four other CCAA squads are featured in the rankings. The Broncos are ranked No. 6, the Tritons of UCSD are at No. 7, Humboldt State stands at No. 8 and San Francisco State holds the final No. 10 spot. The Wildcats' top returner is senior Brett Handa, who finished second in last year's championships behind teammate Jimmy Elam. UCSD's top runner is Jesse Morrill and in the Triton Classic about a month ago, he placed just ahead of Prentice.
Past Postseasons
After a second-place finish in the 2009 CCAA Championships, the Broncos went on to compete at the NCAA Division II West Regionals held at San Francisco State. There, CPP took fifth with 129 points, as CSUC finished first with 42 points. This season, the D-II regional event will be held at Lake Padden Park in Bellingham, Wash., with Western Washington hosting. The last NCAA Championships appearance for the CPP men's cross country team came in 2006, when the Broncos finished 17th overall.
About the Course
Whittier Narrows Regional Park is the site of both this weekend's meet and the CCAA Championships. The park holds Legg Lake, which is circled by the runners as part of the 8,000-meter men's course. If using a map service online, the address of 600 Santa Anita Ave., Whittier, CA, is approximately the parking lot that is set up for race visitors.
For the Cal Poly Pomona fans unable to make the cross-country trip to Durham, N.C., for Thursday's exhibition game, there will be a couple of different ways to follow the action between the Division II champion Broncos and the Division I champion Blue Devils.
If you're close enough to campus, the live video feed will be played in the Center Court area of the Bronco Student Center. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. on Thursday.
If you want to watch the game in the comfort of your own home, go online to GoDuke.com and sign up for their Inside Access package, which will give you the live webcast on your computer for a $10 fee.
Thursday's exhibition game at Cameron Indoor Stadium pits, based on the preseason poll, the best of Division I against the best of Division II. Duke amassed a 35-5 record en route to capturing the D-I title with a 61-59 win over Butler in Indianapolis, Ind.
Cal Poly Pomona closed the 2009-10 conference slate on a 13-0 tear and despite suffering a loss in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament, rebounded to win its next six games and capped off that run with a 65-53 victory over Indiana (Pa.) to secure the D-II national championship.
The Broncos ended the historic year with an overall record of 28-6, marking the highest win total for the program.
Entering the 2010-11 campaign, Duke earned the No. 1 spot in the USA Today/ESPN preseason coaches poll and CPP is ranked first in the Division II Bulletin preseason poll.
Directions to the Bronco Student Center
The campus has easy access from 10 and 57 Freeways.
The Bronco Student Center (BSC) is a short walk from the Parking Booth located in the main parking lots C & D. Please inquire at the Visitor Information/Parking Booth how to get to the BSC.
From 10 San Bernardino Freeway
1. Exit: Kellogg Drive
2. Coming East, turn right at the end of the exit ramp.
3. Coming West, turn left at the end of the exit ramp.
4. Continue on Kellogg Drive past University Drive and Red Gum Lane until you get to the parking booth and park as directed by the attendant at thebooth.
Campus Parking is $5
From 57 Orange Freeway
1. Exit: Temple Ave.
2. Coming North, turn left at the top of the exit ramp.
3. Coming South, turn right at the end of the exit ramp.
4. Continue on Temple Ave. going over railroad tracks, past Valley Blvd.
5. Turn right at South Campus Drive signal.
6. Turn left at Kellogg Drive signal.
7. Continue until you get to the parking booth and park as directed by the attendant at the booth.
Campus Parking is $5
The Cal State San Bernardino women's volleyball team fell from fourth to eighth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II poll released on Monday.
That drop is the result of a 3-2 loss to Cal State East Bay on Saturday. It was the first time this season the Coyotes (13-2) had been pushed to five games.
The fact that the traditional CCAA powers such as UC San Diego and Cal State Los Angeles seem a bit down doesn't help the Coyotes cause. A few weeks back they dropped from second to fifth without losing. The perception is that the conference is down so any loss is going to prove costly.
There are three teams ranked ahead of Cal State that have more losses.
The first West Region poll will come out in a couple of weeks. That's the one that really matters.
But here is the national poll.
1. Minnesota-Duluth (16-1)
2. Southwest Minnesota State (15-2
3. Tampa (Fla.) 15-3
4. Washburn (Kan.) 19-1
Wayne State (Neb.) 16-2
6. Concordia-St. Paul 18-3
7. Central Missouri 18-3
8. Cal State San Bernardino 13-2
9. Nebraska-Kearney 18-3
10. Truman 17-3
11. Lewis 15-2
12. Hillsdale (Mich) 15-1
13. Northern Michigan 15-0
14. Minnesota State 12-4
15. Emporia State 15-3
16. Western Washington 11-2
17. Seattle Pacific 16-1
18. Metro State 13-5
19. Missouri-St. Louis 14-3
20. Indianapolis 14-6
21. Abilene Christian 16-3
22. Dowling (NY) 14-0
23. Cal State East Bay 13-4
24. Cal State Monterey Bay 12-2
25. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 11-5
Dropped out: West Florida
Receiving votes: Florida Southern, West Florida, Rockhurst, West Texas A&M, Cal State Los Angeles, Wheeling Jesuit, Alaska-Anchorage, Barry (Fla.), Wingate (NC), Lynn (Fla.), Regis (Col.)
Cal State San Bernardino forward Obi Agwu has been named Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Soccer Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 27 - Oct. 3. It marks the second time this season that he has been honored.
Agwu, a senior out of Alta Loma High school, turned in a pair of solid performances in helping the Coyotes post a 1-0-1 mark against UC San Diego and Cal State East Bay that enabled Cal State San Bernardino remain tied atop the CCAA's South Division.
Agwu scored his team's only goal in a 1-1 tie at UC San Diego on Friday. He came back on Sunday and recorded a hat trick, scoring three goals in the Coyotes' 3-1 victory at Cal State East Bay. That performance gave him 30 goals for his career and moved him into fourth place on Cal State San Bernardino's all-time goals scored list.
Cal State San Bernardino resumes CCAA play on Friday when it hosts San Francisco State.
Sarah McTigue of UC San Diego was named the Women's Player of the Week.
Wilson/CCAA Men's Soccer Player of the Week:
Aug. 30 - Sept. 5: Obi Agwu (Cal State San Bernardino)
Sept. 6-12: Taylor Varnadore (Sonoma State)
Sept. 13-19: Taylor Rivas (Cal State L.A.)
Sept. 20-26: Jesse Brennan (UC San Diego)
Sept. 27 - Oct. 3: Obi Agwu (Cal State San Bernardino)
Wilson/CCAA Women's Soccer Player of the Week:
Aug. 30 - Sept. 5: Annette Ilg (UC San Diego)
Sept. 6-12: Gabbi Segall (Cal State L.A.)
Sept. 13-19: Karenee Demery (Cal State Stanislaus)
Sept. 20-16: Annicia Jones (San Francisco State)
Sept. 27 - Oct. 3: Sarah McTigue (UC San Diego).
Cal State San Bernardino's Samantha Borman has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) Female Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of Sept. 27 - Oct. 23.
Borman, a sophomore from Redlands, captured the Cal State San Bernardino Invitational on Saturday. She completed the six-kilometer course in a time of 22:54.4 to pace the field. Her performance also helped the Wildcats claim the four-team event that included CCAA members Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Cal State San Bernardino is next in action on Saturday when it competes in the UC San Diego Triton Classic.
CCAA Runners of the Week
Aug. 30 -Sept. 5: Hayley Tharp (Cal State Monterey Bay)
Sept. 6-12: Rubye Elhard (Cal State Stanislaus)
Sept. 13-19: Maritza Hernandez (Cal State L.A.)
Sept. 20-26: Kara Lubieniecki (Chico State)
Sept. 27 - Oct. 3: Samantha Borman (Cal State San Bernardino).
Cal State San Bernardino outside hitter Jane Chafeh has been named Molten/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 27 - Oct. 3.
Chafeh, a senior from Fontana, led the Warriors to a 3-0 record following victories over Cal Poly Pomona, Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus. The three wins kept the Coyotes atop the CCAA standings and extended their overall home winning streak to 36. The streak also includes 27 wins against CCAA opponents.
In 10 sets, Chafeh, who earned All-American honors as a junior a year ago, totaled 38 kills, 28 digs, four assists, two service aces and two block assists while posting a .304 hitting percentage. She also had two doubles (kills-digs).
In a three-set win over Cal Poly Pomona, Chafeh recorded 11 kills, three assists and 10 digs while registering a .346 hitting percentage. She then had nine kills and two digs in a sweep of Chico State and concluded the week with 18 kills, 16 digs and a .302 hitting percentage versus Cal State Stanislaus.
Cal State San Bernardino returns to action on Friday when it visits UC San Diego in La Jolla.
Molten CCAA Women's Volleyball Player of the Week:
Aug. 30 - Sept. 5: Roxanne Brunsting (UC San Diego)
Sept. 6-12: Roxanne Neely (Cal State East Bay)
Sept. 13-19: Rheann Fall (Cal State Monterey Bay)
Sept. 20-26: Lianne Vicchio (Cal State Stanislaus)
Sept. 27 - Oct. 3: Jane Chafeh (Cal State San Bernardino).
Fresh off its two CCAA road victories last week, the Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team was selected fourth in this week's AVCA Division II Coaches poll.
The Coyotes, who are 9-1 overall and atop the CCAA at 6-0, are at home this week beginning Wednesday night against Cal Poly Pomona. First serve is at 7 p.m. at Coussoulis Arena.
The Coyotes moved up one spot from fifth to fourth this week. Minnesota Duluth moves into the top sport, followed by Wayne (Neb.) State and Southwest Minnesota State. All three schools are members of the Northern Sun Conference.
The University of Tampa (Fla.) fell from first to fifth after a loss to unranked Rollins (Fla.).
It has been a wacky season already when it comes to volleyball in the CCAA. And the season has barely started. Cal State San Bernardino (7-1, 4-0) sits on top. That is to be expected. It is what has happened with the other teams that has to be a bit puzzling.
Let's start with UC San Diego. The Tritons are the Coyotes' long-time rival. They are the team the Coyotes have to beat in the conference and in the West Region. Like Cal State, San Diego seems to have a permanent spot among the top handful of teams in the nation. But the Tritons are just 5-4 overall and 2-3 in CCAA play. The losses are to Cal State East Bay, Monterey Bay and San Francisco State - all middle tier teams last year. They haven't even played San Bernardino, Cal State Los Angeles or Chico State yet.
San Diego did have a coaching change. Maybe the athletes have not adjusted to a new system or a new coaching style. It doesn't play the Coyotes till the next to last game of the first round so my guess is they should have their act together by then.
Then there is East Bay(8-2, 3-2) which is only a year into it's move from Division III to Division II. The Pioneers played an easy nonconference schedule so the jury was still out. Then they beat the Tritons, giving that early run some legitimacy. But then they lost their next match to up-and-coming San Francisco.
Then there is Cal Poly Pomona (3-5, 1-3). The Broncos have had some very good years. Even in harder times, they have been competitive. Then Friday they go out and lose to lowly Cal State Dominguez Hills. To put that in perspective, Dominguez is 1-8 this year, the only win coming over Cal Poly. The Toros were 2-27 overall last season. In the last five years they are 19-117 overall and 11-87 in CCAA play.
That gives new meaning to the words "bad loss.''
California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women's volleyball play begins this weekend with all 12 teams opening conference play on Friday.
The weekend is highlighted by four-time defending CCAA champion Cal State San Bernardino (3-1) hosting Cal State Monterey Bay (3-0) and San Francisco State (3-2) on Friday and Saturday, respectively, at Coussoulis Arena. Both contests begin at 7 p.m.
Cal Poly Pomona (2-2) will play the same teams at Darlene May Gymnasium in the reverse order with San Francisco State first.
Led by No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino, three CCAA teams are currently ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) Top 25 Poll. UC San Diego is ranked No. 11 and Cal State L.A. is No. 21.
Friday's matches
CSU Monterey Bay at CSU San Bernardino; 7 p.m.
San Francisco State at Cal Poly Pomona; 7 p.m.
Cal State Stanislaus at CSU Dominguez Hills; 7 p.m.
Sonoma State at Cal State East Bay; 7 p.m.
Humboldt State at UC San Diego; 7 p.m.
Chico State at Cal State L.A.; 7 p.m.
Saturday's matches
San Francisco State at CSU San Bernardino; 7 p.m.
Cal State Stanislaus at Cal State L.A.; 7 p.m.
Chico State at Cal State Dominguez Hills; 7 p.m.
Humboldt State at Cal State East Bay; 7 p.m.
Sonoma State at UC San Diego; 7 p.m.
Cal State Monterey Bay at Cal Poly Pomona; 7 p.m.
The Broncos, who won their first national championship crown last season, finished the 2010 season 28-6 overall and established 20 school records in the process. They defeated Indiana, Pa., in the title game played in Springfield, Mass. -- the birthplace of the sport -- and became the first unranked team to win the championship since North Alabama in 1979.
TSN ranks Findlay, the 2009 national champion, as its top 10. The following (in order) are: Bellarmine, Grand Valley State, Arkansas Tech, Broncos, Indiana, Pa., Seattle Pacific, West Liberty, Winona State and Bentley.
Senior forward Donnelle Booker was named a preseason Honorable Mention All-American. The San Bernardino native is on course to become the school's all-time leading shot blocker, needing 26 blocks to break Terrel Davis' record of 134.
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team will indeed be the David and get to square off against the Goliath when it comes to the sport.
The defending NCAA Division II champion Broncos have a deal to play an exhibition game on Nov. 4 against the reigning Division I champion Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham
``It is crazy to even think about,'' added Broncos senior Donnelle Booker. ``That's the school everyone thinks of when it comes to basketball. I'm sure no one knows about us outside of this area.''
Cal Poly coach Greg Kamansky, beginning his 11th year heading the program, said a representative from Duke first approached him about the game about a month after the basketball season ended. He was not totally surprised because Duke started its 2009 season against Findlay (Ohio), then the reigning Division II champion.
The Broncos have played some exhibition games against major Division I schools in the past. The most notable one came in 2006 when the Broncos opened against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion and lost 73-43.
``We don't have any misguided notions about this,'' Kamansky said. ``We're not putting in a game plan for them and they aren't worried about us. It's all about us doing what we need to do to prepare for our first regular season game.''
Duke will be footing the bill for the trip, everything from plane fare to lodging accommodations. The team will be leaving on a Tuesday, practicing in the venue on Wednesday and playing the game on a Thursday, then return to Southern California on Friday.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has been awarded the right to host the 2011 California-Nevada Collegiate Track and Field Championships in the spring.
The prestigious meet for four-year colleges and universities in the two states has a history dating back to 1994. The meet, which will be held March 26-27, has been hosted by UCLA the past two years.
CMS will be the first Division III host for the championship in its 18-year history. The championship is the only meet held in either state which offers scored competition between all three NCAA Divisions as well as NAIA schools.
"It's a great opportunity to showcase our school and our facility," said former coach John Goldhammer, who was instrumental in bringing the meet to Claremont. "There hasn't been a lot of confidence in Division III schools when it comes to hosting this type of event so we're honored to be given the chance."
The bidding process came down to CMS and Division II power UC San Diego with CMS winning a vote of member coaches by a wide margin.
"We have bid for it before," Goldhammer said. "Maybe we just wore them down and they gave in. But we're looking forward to putting on a nice event."
The will not be more representation from the local schools just because it will be held near by though. To make the field athletes must be ranked in the top 27 in the field events or top 36 for track event.
The 2010 team champions were UCLA for the men and Cal State Northridge for the women.
Cal Poly Pomona is looking for a new baseball coach.
After 15 years directing the Bronocs Mike Ashman is calling it quits effective Oct. 1. The school plans to name an interim coach for the 2011 season.
Ashman cited the desire to spend more time with family as well as a new baseball-related business endeavor.
"It's just one of those jobs that never goes away, even when you go home," he said. "You're always worried about who you have to call, who you need to recruit, do you need to get a kid's transcripts, what are you doing to fundraise."
Ashman said he began thinking about resigning midway through last season, one in which they team sustained a myriad of injuries and finised 26-27 overall and sixth in the CCAA at 18-22.
He had planned on stepping down after the 2011 season but got a position of Director of Baseball at EM Speed and Power Training at its new facility in Rancho Cucamonga which needed his attention sooner. EM is a non-profit business that trains athletes in speed, strength, agility and specific sports training.
"It was a great opportunity to stay involved with baseball," he said. "After meeting with the people there we decided it was in both of our interest to start as soon as possible."
Ashman completes his Cal Poly career with a 358-419-4 overall record. His teams posted seven winning seasons and nine seasons of 25 wins or more.
Four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women's volleyball teams will begin the 2010 campaign with national Top 25 rankings beside their names after the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released its preseason poll on Wednesday.
Cal State San Bernardino, which advanced to the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship semifinals, is ranked No. 2, while UC San Diego is No. 8, Cal State L.A. No. 14 and Sonoma State No. 21.
All four teams competed in the 2009 NCAA Pacific Regional a year ago, which was won for the second year in a row by Cal State San Bernardino. The Coyotes defeated Cal State L.A. in three sets to claim the regional title.
Cal State San Bernardino is coming off one of its finest seasons in program history after recording a 33-2 overall record. For the second year in a row, the Coyotes' season ended with a loss to eventual national champion Concordia-St. Paul.
The Golden Bears, two-time defending national champions, top the 2010 AVCA preseason poll after totaling 788 points and collecting all 32 first-place votes. Concordia-St. Paul is coming off an undefeated season after posting a 37-0 record a year ago.
Following second-ranked Cal State San Bernardino, which tallied 760 points, is Tampa (729), Indianapolis (692) and Central Missouri (676), which rounds out the Top 5.
Entering her 20th season at Cal State San Bernardino, head coach Kim Cherniss welcomes back first-team All-American senior outside hitter Jane Chafeh.
First-year UC San Diego head coach Ricci Luyties takes over the reigns for Tom Black, who took the head job at Loyola Marymount, and inherits a talented team that includes honorable mention All-American junior libero Roxanne Brunsting.
Cal State L.A. finished 2009 with a 23-9 overall record and is led by All-CCAA first-team middle blocker Mary Laupepa. Junior outside hitter Keala Peterson leads a Sonoma State squad that went 23-8 and finished fourth in the CCAA with a 15-7 record.
The 2010 campaign is slated to begin Thursday, September 2 when Cal State East Bay plays at Alaska Anchorage, and Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State L.A. open play in the CPP/CSULA Labor Day Tournament. CCAA play is slated to commence on Friday, September 10 with a full schedule of contests.
2010 AVCA Preseason Top 25 Poll
RankSchool (Votes) 2009 Record
1.Concorida-St. Paul (32)37-0
2.Cal State San Bernardino33-2
3.Tampa31-3
4.Indianapolis38-2
5.Central Missouri34-5
6.Washburn33-5
7.West Texas A&M38-4
8.UC San Diego27-3
9.Minnesota Duluth23-9
10.Metro State26-8
11.Saint Leo30-4
12.Emporia State29-6
13.Nebraska-Kearney33-3
14.Cal State L.A.23-9
15.Southwest Minnesota State25-8
16.Lewis32-5
17.Wayne State (Neb.)29-8
18.Minnesota State26-7
19.Pittsburg State25-11
20.Hillsdale24-8
21.Sonoma State23-8
22.Flagler36-9
23.Hawaii-Hilo25-2
24.Alaska-Anchorage23-8
25.Truman24-13
Cal State San Bernardino senior pitcher Brandon Cunniff was among a half dozen players from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) players heard their name called during the second day of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday.
Sonoma State led the charge as three Seawolves were taken in the first 30 rounds, while Cal State East Bay, Cal State L.A. and Cal State San Bernardino each had one player drafted.
The CCAA had a total of 10 players selected in the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
The following is a capsule on each CCAA player taken on Wednesday:
Scott Alexander, Sonoma State, LHP (6th round, 179th overall, Kansas City)
In his first season on the mound for the Seawolves, Alexander posted a 3-6 record and 4.50 ERA while making 13 starts. In 68 innings, he allowed 50 hits, 43 runs (34 earned), walked 42 and struck out 70 while holding opponents to a .209 batting average. Prior to his junior campaign at Sonoma State, Alexander spent two seasons at Pepperdine and compiled an 11-9 record, 4.46 ERA and one complete game in 32 appearances. Alexander is the highest drafted Sonoma State player since Brandon Burgess was the 176th overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004.
Tillman Pugh, Sonoma State, CF (15th round, 452nd overall, New York Mets)
Pugh was drafted despite not playing for the Seawolves in 2010. He came to Sonoma State after batting .333 for GateWay Community College in Phoenix and becoming a 16th-round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners. Pugh began his collegiate career at Arizona State where he went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a home run for the Sun Devils in 2008.
Devin Grigg, Cal State East Bay, RHP (17th round, 525th overall, Minnesota)
Grigg recorded a 5-1 record, 2.89 ERA and four saves in 14 relief appearances for the Pioneers as a senior. In 18 2/3 innings, he allowed 22 hits, nine runs (six earned), walked 12 and struck out 19.
Tyler Hess, Sonoma State, RHP (19th round, 584th overall, Atlanta)
Hess, a junior transfer from Pepperdine, registered a 2-3 record in 12 appearances. He logged 39 innings, allowed 40 hits, 34 runs (31 earned), walked 25 and struck out 33. In two seasons for the Waves, Hess went 5-3 with a 5.74 ERA.
Jesus Campos, Cal State L.A., SS (24th round, 744th overall, Los Angeles Angels)
A 2010 All-CCAA honorable mention selection, Campos appeared in 48 games, starting 47, and batted .272 with 13 doubles, two home runs and 24 RBI.
Brandon Cunniff, Cal State San Bernardino, RHP (27th round, 827th overall, Florida Marlins)
Cunniff, a second-team All-CCAA selection as a senior, concluded his final collegiate season with an 8-3 record, 3.98 ERA and one complete game in 13 appearances - all but one as a starter. In 83 2/3 innings, the Coyotes' right-hander surrendered 83 hits, 43 runs (37 earned), walked 28 and struck out 69.
The draft concludes on Wednesday with rounds 31-50 and can be followed live on the Internet at www.mlb.com.
Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver is losing his lead assistant to a rival as Paul Trevor has been named the head coach at San Francisco State.
It is a good move for Trevor. Very few aspire to be an assistant their entire career and the older you get the harder it is to make the move. And the fewer offers you get. Trevor and his wife are both from that area so it made even more sense.
It isn't a bad gig. The program used to be awful but has been built back up to respectability by Bill Treseler who resigned after five years. It has several starters back including Marquel Hoskins, who the Coyotes never did figure out how to guard. A lot of times the coach taking over a new gig has a rebuilding chore on his hands. But that isn't the case here.Trevor won't be starting from scratch.
Oliver and Trevor were extremely close. In fact it is hard picturing one without the other. Oliver brought Trevor on board the minute he got the job at Cal State eight years ago. But good programs have good assistants and they move on. It is a compliment to the progam.
It will be interesting when the two match wits from opposite sidelines.
The Cal State San Bernardino baseball team finished its CCAA schedule with a 13-8 win over Cal State East Bay today at Fiscalini Field. That makes the Coyotes 28-14 overall and 27-13 in CCAA play.
The Coyotes took three of four in the series to move into second place ahead of Cal State Dominguez Hills (34-15, 24-12) which has a four-game set left against Cal State Stanislaus next weekend. If the teams finished tied for second Dominguez Hills has the head-to-head tiebreaker and would be the No. 2 seed for the CCAA Tournament coming up.
The Coyotes are ranked No. 3 in the West Region so they look like a lock for the regional tournament regardless of how they do in the conference tournament.
It's a fine showing for Coach Don Parnell's squad. In fact, Parnell would be a good choice for CCAA Coach of the Year. Unfortunately those type of honors seem to go to the winning team more often than not.
UC San Diego won the regular season title and has spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the country. The Coyotes did split four games with the Tritons which should also be a factor in Parnell's favor.
Also consider that the Coyotes were sixth a year ago and were picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches poll this season. I would say that's a pretty good coaching job.
The Coyotes seem to be on a magical run, getting huge hits when they need them. a week ago they got a walkoff home run by Erik Ornelas to beat San Francisco State. On Thursday Leland Cisco came off the bench and did the same thing to win the first game against East Bay.
The Coyotes wrap up the regular season with a nonconference series next weekend against Grand Canyon and have a chance for 30 wins for the first time since 2004.
One other note, if the Coyotes make the regional, which they should, that would mean all four Cal State San Bernardino men's sports made the postseason.
Cal Poly Pomona's Jennnifer Chow has been named the Penn/CCAA Women's Tennis Player of the Week for the week of April 5-11.
Chow, a junior from Diamond Bar,won the deciding match, defeating Valerie Tang at No. 3 singles, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, as the Broncos snapped UC San Diego's 65-match CCAA winning streak with a 6-3 victory on April 7.
Chow also earned a singles victory at No. 2 in Saturday's 6-3 win over Cal State San Bernardino and teamed with Jackie Trendt to record a win at No. 1 doubles.
She has an overall record of 11-4. She is 12-5 in doubles with Trendt.
The Cal State San Bernardino baseball team polished off local rival Cal Poly Pomona 6-0 on Friday at Scolinos Field. The playoff picture is starting to look quite nice for Coach Don Parnell's Coyotes (20-12, 19-11).
Cal State has 10 CCAA games left and they will ALL be at home. And they're all against teams under .500. So the Coyotes probably won't just make the four-team field for the CCAA Tournament. They have a good shot at third and a decent shot at second place. They need to come out of the four hole so they don't have to play San Diego in the first game.
Friday it was senior pitcher Brandon Cunniff with a masterful complete game shuout of the Broncos. He gave up just five hits, all of them singles. That performance could land him CCAA Pitcher of the week honors, an accolade teammate Daniel Stenavich earned last week.
The Coyotes are nice, fun bunch to watch. I'm particularly impressed with freshman leadoff hitter and centerfielder Ethan Chapman. He is a product of Upland Christian School. It's hard to predict how players from such a small school are going to pan out on a bigger stage. They don't play enough against quality competition.
Chapman has 10 homers, surprising pop from a small guy. He also had 14 doubles and never stops hustling.
The Coyotes will play a doubleheader against Cal Poly at Fiscalini Field on Saturday. The first pitch is set for 11 a.m. It's a team well worth watching!
Cal State San Bernardino athletes Jamie Leffingwell and Daniel Stenavich have earned weekly honors from the CCAA.
Leffingwell, a freshman outfielder has been named the Worth/CCAA Player of the Week for the week of March 29 - April 4.
The Cajon High School product had a hot week at the plate in five games against Notre Dame de Namur and Chico State, batting .706 (12-for-17) with four runs scored, five doubles, a home run and five RBI. She recorded a 1.176 slugging percentage, .706 on-base percentage and had two more hits in each contest.
During a three-game series at Chico State, Leffingwell batted .600 (6-for-10) with two runs scored and four RBI.
Leffingwell's showing helped propel the Coyotes into fourth place which would be good enough to qualify for the CCAA Tournament next month.
In baseball Coyotes' right-hander Daniel Stenavich has been named Wilson/CCAA Pitcher of the Week.
Stenavich, a senior from San Diego, Calif., went 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his lone start against top-ranked conference-leader UC San Diego. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowed three hits, two runs, walked two and struck out two while limiting the CCAA's top-hitting team to a .150 average.
Stenavich's outing enabled Cal State San Bernardino to split the four-game series with the Coyotes and remain in the hunt for a CCAA Tournament berth.
The Cal State San Bernardino baseball team won't win the CCAA title but it is fighting for a berth in the four-team tournament and that goal is realistic
The Coyotes turned in an impressive 4-3 win over No. 1 UC San Diego on Thursday at Fiscalini Field. The Tritons are pretty cocky when it comes to every sport so that's a nice win.
The Coyotes got a gutsy effort on the mound from Cajon graduate Aaron Brooks.They strung together some hits and rallied against San Diego's Tim Shibuya, possibly the best pitcher in the conference this season.
They got back-to-back-to back doubles in getting three runs in the third, only to have San Diego tie it in the fourth. The difference was a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Cody Madison with one out in the seventh.
Ethan Chapman and Erik Orlenas each had two doubles and had two RBI.
Neither team made an error. That's rare in a college baseball game. The Coyotes were particularly strong up the middle with James Kono at short and Ornelas at second having solid games.
Game two of the series will be at 3 p.m. at Fiscalini on Friday.
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.
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!
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 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.
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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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
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.
This is the third year the CCAA will be having a conference tournament to determine its automatic playoff qualifier. One would think by now the folks in that office would have the seeding process down. I guess that is asking too much.
The position CCAA officials put some of the teams in because they didn't have their act together is inexcusable. There always seems to be a tie somehwere between multiple teams, usually three or more. Maybe they should be prepared. No one seems to know what the tiebreaker is or how it is applied. That should be ironed out beforehand and all the teams should know the deal.
So the women's games all get finished on Friday and there is a four-way tie for seventh between Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Dominguez HIlls, Cal State Stanislaus and Sonoma State - all at 9-13. Two are getting in and two are not.
The first word comes down at 7:30 p.m, or so. The Coyotes are in., The first tiebreaker being their 4-2 record against the other three they are tied with. Two others are 3-3 and the other at 2-4.
Whoops! Not so fast. Word comes down about an hour later, they're not in. That tiebreaker was used to eliminate one team - Stanislaus. But now there's a three-way tie and after that tiebreaker the Coyotes are out. Supposedly that tiebreaker is record against teams in the tournament. The Coyotes were 1-11 and the other three teams 2-12. That's laughable because all the teams play the same number of games. So they can't even add.
And usually when tiebreakers come into play you work your way down. Decide the No. 7, then apply a tiebreaker for No. 8. Not eliminate one, then eliminate another. In that case the Coyotes win the first tiebreaker but don't get rewarded. How is that fair?
So Cal State athletic director Kevin Hatcher places a call to get lobby for his school. He said calls were then placed to the basketball liasons who happen to be reps from Chico State and Sonoma. They confirm that he is indeed right. One more call goes out to the CCAA President who is from UC San Diego. He agrees too.
So it's 10 p.m. and the Coyotes are back in . . . at least for the moment.
Dominguez and Sonoma State are in the hunt for the final berth and are even on every other criteria . . whatever that may be. That spot is decided on a coin flip. A coin flip! Dominguez is in.
I feel bad for all the schools involved that those who run the conference can't get it right! Even the teams not directly involved were victims. Cal Poly Pomona coach Scott Davis spent two hours after his game, preparing for Dominguez Hills because that is who he was first told he was playing. Then he finds out he'll be playing the Coyotes, only because he got a text from one of his players who got a text from a player she knows from San Bernardino.
Two years ago on the men's side there was a four-way tie for first and a four-way tie for fifth. They didn't get that right either. One would think they learned from that. Apparently not!
For what it's worth here is the rundown on Tuesdays' quarterfinal games . . .
WOMEN
No. 8 Dominguez Hills at No. 1 UC San Diego
No. 7 San Bernardino at No. 2 Cal Poly Pomona, 5:30 p.m.
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Chico State
No. 5 Monterey Bay at No. 4 Humboldt State
MEN
No. 8 Cal State L.A. at No. 1 Cal Poly Pomona, 7:30 p.m.
No. 7 Sonoma State at No. 2 Humboldt State
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 San Bernardino, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Chico State at No. 4 Dominguez Hills
In the last two years the CCAA men's basketball tournament didn't mean much to the local teams. Both Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino had pretty much already secured a berth in the regional tournament so their finish wasn't going to make much of a difference alhtough Cal State won it last year for good measure!
That won't be the case this year. There are four games left and four teams are in the hunt for a conference title. In fact, they separated by a total of one game. But all four aren't likely to make the West Regional.
The four would include Cal State, Cal Poly, Humboldt State and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Dominguez is probably the best team of the four. It started the season 0-7, then got four player eligible. It has gotten better with each game and seem to have the most balance. The Toros beat the Coyotes 86-84 in overtime Friday, then celebrated as if they had won an NBA championship.
The Toros did not lead at any point in regulation. The Coyotes didn't play poorly. The Toros just knocked down all the big shots, many of which were well defended. The Coyotes just misfired on a couple of crucial plays where they could have put the game away.
The Coyotes are at Cal State los Angeles tonight and face a must-win scenario.
Meanwhile the Broncos easily disposed of Cal State Los Angeles, 68-54. The Broncos play at Dominguez on Saturday and that hasn't been a good matchup for them the last couple of years.
Humboldt State beat Cal State Stanislaus - just barely. Stanislaus had a whopping 31-11 lead at the half. Then the Lumberjacks started knocking down 3's. They won 51-49, blocking three Stanislaus shots on a last possession.
Stanislaus is at Chico State tonight. The Wildcats are tough but the Lumberjacks already got their wakeup call. I don't see them losing this one.
So the local teams have their work cut out for them. And this year's CCAA semifinals and finals are at Humboldt State, like their job isn't tough enough.
Both need wins tonight. Then they play their last two games next weekend at home. We'll see how it all plays out.
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team found a way - AGAIN!
The Broncos ventured into Cal State San Bernardino's Coussoulis Arena and emerged with a 63-59 win. The Coyotes didn't help themselves by clanking free throws down the stretch. But give the Broncos credit for making the plays they needed to when it mattered.
It was another case of a team, seemingly overmatched, beating what looks like a better team. That is all coach Greg Kamansky who has no peers when it comes to making something out of nothing.
Who would have thought the Broncos would be in the mix after they dropped three straight at home. Now they have done the unthinkable - win five straight on the road in a tough conference.
Now Cal State and Humboldt State are tied for first with the Broncos one game out and eight games left. Both the Broncos and Coyotes will be at home on Friday and Saturday.
The Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball teams renew their rivalry Tuesday night at Cal State's Coussoulis Arena with the Coyotes needing a win to stay in first place and the Broncos needing one to stay in striking distance.
The big question will be whether or not the Broncos can contain the Coyotes post players - Bryan LeDuc, Devon Davis and Greg Williams, When the teams played earlier this season it was a matter of men against boys as LeDuc and Davis manhandled the Broncos. Le Duc was the biggest beast with 25 points and 17 rebounds.
Where the Coyotes are strongest, the Broncos appear vulnerable. And that was before Cal Poly's Tobias Jahn went down with a bulging disk that has kept him out of the last five games.
Sophomore Dwayne Fells has made great strides for the Broncos but he probably isn't ready to handle the load on his own. The Broncos also have a redshirt freshman in Kevin Ryan but he wasn't even in the mix until Jahn got hurt.
Jahn is the biggest mystery. He started progressing in the middle of last season and was a formidable presence by the time the Broncos got to the national championship game. He seemed to regress this season even before he got hurt.
Even if he can play, he probably won't be in the best playing shape.
There is no Larry Gordon this year so the Broncos need to Jahn to at least contribute.
San Bernardino leads the all-time series 21-19 and is 28-2 in its last 30 home games.
We'll see how the drama unfolds!
It was a good day for the local schools as both Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino swept men's-women's basketball doubleheaders up North and three of the four games were thrillers.
The lone blowout was on the men's side where the Coyotes turned in a convincing 83-59 victory. The game was tied at 35 at the half but the Coyotes started the second with one of their patented runs and then coasted. Devon Davis had a career-high 20 to lead the blowout.
Meanwhile the Cal Poly men snapped a three-game losing, fending off San Fransisco State 63-60. A loss and the Broncos were in very big trouble. It's one they badly need. Coach Greg Kamansky dressed eight players. One fouled out and four finished with four fouls each. Overtime would not have been good.
On the women's side the Coyotes prevailed 59-50, as did the Broncos 68-66 in overtime.
The teams will swap opponents ofr play on Saturday.
The Cal State San Bernardino women's softball team is picked to finish fifth out of 10 teams in a CCAA Preseason Coaches poll. The Coyotes tallied 41 votes, just one fewer than No. 4 UC San Diego and three less than No. 3 pick San Francisco State.
Humboldt State is the favorite, garnering five first-place votes and 76 total points.
The Coyotes, coached by Tacy Duncan, are coming off a 21-31 showing with injuries plaguing their effort at returning to the CCAA Tournament and Division II West Regional as they did in 2008.
The Coyotes lost 14 one-run games and four tw-run games in 2009.
Cal State San Bernardino junior point guard Corey Caston is getting comfortable with his new teammates. That's bad news for the rest of the conference.
Caston has been named Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association player of the week for his performances last week that helped Cal State San Bernardino win three games and vault into first place.
Caston averaged 16.6 points, five assists and 2.6 rebounds a game as the Coyotes (10-3, 8-1) swept past Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
CSUSB is 8-1 since Caston joined the team on Dec. 17. In those nine games, Caston has averaged 10.8 points, 5.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds a game with 17 steals and has made 88 percent of his free throws (30 of 34).
In the Coyotes' first win on the road at Pomona since 2004, Caston had 11 points, three rebounds, eight assists and a steal. In the team's win over the Eagles he had a season-high 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Against the Toros on Saturday night, he was the team's high scorer with 18 points and dished out three assists.
"He's unguardable right now," coach Jeff Oliver said,
Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky is one of those "glass is half-empty" kind of guys. If you listen to him, the Broncos are always on the verge of collapse.
But the Broncos have some definite issues right now. They lost to Cal State Los Angeles 54-53 on a last-second basket on Saturday. Yes the Broncos are 5-4, not exactly the 5-5 of last year when they ran the table the rest of the way, shared a conference title and made a run to the national championship game.
But this year the Broncos are playing nine of their last 13 on the road with games at some tough places to place such as Humboldt State, San Francisco State and Cal State San Bernardino.
This year the Broncos don't have a Larry Gordon or a Walter Thompson. They're lacking a "go-to" player that wants to take a last shot. They have some good role players in Austin Swift and Donnelle Booker but they haven't emerged as anything more than that just yet. And the Broncos need more than that.
There are some talented younger players such as Mitchel Anderson. But he's a true freshman that isn't quite ready for a starring role yet. They have a JuCo transfer in Mark Rutledge who has potential, but he too is a newcomer in a difficult conference.
Maybe Kamansky work some magic again. But it will take an even more Herculian effort than last season's.
Well it was another one for the books! Coyotes and Broncos - first place on the line.
For the first time since the infamous ``Palm Tree'' game in 2004 the Coyotes emerged victorious at Kellogg Gymnasium - 66-58. The Coyotes wanted it just a little more. The shots didn't fall early but the Coyotes compensated for that by dominating on the glass and taking care of the basketball.
Bryan LeDuc was nothing short of spectacular with 25 points and 17 rebounds. The transfer from University of the Pacific was also considering Cal Poly before choosing Cal State so the game was likely personal.
He had his way in the paint with the Broncos post duo of Dwayne Fells and Tobias Jahn no match.
The Broncos stayed in the game with 3-pointers which has not been a weapon in the arsennal to this point. But depth is an issue, especially with three games in five days and coach Greg Kamansky playing basically seven players.
So the Coyotes steal one away from home.
Cal Poly will be there in the end. It always is, And last year the Broncos were 5-5 after the first round of conference play and ended up in a national championship game. So 5-2 isn't looking that bad.
Cal Poly Pomona senior forward Stephisha Walton has been named the CCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 3-9.
She helped the Broncos (8-2, 5-1) to wins over Sonoma State and Humboldt State, averaging 14.5 points and 12 rebounds.
In Cal Poly's 48-46 victory over Sonoma State, Walton scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds and followed the effort with 18 points, 18 rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in a 65-50 win over Humboldt State.
Walton's scoring and rebounding totals against the Lumberjacks established season highs and marked the seventh double-double of her career.
On the season she is averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds. She ranks third in the conference in rebounding.
She is the second Broncos player to be honored. Junior guard Reyana Colson has earned player of the week accolades twice.
The Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball teams both suffered stunning losses on Sunday. It is hard deciding which it worse.
The Broncos lost to Chico State 72-70 overtime - the bad part is that they blew an 18-point lead and they were still up by 14 with four minutes left. But they lost to what looks like a solid team.
The Coyotes lost to Cal State Stanislaus 70-68. Two chippies in the last seconds didn't go down. They got a third try and it was off the mark too. Coach Jeff Oliver said much of the problem was his team not getting up for Stanislaus. Hopefully the Coyotes have learned about the consequences of overlooking an opponent.
Cal State lost to a perennial conference doormat. That too is hard to stomach.
So teams have hardly broken a sweat. The Coyotes and Broncos have played four games. A couple of others have played six. But there are no unbeaten teams left. The CCAA will be a dogfight all the way.
That might not bode well for the locals because both have tough stretch runs. Cal Poly plays nine of its last 13 on the road. For Cal State it's eight of 13 on the road to end. So they can't afford a lot of losses early.
Both need to get back on the beam this weekend against Humboldt State and Sonoma State on their home floors. Humboldt will be the biggest test. Stay tuned!
The Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona basketball teams swing back into action this weekend and it will be a tough go for both. The Coyotes will be at Chico State first, then make the three-hour trek to Cal State Stanislaus.
The Broncos will play the teams in reverse order.
First, the teams are playing Saturday and Sunday instead of the traditional Friday and Saturday because New Year's Day falls on Friday.
Second, game times are 12:30 p.m. for the women and 2:30 p.m. for the men both days - a drastic change from the 5:30 and 7:30 game times.
The times aren't because of the holiday but because both teams need to get flights out of Northern California Sunday night so the athletes can all be back in class for the start of the new quarter on Monday. If they were playing the second game on Saturday, the time wouldn't be an issue because teams could travel on Sunday.
It is one of the tougher road trips in the conference with those opponents both being pretty good at home. So all things considered, a team that comes away 2-0 should be commended.
Cal State San Bernardino basketball standout Bryan LeDuc has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) men's basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 21-27.
LeDuc, a graduate student from Corona, tossed in a season-high 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the Coyotes 81-61 nonconference win against Vanguard University last week at Coussoulis Arena.
LeDuc went 10-for-13 from the field and 12 of hius 16 boards came on the defensive end.
He ranks second in the CCAA in scoring (16.8 ppg) and second in rebounding (8 rpg). LeDuc is also second in both field-goal percentage (.655) and free-throw shooting (.909) and third in 3-point percentage (.500).
The University of Redlands football team has always spent considerable time helping the less fortunate. So it is fitting at the holiday time that group is being recognized for its efforts.
The Benevolent Bulldog program earned a Jostens/National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA) Community Service Award for the 2008-09 academic year.
Redlands gained one of two ongoing project/activity "Award of Merit" distinctions.
The idea for Benevolent Bulldog program was hatched in 2008 by Communicative Disorders professor and Faculty Athletic Committee Chair, Chris Walker. Walker and a handful of other sponsors annually give $100 to football student-athletes following their non-traditional season in May and charge them with the task of growing the seed money before they arrive back on campus in the fall.
Through this program, Bulldog football players have purchased food for the homeless, organized a bowling tournament that raised $2,800 for St. Jude's Research Hospital, hired a translator for a Spanish-speaking mother whose daughter was having a brain tumor operation in Phoenix, donated scholarships to students at a school in Sierra Leone and purchased a water buffalo for a village in the Philippines.
The Redlands football team also gained a Jostens/NADIIIAA Community Service Award at the 2007 NCAA Convention under the one-time project/activity category. More than 50 student-athletes and coaches spent up to two weeks mucking out houses in New Orleans, LA, for Hilltop Rescue & Relief in May of 2006.
This program recognizes institutions in three separate community service categories: a one-time project/activity, an array of projects/activities and an ongoing project/activity. In addition to the recognition associated with winning the award, the NADIIIAA and Jostens will make a $1,000 contribution to the general scholarship fund of the institutions.
This year's Jostens/NADIIIAA Community Service Awards will be presented at the 2010 NCAA Convention in Atlanta, GA, on Jan. 16.
The Cal State San Bernardino basketball teams each have one more test before they swing back into CCAA play and those will come Tuesday night as the men host Vanguard at 7:30 p.m. The women's game against St. Martin's (Wash.) will kick things off at 5:30 p.m.
The Coyotes now have their entire team eligible and they need a good, steady effort to take some momentum into the break.
This team plays hard. It hustles from start to finish. Players dive for loose balls, crash the boards for rebounds. Play isn't always pretty or perfectly executed but these young men seem to work well as a team instead of as individual players with their own agendas. That will go a long way.
That has made the first couple of months all the more enjoyable for coach Jeff Oliver and associate head coach Paul Trevor. Last year was the polar opposite.
Point guard Corey Gaston is every bit as exciting as teammate Bryan LeDuc made him out to be even before the first game started. He was a little erratic in his first game but he had to be a little nervous. He will be better this time around.
LeDuc has been stellar, ranking in the top 10 in the CCAA in scoring rebounding and free-throw shooting.
The Coyotes have all the parts to make a run similar to the one made by local rival Cal Poly Pomona last spring. Only time will tell though.
Former Cal Poly Pomona assistant volleyball coach Randi Smart has had the interim label lifted from her title as head coach at Cal State Los Angeles.
Smart, who led the Eagles to a berth in the West Region final opposite Cal State San Bernardino, was named the interim coach in February following the resignation of long-time coach Bill Lawler. She led a young squad with only two seniors to a 23-9 overall record and to a third-place finish in the competitive CCAA.
Cal State Los Angeles finished the year ranked No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
Smart came to Cal State Los Angeles after serving as an assistant to Rosie Wegrich for four years.
Smart also was an assistant coach at the University of La Verne for six seasons, the highlight of her tenure there coming in 2001 when the Leopards won their third national championship.
She becomes the fifth head coach in Cal State L.A. women's volleyball history.
A reception to honor the 2009 accomplishments of the Cal State San Bernardino women's volleyball team is slated for 2:30 p.m. Monday in the Santos Manuel Student Union.
It is open to the public although there is a charge for parking on campus.
The coaches and players will be recognized for their success in winning a fourth straight California Collegiate Athletic Association championship and seventh in the last nine years; a fourth West Region championship in the last seven years and the fact they advanced to the NCAA Division II Championship tournament for the fourth time in that same period.
The team set new records for a single season with 33 overall wins and 21 conference wins. In addition, three players earned American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Div. II All-America honors.
The team, ranked No. 2 in the nation, defeated No. 6 Tampa University, 3-1, in the quarterfinals in St. Paul, Minn., then lost 3-1 to defending champion Concordia-St. Paul in the semifinals at Concordia.
It was the third time that Concordia-St. Paul has prevented the Coyotes from advancing to the championship match or defeated them in a championship match.
For the first time in who knows when, the Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team was the underdog. Its opponent in the NCAA Division II semifinal - a Concordia-St. Paul team that had won 72 straight matches and was looking for a three-peat.
Not that it needed it, but the Bears also had the advantage of playing for a national title on its home court for the second year in a row.
So it shouldn't be surprising that the Coyotes were defeated 3-1.
It's too bad the match was a semifinal and not a championship match. But the NCAA isn't smart enough to seed the teams in the Elite Eight to get the best possible matchups.
This was a rematch of last year's national title match won by the Bears 3-2.
The difference came at the net as the Bears more experienced blockers dominated the younger ones on th Coyotes side.
But coach Kim Cherniss should still be proud. The Coyotes didn't go down without a fight. They just ran into a team that is building a dynasty a bit too good for everyone else right now.
The No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team inched closer to its first national title in any sport, beating No. 6 University of Tampa (Fla.) 21-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-20 in quarterfinal play Thursday at Concordia-St. Paul University.
The Coyotes (33-1) gave up some easy points in losing the opening game. They were down by seven in the second but went ahead on a service run by Morgan Carty and never looked back.
The Coyotes had a balanced attack with Jane Chafeh clobbering 16 kills. She also had threee solo blocks and two block assists. Samanatha Middleborn added 15 kills and Ashtin Hall 14 kills with 13 digs.
Setter Sara Hoffman tallied 54 assists and libero Camille Smith anchored the defense with 21 digs.
Now comes the herculian task as the Coyotes will face host Concordia-St. Paul (35-0) in the semifnal. The Bears are ranked No. 1 and going for their third straight national title. They also have won 72 straight matches with the last loss coming to the Coyotes in the season opener last season.
Its a shame the two would be meeting in a semifinal. 1 vs. 2 should be a championship match.
The other semifinal will be No. 5 West Texas A&M vs. unranked Flagler College (Fla.)
Three volleyball players from Cal State San Bernardino have earned AVCA All-American honors.
Junior outside hitter Jane Chafeh and senior setter Sara Hoffman earned first-team accolades while sophomore Samantha Middleborn was chosen to the second team.
The national player of the year will be announced on Wednesday at the banquet honoring the eight teams participating the NCAA quarterfinals at Concordia-St. Paul. Cal State's first-team selections are in the hunt for that but expect the honor to go to senior setter Maggie McNamara of Concordia. She won it last year and her team is unbeaten this season.
The Coyotes would prefer the bigger victory on the court anyway!
The Cal State San Bernardino women's volleyball team took care of business and will be making its 10th straight appearance in a West Regional championship. The Coyotes beat Alaska-Anchorage 3-0 in a regional semifinal on Friday.
It wasn't an easy 3-0 though. The Seawolves didn't play like a team of mostly freshmen squaring off against one of the nation's juggernauts. It was probably good that the Coyotes were pushed a little because their quarterfinal against Seattle Pacific was not competitive.
But the Coyotes won't be playing UC San Diego, which came in seeded second and ranked third nationally - one spot behind the Coyotes.
The Coyotes opponent will be Cal State Los Angeles, which is coached by former Cal Poly Pomona assistant Randi Smart. The Eagles played with poise and composure in taking out the Tritons 3-0. I have seen San Diego play on many occasions but have never seen therm play as poorly as they did on Friday.
The Eagles will be soaaring, with confidence that has to be sky high after such a big win.
The Coyotes are going to have to be ready. And they probably will be.
First serve is set for 7 p.m. at The Den.
If Humboldt State's showing on Tuesday against UCLA is an indication of things to come, the Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona men's teams are going to have a tough time defending the CCAA crown they shared last season with Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The Lumberjacks lost to the Bruins 74-57 but they only trailed at the half 41-34. So they acquitted themselves quite well.
Their big man Brian Morris had 19 points and 16 rebounds. Enough said.
Humboldt is good but it also has a clear advantage over visiting teams because of the difficulty of the road trip from Arcata to Sonoma State, the Jacks travel partner. Cal Poly and Cal State have no decided advantage when teams come here because those two schools are so close in proximity. It is isn't exactly taxing on the visiting team.
Both Cal Poly and Cal State have question marks. The Broncos have lots of players back from a team that went to the final two. But they don't have Larry Gordon. And Greg Kamansky carries such a small squad that one injury could be costly.
For the Coyotes, it is what could have been . .. had point guard Dante Smith not been lured back to USC after signing with Coyotes . . . had Brandon Brown not decided to skip his senior season to play overseas.
They do have a Division I transfer in 6-9 Bryan LeDuc. And coach Jeff Oliver seems to have team willing to work hard and buy into the team concept. That can go a long way.
Three local college soccer teams are in the hunt for national titles.
Pairings for the NCAA Division II and II men's and women's field were announced today. Cal State San Bernardino made the men's field for just the second time in school history and the first since 1991.
The Coyotes (15-5-1) will play tournament host and top seed Cal State Los Angeles (17-3-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday. They lost to the Eagles twice - 3-1 and 3-2. But the second of those was in overtime after LA tied it at 2-all with a penalty kick in the closing seconds of regulation.
The Coyotes have nothing to lose and sometimes those are the most dangerous teams to play.
In Division III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps will host UC Santa Cruz in an 11 a.m. match on Saturday. The Athenas were by far the best team in the SCIAC. They were the regular season champion and they won the SCIAC Tournament.
The CMS will hit the road to play UC Santa Cruz on Saturday. The Stags are the reason many like the idea of a conference tournament. They were fourth but finished with a flurry, upsetting regular season champion Pomona-Pitzer and perennial title contender Redlands to earn the berth.
The Cal State San Bernardino men's soccer team has advanced to the CCAA Tournament for the third time in school history. The Coyotes will be facing Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday, at 4:30 p.m. with the other semifinal pitting Cal State Los Angeles against Sonoma State.
It will be an interesting matchup. The Coyotes (15-4-1) are the most improved team in the conference and Noah Kooiman should be the Coach of the Year.
The matchup should be an interesting one as Dominguez Hills is the reigning Division II national champion. The Coyotes beat the Toros in both meetings this season 1-0. And they say it is hard to beat a good team three times. It is also hard to dethrone a defending champion.
No matter what happens the rest of the way, the Coyotes have done themselves proud!
It has been a long time since either San Bernardino Valley College or Cal State San Bernardino went into the end of a men's soccer season with much on the line. But the Wolverines and Coyotes are both having outstanding seasons.
With the quality of the area's youth soccer leagues there is really no reason the programs at both can't be successful. Their rosters are full of local products, with a few others complimenting that mix.
The Cal State men, coached by Noah Kooiman, have already clinched a spot in the CCAA Tournament. They are 14-3-1 overall and 10-3-1 in conference play. It's the third-best record in the history of the program dating back to 1984-85 and surpasses the 1993 mark of 13 wins. The all-time mark is 16 set in 1987.
The Coyotes have two regular season matches left, both against local rival Cal Poly Pomona.
At SBVC, Coach Josh Brown's hard work is starting to pay off. The men are 10-5-3, 2-2-1 in the Foothill Conference with three matches to go. The Wolverines will be hard-pressed to finish ahead of Rio Hondo, which has won 100 titles in a row. So It's only nine. But you get the picture.
But the Wolverines could still make the playoffs and that would be huge, especially considering they won just three games last year. Winning at the junior college level is also hard because there is so much turnover. But Brown's team is made up of mostly freshmen, which bodes well for next year too!
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team is still No. 3 in the AVCA poll released today.
The Coyotes (22-1) had three wins last week and will be on the road this weekend for matches at No. 19 Sonoma State and Humboldt State.
The CCAA had five teams ranked with UC San Diego, which is tied with the Coyotes for first in the conference, checking in at No. 2. The other ranked teams are Sonoma State, No. 21 Cal State Los Angeles and No. 25 Chico State.
Two-time and reigning national champion Concordia-St. Paul (25-0), the only undefeated team in the country, is still No. 1.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association demoted the Coyotes from the No. 2 spot in its national top 25 poll to third and upgraded the Tritons to No. 2 behind the only unbeaten team in NCAA Division II -- Concordia-St. Paul (23-0).
The Tritons are 20-1 while the Coyotes are 19-1 heading into Wednesday night's home match against Cal Poly Pomona in Coussoulis Arena. First serve is at 7 p.m.
CSUSB had been in the No. 2 slot all season.
The switch may have been based on strength of schedule since UCSD defeated No. 11 Minnesota-Duluth in the first tournament of the season. Both CSUSB and UCSD have beaten the three other CCAA teams ranked in the top 25 -- No. 20 Sonoma State, No. 22 Cal State L.A. and No. 25 Chico State.
The Coyotes are ranked No.1 in the NCAA West Regional poll and UCSD is No. 2. This poll determines the seeding for the NCAA regional tournament set for Nov. 19-21 at a site to be determined.
AVCA DIVISION II TOP 25
1. Concordia St. Paul (32 1st place votes) -- 23-0
2. UC San Diego -- 20-1
3. COYOTES -- 19-1
4. Central Missouri -- 24-3
5. Nebraska-Kearney -- 23-1
6. West Texas A&M -- 22-3
7. Emporia State -- 22-2
8. Tampa -- 20-2
9. Washburn -- 23-3
10. Minnesota State -- 21-3.
Also: 11 (tie) -- Indianapolis (26-1) and Minnesota-Duluth (18-4); 13. Lewis (21-3); 14. Saint Leo (20-2); 15. Southwest Minnesota State (18-6); 16. Nebraska-Omaha (17-6); 17. Hawaii-Hilo (20-1); 18. Wayne State (21-4); 19. Truman (18-8); 20. Sonoma State (16-5); 21. Metro State (16-6); 22. Cal State L.A. (15-6); 23. Hillsdale (17-5); 24. Wingate (24-1); 25. Chico State (18-5).
Carrillo, a Bloomington resident and graduate of Kaiser High School in Fontana, is expected to sign with the Marlins, forgoing his senior season with the Coyotes.
"We hate to lose him out of our program," said CSUSB Head Coach Don Parnell, "but we are excited for him and we wish him well."
The 6-1, 190-pound Carrillo posted a 4-5 record with CSUSB in 2009 with a 5.60 earned run average in 11 appearances, all starts. In 62 innings pitched, he struck out 51 batters and opponents batted .276 against him.
The most impressive of his four wins was a 7-0 shutout of Cal State Monterey Bay in which he allowed just three hits in six innings while striking out seven. He was the winning pitcher in a 7-3 win over San Francisco State, going eight innings, allowing just six hits and fanning six batters.
He went 5.2 innings in a 9-3 season-opening win over Grand Canyon in February and went 7.1 innings, allowing just five hits, in an 8-6 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Parnell said Carrillo's strong suit is his 90-plus mile an hour fastball and a sharp slider and the fact he is "a competitive kid."
Scouts who have discussed Carrillo's potential with Parnell indicated his initial spot on a pitching staff at the pro level may be as a middle reliever, although that could change as he develops, Parnell said.
Carillo is the 25th Cal State San Bernardino player to be drafted or signed by Major League Baseball clubs since Parnell came to the university in 1991-92. He follows pitchers Cheyne Hann (Seattle Mariners) and Matt Long (Tampa Bay Rays) who were drafted or signed in 2008; outfielder Justin Roberson (signed by St. Louis Cardinals in 2007) and four pitchers who were drafted in 2006 - Doug Brandt (L.A. Angels); Mike Rocco (Chicago White Sox); Rylan Hanks (Marlins), and Kevan Kelley (Marlins).
Carillo pitched two seasons at Riverside Community College before transferring to CSUSB and was a member of the 2007 state JC champion Tigers team. He played four years of baseball at Kaiser for Coach Mike Spinuzzi, earning all-league honors three times and all-San Bernardino County honors in 2005.
He is a business management major. His parents are Mauricio and Aracely Carrillo of Bloomington.
At least two other California Collegiate Athletic Association players were taken in the early rounds on day two of the draft. Matthew Hopps, a 6-5 right-handed pitcher from Cal State Dominguez Hills, was taken in the ninth round by the Chicago White Sox. Dakota Watts, a pitcher from Cal State Stanislaus went to the Minnesota Twins in the 16th round.
Combined with the four chosen during Wednesday's second day, the CCAA had 10 players selected in the annual draft.
Cal Poly Pomona right-handed pitcher Brad Wilson was the first CCAA player taken on Thursday when the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 33rd round with the 996th overall pick.
Wilson, who transferred to Cal Poly Pomona from Santa Ana Junior College for the 2009 season, registered a 3-6 record and 4.99 ERA in 19 appearances, including six as a starter. In 52 1/3 innings, he allowed 59 hits, 46 runs (29 earned), walked 29 and struck out 41.
The Florida Marlins in the 34th round drafted Cal State L.A. left-handed pitcher Isaac Morales, a three-time All-CCAA selection.
Morales recorded a 24-8 record in his four-year career. He earned All-West Region honors in each of his last three years as a Golden Eagle and helped Cal State L.A. win the 2007 West Region championship.
As a junior in 2008, Morales had an outstanding year, compiling a 9-1 record and 2.47 ERA. He came back and set the program record for career wins at Cal State L.A. by going 5-4 with a 4.23 ERA as a senior in 2009.
Cal State Stanislaus had a pair of players taken on Thursday as outfielder Kyle Loretelli was selected in the 38th round by the San Diego Padres and right-handed pitcher Eric Federico was tabbed in the 39th round by the Colorado Rockies.
The two Warriors, along with Dakota Watts who was drafted on Wednesday by the Minnesota Twins, set a Cal State Stanislaus record for most players selected in one draft.
In 2009, Loretelli, a two-time All-West Region second team pick from Modesto, hit .323 in 52 games and had 14 home runs, 53 RBI, 14 doubles and a .646 slugging percentage to land on the All-CCAA first team for the second straight season. He also stole 13 bases and drew 32 free passes via walks (20) and hit-by-pitches (12). Loretelli's presence in the lineup helped lead the Warriors to their third 30-win season in four years.
Federico posted a 4.06 ERA and 5-6 record in 2009. He struck out 63 and walked 20 in 64 1/3 innings of work.
Sonoma State right-handed pitcher Gary Moran was chosen in the 41st round by the San Francisco Giants.
Moran, the 2009 CCAA and West Region Pitcher of the Year, was 7-2 with a school-record 1.37 ERA among starting pitchers. He helped lead the Seawolves to the championship game of the NCAA West Region.
Moran, a transfer from Fresno City College, concluded his Sonoma State career with a 15-5 record and the second-best ERA (2.26) in school history.
Cal State Dominguez Hills first baseman Paul-Michael Klingsberg, a transfer from Pepperdine, was the final CCAA player drafted when he was selected in the 49th round by Minnesota.
In his lone season for the Toros, Klingsberg was named second team All-CCAA after batting .355 with 21 doubles, eight home runs and 44 RBI.
CCAA Players Selected in 2009 Major League Baseball Draft
Rnd 9 (283): Matt Hopps - Cal State Dominguez Hills, by the Chicago White Sox.
Rnd 16 (492): Dakota Watts - Cal State Stanislaus, by Minnesota.
Rnd 19 (578): Erick Carillo - Cal State San Bernardino, by Florida.
Rnd 19 (579): Travis Tartamella - Cal State L.A., by St. Louis.
Rnd 33 (997): Bradley Wilson - Cal Poly Pomona, by Arizona.
Rnd 34 (1028): Isaac Morales - Cal State L.A., by Florida.
Rnd 38 (1134): Kyle Loretelli - Cal State Stanislaus, by San Diego.
Rnd 39 (1171): Eric Federico - Cal State Stanislaus, by Colorado.
Rnd 41 (1227): Gary Moran - Sonoma State, by San Francisco.
Rnd 49 (1482): Paul Michael Klingsberg - Cal State Dominguez Hills, by Minnesota.
Cal State Dominguez Hills right-handed pitcher Matt Hopps was the first CCAA player drafted when the Chicago White Sox selected him in the ninth round with the 283rd overall pick.
As a senior, Hopps posted a 3-2 record and 4.11 ERA while making 11 starts. In 50 1/3 innings, he allowed 44 hits, 34 runs (23 earned), walked 15, struck out 48 and limited opposing batters to a .237 average.
Hopps began his collegiate career as a first baseman/designated hitter and was named the CCAA's Freshman of the Year after batting .298 with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 2005.
Hopps made the transition to the mound as a sophomore and concluded his career with a 10-14 record and 4.81 ERA. In 189 1/3 innings, he allowed 158 runs (101 earned), walked 94 and struck out 158.
Cal State Stanislaus junior right-handed pitcher Dakota Watts was picked by the Minnesota Twins in the 16th round with the 492nd overall selection. Watts, who was a second team All-CCAA selection in 2009, transferred to Cal State Stanislaus after two seasons at Delta Community College.
Cal State San Bernardino pitcher Erick Carillo (578th overall) and Cal State L.A. catcher Travis Tartamella (579th) were selected by the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively, on consecutive picks in the 19th round.
The 6-1, 190-pound Carrillo posted a 4-5 record and 5.60 ERA in 11 starts for Cal State San Bernardino in 2009. He struck out 51 batters and held opponents to a .276 average in 62 innings of work.
Carillo, a product of Kaiser High School, pitched two seasons at Riverside Community College and helped the Tigers to the 2007 state junior college championship before transferring to Cal State San Bernardino.
In his first season at Cal State L.A. after transferring from Pepperdine, Tartamella, a graduate of Los Osos High School, batted .301 with eight home runs and 40 RBI en route to earning second-team All-CCAA honors.
Rounds 31 through 50 will take place on Thursday beginning at 8:30 a.m. (PDT).
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.
The CCAA Championship Tournament will open on Tuesday, March 3, at the site of the top four seeds. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, March 6, at Coussoulis Arena on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino. The championship game will take place on Saturday, March 7 at 5 p.m.
UC San Diego earned the top seed in next week's postseason tournament and will host eighth-seeded Cal State San Bernardino (10-16, 8-12). The Tritons concluded the regular season with a 26-3 record, including a 19-1 mark in CCAA play.
Humboldt State (21-6, 16-4), winners of eight straight, is the No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 Cal State San Stanislaus (13-14, 8-12). Third-seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills (18-9, 13-7) will entertain San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12). The final first-round match-up will pit No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona (16-13, 12-8) against No. 5 Chico State (15-12, 11-9).
San Francisco State, which was a 50-43 winner over Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, tied the Coyotes and Cal State Stanislaus for sixth place. The Gators won the tiebreaker based on their better head-to-head record among thre three tied teams.
San Francisco State was 3-1 against the tied teams, while Cal State Stanislaus was 2-2 and Cal State San Bernardino 1-3.
CCAA Tournament Schedule
Tuesday - March 2
First Round (At Campus Sites)
No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino (10-16, 8-12 at No. 1 UC San Diego (26-3, 19-1)
No. 7 Cal State Stanislaus (13-14, 8-12)) at No. 2 Humboldt State (21-6, 16-4)
No. 6 San Francisco State (14-13, 8-12) at No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills (18-9, 13-7)
No. 5 Chico State (15-12, 11-9) at No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona (16-13, 12-8)
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.
The Lumberjacks, who received 10 first-place votes, are ranked second while the Warriors garnered a No. 14 ranking.
Lock Haven, which totaled six first-place votes, earned the top spot in the poll and is coming off a 49-8 record in 2008.
Humboldt State concluded the 2008 campaign with a 57-18 overall record that included a 24-8 mark in CCAA play. The Lumberjacks, who defeated Emporia State, 1-0, for their second national title, concluded the year atop the final NFCA poll.
Cal State Stanislaus compiled a 31-23 overall record and finished second in the CCAA after posting a 20-12 conference mark. The Warriors captured the conference postseason tournament after defeating Cal State San Bernardino, 8-0, in the championship game.
Chico State, Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Monterey Bay open their season on Sunday, February 1, while Cal State San Bernardino begins play on Tuesday, February 3. All nine CCAA teams will take part in the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational in Turlock beginning February 6.
2009 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Preseason Poll
1. Lock Haven (6) (49-8)
2. Humboldt State (10) (57-18)
3. St. Edwards (53-17)
4. Francis Marion (39-16)
5. Ferris State (35-18)
6. LIU-C.W. Post (48-16)
7. Southeastern Oklahoma (53-12)
8. Winona State (38-15)
9. Tampa (35-13)
10. North Georgia (38-15)
11. Kutztown (48-13)
12. Lewis (38-18)
13. Barry (44-8)
14. Cal State Stanislaus (31-23)
15. St. Leo (37-15)
16. Georgian Court (39-16)
17. Colorado School of Mines (38-19)
18. Central Missouri (36-22)
19. Georgia College & State (40-14)
20. Bloomsburg (51-11)
21. Minnesota State Mankato (42-16)
22. Caldwell College (35-22)
23. Emporia State (48-17)
24. Saginaw Valley (34-17)
T25. Alabama-Huntsville (52-9)
T25. Angelo State (48-12)
1/26/2009
WALNUT CREEK -- Cal State Dominguez Hills forward Jerrell Smith has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 19-25.
Smith, a 6-foot-9 senior out of Ontario High School, averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks during victories over Humboldt State and Sonoma State that lifted the Toros into sole possession of first play in the CCAA.
In a 69-52 victory over conference co-leader Humboldt State, Smith scored 10 points, collected four rebounds, had two steals and a blocked a shot while connecting on 5-of-11 field goal attempts. One night later, he scored a team-high 15 points, hauled down two rebounds, had a steal and blocked three shots during a 79-56 win over Sonoma State.
Cal State Dominguez Hills returns to action on Friday when it travels to Cal State San Bernardino to take on the Coyotes beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Wilson CCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week:
Nov. 17-23: Matt Ibewiro (Cal State Stanislaus); Nov. 24-30: Andy Bocian (Chico State); Dec. 1-7: Alex Thomas (San Francisco State); Dec. 8-14: Robert Hayes (San Francisco State); Dec. 15-21: Larry Gordon (Cal Poly Pomona); Dec. 29 - Jan. 3: Brandon Brown (Cal State San Bernardino); Jan. 4-11: Joe Mitchell (Cal State Monterey Bay); Jan. 12-18: Austin Swift (Cal Poly Pomona); Jan. 19-25: Jerrell Smith (Cal State Dominguez Hills).
CSU Dominguez Hills' Neka Mixon Named Wilson/CCAA Player of the Week
1/26/2009
WALNUT CREEK -- Cal State Dominguez Hills guard Neka Mixon has been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 19-25.
Mixon, a 5-foot-10 sophomore from Long Beach, Calif., averaged 22.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in helping the Toros to a split of home games against Humboldt State and Sonoma State.
During Friday's 72-56 loss to Humboldt State, Mixon scored a season-high 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds, totaled three steals and had an assist. She followed that performance with 19 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots in a 49-43 victory over Sonoma State.
Cal State Dominguez Hills returns to action on Friday when it visits Cal State San Bernardino beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Wilson CCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week:
Nov. 10-16: Dana Andrews (Cal State Monterey Bay); Nov. 17-23: Katie Franci (Humboldt State); Nov. 24-30: Katie Busi (Cal State Stanislaus); Dec. 1-7: Michelle Oseir (UC San Diego); Dec. 8-14: Ennisha Kyles (Cal State Dominguez Hills); Dec. 15-21: Reyana Colson (Cal Poly Pomona); Dec. 29 - Jan. 3: Megan Ford (Cal Poly Pomona); Jan. 4-11: Michelle Osier (UC San Diego); Jan 12-18: Katie Franci (Humboldt State); Jan. 19-25: Neka Mixon (Cal State Dominguez Hills).
UC San Diego, which compiled a 43-18 overall record and came within a victory of advancing to the title game of the NCAA Division II West Regional championship final, is ranked No. 4. Chico State also appeared in the Top 10, earning a No. 7 national ranking.
The Wildcats concluded 2008 with a 42-17 mark and advanced to the championship game of the West Regional before falling to Sonoma State, 7-4.
Cal State Stanislaus is No. 24 after posting a 37-23 record and finishing fourth in the CCAA with a 24-12 conference mark. Cal State L.A. tied for 40th in the poll and is coming off a 29-22 season in 2008.
Defending CCAA and West Region Champion Sonoma State is un-ranked heading into the 2009 season. The Seawolves enjoyed their finest season in program history as they compiled a school-record 52-15 mark and finished third at the 2008 NCAA Division II Championships Finals.
Mount Olive, which defeated Ouachita Baptist to capture the 2008 national championship, earned the top ranking to begin 2009.
UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino will be the first two CCAA teams to open the 2009 season when they get underway on Sunday, Feb. 1. The Tritons will host San Diego Christian College, while the Coyotes begin a three-game series against Grand Canyon in Arizona.
2009 Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division II Preseason Poll
1. Mount Olive (58-6)
2. Tampa (42-11-1)
3. Central Missouri (47-17)
4. UC San Diego (43-18)
5. Columbus State (43-19)
6. Southern Arkansas (46-12)
7. Chico State (42-17)
8. Emporia State (50-10)
9. Ouachita Baptist (51-16)
10. S.C. Aiken (47-17)
11. Abilene Christian (44-17)
12. Delta State (48-11)
13. Ashland (40-18)
14. Franklin Pierce (43-15)
15. West Chester (45-16)
16. Florida Southern (29-21)
17. North Georgia College & State (41-21)
18. Angelo State (39-19)
19. Grand Valley State (34-13)
20. Wayne State N.E. (40-13)
21. Valdosta State (36-18-1)
22. Tusculum (41-15)
23. Shippensburg (39-26)
24. Cal State Stanislaus (37-23)
25. West Alabama (45-13)
26. Northern Kentucky (38-24)
27. Mesa State (42-17)
28. St. Mary's (Texas) (39-17)
29. Catawba (43-18)
30. Western Oregon (39-19)
31. St. Joseph's, IN (46-16)
32. West Virginia State (36-14)
33. Francis Marion (34-20)
34. Florida Tech (35-20)
Carson-Newman (43-18)
36. Erskine (44-13)
Lynn (33-19)
38. Minnesota State-Mankato (28-25)
39. Mansfield (31-20)
40. Bellarmine (36-22)
Cal State L.A. (29-22)
* - 2008 records in parenthesis
The tournament format consists of eight men's and women's teams competing in semifinal contests on Friday with the championship matches slated for Sunday.
Defending men's champion and South Division winner Cal State Dominguez Hills (16-2-2, 10-2-2) is the No. 2 seed and will take on No. 4 seed Chico State (13-5, 9-5) in the tournament's first match at 11 a.m. Top-seed and North Division champion Sonoma State (17-2-2, 11-1-2) will take on No. 3 Cal State L.A. (13-3-2, 9-3-2) at 1:30 p.m.
The two winners will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Sonoma State (15-4-1, 10-3-1), which tied San Francisco State (12-6-2, 10-3-1) for the top spot in the North Division, will play No. 4 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-8, 9-5) in the opening women's match at 4:30 p.m. Host and No. 3 seed UC San Diego (13-3-3, 9-3-2) will meet San Francisco State at 7 p.m.
The women's championship match is scheduled for 2 p.m.
2008 CCAA Soccer Championships
November 7-9; La Jolla, Calif.
Friday, November 7
Men
Match 1: Cal State Dominguez Hills (16-2-2, 10-2-2) vs. Chico State (13-5, 9-5); 11 a.m.
Match 2: Sonoma State (17-2-2, 11-1-2) vs. Cal State L.A. (13-3-2, 9-3-2); 1:30 p.m.
Women
Match 1: Sonoma State (15-4-1, 10-3-1) vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-8, 9-5); 4:30 p.m.
Match 2: San Francisco State (12-6-2, 10-3-1) vs. UC San Diego (13-3-3, 9-3-2); 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 9
Men's Championship; 11:30 a.m.
Women's Championship; 2 p.m.
Sonoma State and Chico State from the North Division and Cal State L.A. and defending tournament champion Cal State Dominguez Hills from the South Division have qualified for the four-team men's championship. The Seawolves (15-2-2, 9-1-2) have a five-point lead over the Wildcats (12-4, 8-4) and need one win in their final two matches to clinch the division title.
In the South Division, Cal State L.A. (12-3-2, 9-3-2) concluded CCAA play last weekend and has a one-point lead over Cal State Dominguez Hills (15-2-1, 9-2-1). The Toros conclude their regular season with road matches at Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino.
Seedings for the men's championship will be announced at the conclusion of play on Sunday. Match times are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Friday, November 7.
On the women's side, San Francisco State and UC San Diego have qualified for the CCAA Championships after winning the North and South Divisions, respectively.
The Gators (12-6-2, 10-3-1) will be making their first-ever CCAA Championships appearance, while the Tritons (13-2-2, 9-2-1) are appearing in the postseason for the seventh time.
Sonoma State (13-4-1, 8-3-1), Cal State Dominguez (11-7, 8-4) and Cal State San Bernardino (9-5-4, 6-4-2) all enter the final weekend of play still alive for the final two playoff berths.
The women's championships will open next Friday with matches at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Host UC San Diego will play at 7 p.m.
2008 CCAA Soccer Championships Schedule
Nov. 7-9; La Jolla, Calif.
Friday, November 7
Men
Match 1: 11 a.m.
Match 2: 1:30 p.m.
Women
Match 1: 4:30 p.m.
Match 2: 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 9
Men's Championship: 11:30 a.m.
Women's Championships: 2 p.m.
| Rank | Institution (1st Place) |
Previous |
W-L |
Pts |
| 1. | Delta State (26) |
1 |
20-0 |
673 |
| 2. | Seattle Pacific |
2 |
20-0 |
647 |
| 3. | North Dakota |
3 |
21-1 |
611 |
| 4. | South Dakota (1) |
4 |
20-1 |
600 |
| 5. | Concordia (Minn.) |
5 |
22-1 |
567 |
| 6. | Drury |
6 |
19-2 |
529 |
| 7. | Holy Family |
7 |
22-0 |
522 |
| 8. | Fort Lewis |
9 |
22-1 |
471 |
| 9. | Indiana (Pa.) |
T10 |
20-2 |
440 |
| 10. | West Georgia |
T10 |
21-2 |
433 |
| 11. | Alaska-Anchorage |
8 |
20-3 |
430 |
| 12. | Arkansas Tech |
15 |
18-3 |
329 |
| 13. | Chico State |
14 |
19-4 |
317 |
| 14. | Valdosta State |
13 |
19-4 |
310 |
| 15. | Stonehill |
16 |
18-4 |
288 |
| 16. | Anderson |
17 |
20-2 |
273 |
| 17. | West Texas A&M |
12 |
17-4 |
233 |
| 18. | Washburn |
19 |
17-4 |
206 |
| 19. | Fairmont State |
21 |
19-4 |
144 |
| 20. | Emporia State |
22 |
16-5 |
138 |
| 21. | Franklin Pierce |
23 |
19-4 |
129 |
| 22. | Hillsdale |
NR |
19-3 |
98 |
| 23. | Augustana |
25 |
20-5 |
91 |
| 24. | Michigan Tech |
20 |
18-5 |
81 |
| 25. | Francis Marion |
18 |
17-4 |
67 |
Dropped Out: Minnesota State-Mankato
Others Receiving Votes: Tusculum 42; Assumption 20; Columbus State 18; Missouri Science & Tech 11; Augusta State 9; St. Mary's 9; Clayton State 8; Indianapolis 8; Minnesota State-Mankato 7; Wingate 6; Bowie State 3; Tampa 3; California State-San Bernardino 2; Texas A&M-Commerce 1; South Carolina-Aiken 1.
The coach went to see Gordon's Montclair High School team square off against Colony but it was more because of his interest in some of the Colony players. But Gordon stole the show with 50 points, changing Kamansky's plans.
"It was an under-control 50. That was the amazing thing," the Broncos coach recalled. "It wasn't like he was the only guy taking shots or he was forcing stuff up. That's when I knew how much I wanted him."
The 6-foot-5 forward then became one of Kamansky's priorites and the Broncos were able to lure him away from others including local rival Cal State San Bernardino.
That has paid off as Gordon has led the Broncos (6-7, 5-3) back into contention in the CCAA. They face a formidable foe today as defending champion Humboldt State (12-3, 6-1) comes to Kellogg Gymnasium for a 7:30 p.m. showdown.
Gordon ranks second in the conference in scoring (17.8 ppg), rebounding (9.2 rpg) and free-throw percentage (.887), is sixth in field goal percentage (.529) and eighth in blocked shots. He should draw consideration for conference player of the year to be handed out later this season.
The Broncos struggled early but have moved into contention by winning four of their last five games. Gordon has been consistent from the start but the Broncos are finally getting contributions from others, most notably senior sharpshooter Angelo Tsagarakis and sophomore forward Donnelle Boooker.
It has been Gordon's play more than his words that have been the catalyst for the recent showing.
"He doesn't say a whole lot but he doesn't have to," Kamansky said. "The guys see how hard he plays. The only bad thing is sometimes they enjoy watching him a little too much. I have to remind them `Guys you can play too.'"
Gordon was a two-sport standout for the Cavaliers, also excelling in football. He played wide receiver which draws a chuckle from Kamansky, who often teases his star player about his "bad hands."
Several lower level Division I schools were interested but Gordon never thought of football as anything more than a hobby. Basketball has always been his first love.
A handful of CCAA schools wanted him. The pivotal factor was the opportunity to play as a freshman. He liked Cal State San Bernardino's track record and its impressive venue but the Coyotes have always leaned heavily on junior college transfers and Division I bouncebacks while the Broncos field a smaller squad and aren't afraid to throw their freshmen into the mix.
"I really wanted to play right away," Gordon said. "I hope it doesn't sound too cocky but I thought I was good enough to play with those guys instead of sitting out a year."
Gordon rewarded the Broncos for their faith in him. He averaged 6.7 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds as a rookie, earning CCAA Freshman of the Year honors.
He thinks one reason he was able to contribute right away was that he has always played with older athletes, whether it was in his neighborhood or at his high school as a freshman. He grew up competing with cousin Brandon Hogan who was six years older and played at Garey.
"I always trying to prove I could play with him and his friends," Gordon laughed. "They would always pick on me because I was younger so I was always had to prove myself."
Gordon had an even better sophomore season, earning first-team All-Conference honors and averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.
That set the stage for the season he is now having. Gordon has scored in double figures 13 straight games with a career-high of 24 coming on the road at Cal State Stanislaus two weeks ago. He has recorded eight double-doubles, with a high of 14 rebounds coming against Cal State San Bernardino. He comes into tonight's contest against the Lumberjacks having made 14 straight free throws over three games.
Not surprisingly he has earned the respect of his adversaries.
"He is one of the premier player in this conference," Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. "He has expanded his range to where he is now hitting 3-pointers which makes him even more dangerous. And he has always been a terror on the glass."
This weekend's games are crucial in the conference race. Sonoma State follows Humboldt in and will be the opponent on Saturday.
Gordon is happy his team is finally living up to its preseason hype. The Broncos were picked to finish second behind Humbdolt in the conference in a poll of member coaches.
"We got off to a shaky start but we're finally playing hard and playing together," he said. "We almost waited until it was too late but now we're going in the right direction."
| 1. | Sonoma State | 7-1 | .875 | 13-2 | .867 | W5 | 6-1 | 4-1 | 3-0 |
| 2. | Cal State San Bernardino | 6-2 | .750 | 12-3 | .800 | L1 | 6-0 | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| Chico State | 6-2 | .750 | 13-4 | .765 | L1 | 6-0 | 4-3 | 3-1 | |
| 4. | UC San Diego | 5-3 | .625 | 13-5 | .722 | W1 | 5-2 | 2-2 | 6-1 |
| 5. | San Francisco State | 5-4 | .556 | 8-8 | .500 | W3 | 4-1 | 4-5 | 0-2 |
| 6. | Humboldt State | 4-4 | .500 | 8-7 | .533 | W1 | 4-2 | 3-4 | 1-1 |
| Cal Poly Pomona | 4-4 | .500 | 7-7 | .500 | W1 | 2-4 | 3-2 | 2-1 | |
| 8. | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 3-5 | .375 | 9-6 | .600 | W1 | 3-2 | 4-3 | 2-1 |
| 9. | Cal State L.A. | 2-6 | .250 | 5-9 | .357 | L1 | 3-3 | 2-6 | 0-0 |
| Cal State Stanislaus | 2-6 | .250 | 4-10 | .286 | L4 | 3-5 | 0-5 | 1-0 | |
| 11. | CSU Monterey Bay | 1-8 | .111 | 2-14 | .125 | L10 | 1-5 | 1-7 | 0-2 |
Wednesday's game
San Francisco State 78, Monterey Bay 72
Friday's games
Sonoma State at Cal State San Bernardino
Humboldt State at Cal Poly Pomona
Chico State at Dominguez Hills
Cal State Stanislaus at Cal State Los Angeles
San Francisco at UC San Diego
All games 5:30 p.m.
Men's Basketball standings
| 1. | Humboldt State | 7-1 | .875 | 12-3 | .800 | W5 | 6-0 | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| 2. | Cal State San Bernardino | 6-2 | .750 | 13-3 | .812 | L2 | 4-1 | 3-2 | 6-0 |
| UC San Diego | 6-2 | .750 | 9-4 | .692 | W2 | 7-0 | 2-4 | 0-0 | |
| 4. | Cal Poly Pomona | 5-3 | .625 | 6-7 | .462 | L1 | 4-2 | 2-3 | 0-2 |
| 5. | San Francisco State | 5-4 | .556 | 10-6 | .625 | L1 | 5-3 | 4-2 | 1-1 |
| 6. | Cal State L.A. | 4-4 | .500 | 10-5 | .667 | L1 | 7-2 | 3-3 | 0-0 |
| Sonoma State | 4-4 | .500 | 8-6 | .571 | W2 | 5-1 | 1-4 | 2-1 | |
| 8. | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 3-5 | .375 | 8-6 | .571 | W2 | 2-4 | 4-2 | 2-0 |
| 9. | Cal State Stanislaus | 2-6 | .250 | 3-12 | .200 | L4 | 3-4 | 0-7 | 0-1 |
| 10. | CSU Monterey Bay | 2-7 | .222 | 3-12 | .200 | W1 | 1-3 | 1-8 | 1-1 |
| 11. | Chico State | 1-7 | .125 | 5-10 | .333 | L5 | 4-4 | 0-5 | 1-1 |
Wednesday's game
Monterey Bay 85, San Francisco State 75
Friday's games
Humboldt State at Cal Poly Pomona
Sonoma State at Cal State San Bernardino
Cal State Stanislaus at Cal State Los Angeles
Chico State at Dominguez Hills
San Francisco State at UC San Diego
All games 7:30 p.m.
The Coyotes are one spot behind defending conference champion Humboldt State, whom they will host Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. contest at Coussoulis Arena.
The top three places in the poll remained unchanged.
NABC/Division II Coaches Poll
Men
1. Bentley (16-0) 197
2. Grand Valley State (20-0) 195
3. Winona State (20-1) 184
4. Drury (14-1) 173
5. South Carolina Aiken (13-1)
6. South Dakota (15-1)
7. Northern State (17-1) 139
8. Rollins (14-2) 135
9. Alaska-Anchorage (14-3) 133
10. West Liberty State (13-1)
11. Findlay (15-3) 110
12. SW Oklahoma State (14-3) 97
13. Augusta State (10-3) 96
14. Abilene Christian (14-2) 90
15. Gannon (15-2) 84
16. Nebraska-Omaha (15-2) 81
17. Humboldt State (12-3) 73
18. CS San Bernardino (13-3) 65
19. C.W. Post (13-2) 56
20. Tarleton State (14-2) 54
21. Southwest Baptist (12-3) 49
22. Florida Southern (14-4) 40
23. Virginia Union (12-2) 31
24. Mount Olive (11-3) 17
25. Northern Kentucky (13-2)
Also receiving votes: Chaminade 12; Alderson-Broaddus 11; Lenoir-Rhyne 8; Augustana 6; Fort Lewis 4; Central Oklahoma 3; Lewis 3; Florida Tech 2; California, Pa. 1; Northwest Nazarene 1; Wingate 1
The Broncos (6-6, 5-2) will play their fourth game in eight days Friday when they trek to RIMAC Arena on the campus of UC San Diego for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with the Tritons (7-4, 4-2).
Three of the four games in this stretch are road games. Coach Greg Kamansky's team was in Northern California for games last weekend and didn't return home until Sunday. It had one day of practice before facing the always-tough Coyotes. One more day of practice, then a two-hour trip to San Diego.
"It's a very tough stretch," Kamansky said. "I'm sure they can't wait to get their hands on us. There are a lot of factors working against us. We'll see what kind of legs we have under us."
Cal Poly got off to a 1-5 start, but has won four straight games and five of its last six. Things didn't look good after a 50-47 loss to Dominguez Hills two weeks ago. But it chalked up a win over Cal State Los Angeles and has gained confidence with every win.
Players think the mometum will help them battle through the fatigue.
"When you're losing it's tough to play a game and then have sit and think about it for four or five days," leading scorer Larry Gordon said. "When you're playing well you want to go back out there as soon as you can."
The team struggled early with chemistry and leadership issues early but players have settled into the roles and are playing better each time out.
Gordon (17.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) has been the workhorse. He ranks in the top 10 in the conference in four categories and is omcing off a 21-point, 14-rebound showing against the Coyotes.
"Larry isn't a vocal leader but the guys really feed off of him," Kamansky said. "He is out there working hard and getting his 20 or so points and 10 rebounds and the other guys just follow him."
Senior shooting guard Angelo Tsagarakis (15.9 ppg) has also been a key in the Broncos resurgence. The transfer from Oregon State plays with emotion, sometimes too much. He has turned in a steadier effort in recent outings and is coming off an 18-point effort against the Coyotes that included a 9-for-10 showing at the free-throw line.
San Bernardino native Donnelle Booker (7.5 ppg, 5 rpg) is coming off perhaps his best game of the season, although he is still problematic at the line.
In the Tritons, the Broncos will be facing a patient, execution oriented offense that is content wooing the opponent into low-scoring games.
The Broncos own a 12-6 all-time mark against the Tritons. They won both meetings last season but the games were close - 68-65 and 60-54.
San Diego, directed by first-year coach Chris Carlson, has two of the most consistent 3-point shooters in sophomore guard Jordan Lawley (13.1 ppg, 27 3's) and junior guard Kelvin Kim (10.4 ppg, 22 3's). Junior forward Henry Patterson (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is also averaging double figures. Senior point guard Clint Allard (9.5 ppg, 5.7 apg) leads the conference in assists.
The squad also includes Ayala graduate Andrew Hatch (7.5 ppg, 2 rpg) who is a key reserve.
"They're tough, they're disciplined. They play well together. This is going to be a very tough game, especially on the road," Kamansky said.
A women's game between the same two schools is set for 5:30 p.m. UC San Diego, the defending conference and West Region champion, is ranked No. 20 nationally despite graduating the conference player of the year and losing its coach to a Division I job.
The Broncos (6-7, 3-4), who suffered a 78-64 loss to Cal State San Bernardino Wednesday, are currently sixth in the conference. Its top players are senior forward Vanessa Dominguez (12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and freshman guard Reyana Colson (13.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
The men's team, 11-1 overall and 4-0 in the CCAA, moved up from No. 10 to No.6 this week in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll released today. The women's team, 10-1 overall and 4-0 in the CCAA, earned 12 votes in the USA TODAY/ESPN national poll, not quite enough to get it into the top 25. It is the first time since 1997-98 that the women's team has been listed in the national poll.
In addition, another poll called the 2007-08 College Basketball Computer Ratings, coordinated by David Wilson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Computer-Aided Engineering Center, ranks the Coyotes men as co-No. 1 in Division II with a power rating of 706, the same as Drury University, Mo. The poll is located at www.talismanred.com/ratings/hoops
The NCAA Division II Championships Committee West Region poll, the one that counts in terms of seeding teams for the NCAA tournament in March, won't be published until Jan. 24 for the women and Jan. 30 for the men. NABC/DIVISION II MEN'S BASKETBALL POLL
1. Bentley (12-0) 198
2. Grand Valley State (16-0) 194
3. South Dakota (14-0 184
4. Winona State (16-1) 173
5. Rollins (11-1) 164
6. CS San Bernardino (11-1) 160
7. Drury (11-1) 149
8. South Carolina-Aiken (10-1) 131
9. Findlay (12-2) 116
10. West Liberty (9-0) 112
11. Florida Tech (11-0) 106
12. Nebraska-Omaha (11-1) 105
13. Southwestern Oklahoma (11-2)104
14. Pittsburg State (10-1) 91
15. Northern State (14-1) 85
16. Northwest Missouri State (9-2) 79
17. Seattle (8-2) 60
18. Gannnon (12-1) 53
19. Alaska-Anchorage (11-3) 46
20. St. Cloud State (11-3) 43
21. Texas A&M Kingsville (11-2) 36
22. Augusta State (7-3) 33
23. Brigham Young-Hawaii (7-3) 28
24. California (9-2) 22
25. St. Augustine's (8-2) 18
Also receiving votes: Tampa 13; Humboldt State 13, Seattle Pacific 13; Washburn 11; C.W. Post 9; Tarleton State 8; Central Oklahoma 7; Mount Olive 7; Augustana 6; Lenoir-Rhyne 5; North Alabama 5; Assumption 3; Benedict 3; Abilene Christian 2; Southern Indiana 2; Wingate 1.
The Broncos prevailed thanks to some timely shooting by senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis.
The Broncos (3-6, 2-2) were picked to finish second in the conference but are off to their worst start since 1981.
The intangibles have hurt with team chemistry and leadership coming into question. Coach Greg Kamansky also has questioned his team's competitive spirit. While the Broncos were far from flawless, he did see some improvement in those areas.
"We did much better, especially in the second half," he said.
"We eliminated a lot of our turnovers in the second half and were able to get some possessions and put the game away."
The Eagles (7-4, 1-3), coming off a loss Friday at San Bernardino, struggled without two of their three leading scorers. For the second time in as many nights they played without Louis Hamilton and Demetrius Hazelton who are averaging 26 points between them but are sidelined for what coach Stephen Thompson called "personal issues."
The Broncos led the majority of the first half, thanks to a better performance from the field. Cal Poly shot 52.9 percent (9-for-17) while the visitors were a woeful 30.8 percent (8-for-26). They also did poorly at the free-throw line , making only four of nine attempts.
The Broncos have been subject to long scoring droughts in most games this season but didn't falter for a long period of time against the Eagles, whose only lead of the contest came at 3-2. Cal Poly's biggest lead was eight points on two different occasions, the last at 21-13 on a pair of free throws by Larry Gordon with 4:57 left but was up by just four at the half, 26-22.
They maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second half and took a commanding 55-36 lead on eight straight points by Tsagarakis, six of those coming on two 3-pointers.
Tsagarakis had 25 to lead the Broncos. Gordon added 15 with 10 rebounds and Kaelen Daniels delivered 12.
"There were a lot of positive tonight. I was very pleased with our defense. Now we need to build on this," Kamansky said.
The Broncos will be on the road next weekend for back-to-back games at Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus. They return home Jan. 16 to host local rival Cal State San Bernardino.
By J.P. Hoornstra
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - They were trying to play team basketball, trying to bounce back from an ugly game and trying to separate themselves from the rest of the California Collegiate Athletic Conference.
The Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball team did all that Saturday night in a 65-57 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills, ironically, because they weren't trying to do too much.
"The effort was outstanding," said head coach Jeff Oliver, who has often been hesitant to compliment his team's effort.
The result was a hodgepodge of open shots, backdoor picks and the usual stifling defense that allowed Cal State to hold off a late rally by the Toros in the second half.
The Coyotes (11-1, 4-0 CCAA) moved into sole possession of first place with the victory, thanks to Humboldt State's 80-69 win over UC San Diego earlier in the day.
The 8-point winning margin belied an outstanding defensive performance that produced 13 steals (to the Toros' 1), led by four from Lance Ortiz. Ortiz also had six assists and pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds, which the point guard said was a career-high.
"For us playing how bad we did yesterday, one of our main goals is to separate ourselves from the rest of the conference," Ortiz said. "Whoever we play now, it's their biggest game of the year."
A night earlier against Cal State Los Angeles, Oliver called his team's post play "atrocious," and also criticized the backcourt, despite a 72-56 margin of victory.
But on Saturday, Michael Earl and Devon Davis had a much easier time in the paint - despite facing a taller Toro defense - scoring 12 and eight points, respectively. Marlon Pierce led the Coyotes with 15 points and Reggie Brown added 11 in a balanced effort.
Jerrell Smith's 15 points led Cal State Dominguez Hills (6-4, 2-2 CCAA), which trailed by as many as 13 in the second half before clawing back to 61-57 with 1:37 remaining.
With the opponent closing in down the stretch, the Coyotes didn't panic and didn't let up on defense, either.
Brown got a shooter's bounce on a 20-foot jumpshot to push the lead to 63-57. On the other end, Pierce collected one of his three steals to set up a free throw that made it a 7-point game. Earl sealed the win with one of his three blocks.
"This was definitely a big win for us," Brown said. "We knew coming in we were going to have to come out more aggressive."
Brown went 3-of-5 from 3-point range, a welcome touch since downtown specialist David Reichel was sidelined with a hand injury earlier in the week. Oliver said after the game that Reichel is targeting next Wednesday for a possible return to practice, which would be earlier than initially expected.
"He brings the ability to stretch the defense, which helps our spacing," Oliver said of Reichel. "We definitely need him (Jan. 19) against (UC) San Diego."
"Defensively I am very pleased but we're relying too much on that," he said. "We have to start knocking down some shots because we're putting too much pressure on the defense. I am completely frustrated with our offense."
The Coyotes (2-0 in conference), ranked No. 10 nationally, return from the holiday respite tonight with a 7:30 p.m. game at Coussoulis Arena against Cal State Los Angeles (7-2, 1-1), one of the up-and-coming teams in the CCAA.
A women's game between the same two schools gets underway at 5:30 p.m.
Oliver's point is driven home by glancing at the conference statistics. The Coyotes rank first in defense, giving up a conference-low average of 60.9 points a game. They are also first in field-goal percentage defense (.384). Foes are also hitting just 23 percent from long distance. Cal State is also first in blocked shots and second in steals.
But flip the page to the offensive categories and it's a different story. The Coyotes are a respectable fifth in scoring (71.9 points per game) but they are last in field-goal percentage (.441), 10th out of 11 teams in 3-point shooting (.320) and last in rebounding margin.
"We're getting the shots we want," Oliver said. "It's time for some of our guys to start knocking some down."
The Coyotes will be without their most consistent 3-point shooter for at least the next two weeks. Senior David Reichel (7.4 ppg) dislocated the thumb on his shooting hand in practice earlier this week. Oliver said he thought Reichel could be out as long as six weeks but further tests showed there was no ligament or tendon damage, which means a quicker return.
In Reichel's absence, Oliver will be looking for more out of juniors Steve Gaston and Reggie Brown.
"Our depth really pays off in a situation like this but they had to respect David's shot and that really spread the defense. We need other guys to step up and make those shots."
The Coyotes are led by senior guards Lance Ortiz (13.4 ppg, 5.4 assists pg, 2.8 steals pg) and Marlon Pierce (10.2 ppg, 4.3 apg, 4.9 rebounds pg). Senior center Michael Earl (12.4 ppg, 6 rpg) is leading the conference in field-goal percentage (.703) and blocked shots (30).
Cal State Los Angeles finished 10th in the conference a year ago but had an outstanding recruiting class and was picked to finish fourth in a voting of member coaches.
The Eagles rank first in the conference in scoring offense (79.3 ppg), second in field-goal percentage (.481), second in 3-point percentage (.415), second in offensive rebounding and first in defensive rebounding.
Dejean Prejean (17.8 ppg, 5 rpg), a Compton native who transferred from Florida International University, leads the Eagles but three others are also averaging double figures -- junior forward Louis Hamilton (14 ppg), senior guard Vincent Camper (12.2 ppg) and junior forward Demetrius Hazel (12.1 ppg).
"They have offensive weapons galore. That's for sure," Oliver said. "If the regional rankings were coming out this week, they would probably have a piece of the top eight."
The Coyotes host Cal State Dominguez Hills (5-3, 0-2) on Saturday, then will play eight of their next 10 games on the road.
The Broncos are just 1-5, their worst start since going 1-6 to start the 1981-82 campaign. They have a chance to get back on track tonight as LeMoyne (6-5), a Division II school out of Syracuse, N.Y. stops in for a 4 p.m. game at Kellogg Gymnasium. It will be the final non-conference tune-up for the Broncos, who resume CCAA play the following weekend.
The record isn't what bothers the veteran coach the most. It is the way his team has looked in those losses. He sees a lack of competitiveness, heart and organization, especially on the offensive end of the court.
"We don't have the most talent so we can't afford to play stupid," he said. "We have to go out there and want to compete. The way things have been going lately, if one thing goes bad, it completely breaks our spirit and we're not able to bounce back."
Kamansky would like to think his team has a shot at turning things around but nothing he has seen leads him to believe that will happen.
"There's blood in the water and the sharks are circling and we're looking like good bait," he said. "I'm sure our opponents can't wait to get their hands on us, especially the teams we have had our way with the last few years."
The Broncos lack of depth will be further tested tonight as they will be without 6-foot-7 senior center Kaelen Daniels (6.8 ppg, 3 rpg) who was ejected from Cal Poly's last game against Central Washington in Las Vegas for throwing a punch.
Senior Kevin Neveu (6.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg) will inherit the majority of the playing time in Daniels' absence.
The Broncos have gotten solid play out of junior forward Larry Gordon (17.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg), who earned all-tournament honors in Las Vegas despite the 0-2 showing. He ranks fifth in the conference in socring and second in rebounding.
But the Broncos will need a steadier effort from erratic senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis (13.8 ppg), as well as sophomore Donnelle Booker (6.6 ppg), who thus far has looked little like the player who earned CCAA Freshman of the Year honors last season.
Kamansky said the next three games will prove crucial. After today the Broncos, who were picked to finish second in the conference, get back to CCAA play with home games Friday and Saturday against Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles. Despite the poor start Cal Poly is still just 1-1 in conference.
"If we can win two out of three then we'll at last have something to hang our hat on," he said. "But the the way we have been playing we're just as capable of losing all three. I don't know what to expect."
LeMoyne, which plays in the Northeast-10 conference, arrived earlier in the week and squared off Thursday against Cal State Los Angeles, losing 76-57.
Sophomore forward Laurence Ekperigin (17.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is the Dolphins top player. Two others - senior guard Jason Holmes (13.4 ppg) and senior forward Jonathan Joshua (10.8 ppg) - are also averaging double figures.
Ekperigin had 12 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's game against the Golden Eagles.
The No. 10 Coyotes turned in another strong performance Wednesday night, upending Western Washington 71-65 at the Centennial Hills Center behind the play of tournament Most Valuable Player Michael Earl. That came one night after they routed the other host team Central Washington 83-60.
``They said there was some sort of miscommunication. They didn't think we wanted to come back,'' said Oliver, who will be looking to start his own event to be held the same event next year.
Not only have the Coyotes beaten both teams in successive years. They also beat Western Washington in its season opener in another tournament in Seattle in early Novemeber. The Coyotes (9-1) have handed the Vikings (7-2) both losses.
But both teams played better basketball in the most recent meeting. The Vikings came out quicker and were up by 13 at 32-19 with 8:33 to go. It was Fontana native Ira Graham igniting the charge with 16 of his 22 in the opening half.
``We seem to have some lapses and tonight we started with one,'' Earl said. ``They came out pretty amped up and we weren't. We didn't come out with the same energy we had. But we thought if we could stay close we would get them once we settled down and started playing our game.''
The Coyotes battled back and only trailed by three at the half, 37-34.
It was nip and tuck the rest of the way with each team's biggest lead of the half being three points. The game was knotted five times, the last at 65 with 1:51 to go after two free throws by Lance Ortiz.
Cal State went up for good moments later on a driving layup by Marlon Pierce with 1:27 to go. On the ensuing possession Graham took the ball and dribbled baseline but was called for stepping on the end line with 1:01 left.
``I really thought I was pushed out,'' said Graham, who made the six-player all-tournament team. ``But that's not an excuse. That's how basketball goes. We just made some mistakes dwn the stretch that hurt us.''
The Coyotes capitalized with Ortiz working time off the clock, then going baseline for a layup that gave Cal State a 69-65 edge with 24 seconds remaining.
Western Washington's Harold McAllister set up for a 3-pointer on the next Vikings possession but his shot was batted away by Jason Gilzene with 13 seconds left. Ortiz knocked down a couple of free throws to put the game away.
Oliver appreciated coming out on top against a quality team in a tightly-contestd game. He also liked the way his team bounced back after being dealt a loss by NAIA Azusa Pacific on Friday.
``It was the wakeup call we needed,'' he said. ``I felt like we were regressing, not progressing and getting too complacent. Sometimes I think this team thinks it's going to be too easy and that's a mentality a team should never have or comes back to bit you in the butt.''
Earl tallied a team-high 16 points with six blocks. Pierce had 10, with eight rebounds, four steals and three assists to earn an all-tournament spot. Scoring was balanced after that with Reggie Brown and Renardo Bass and Ortiz chipping in with eight apiece. livcer used 11 players and 10 figured in the scoring.
Western shot 49 percent (25-for-51) while Cal State was slightly worse at 45.5 (25-for-55). It made up for that by going 18-for-22 from the free-throw line. The Coyotes were outrebounded 35-27 but forced 19 turnovers while making only nine.
``We really don't have one person that has to be our go-to player. We have a lot of options,'' Earl said. ``That is good for us because no one has to have that pressure. We're confident in each other.''
Oliver said he believed that Cal Poly Pomona was invited back to the CCAA vs. GNAC event with Cal State Stanislaus, traditionally a middle tier team, replacing the Coyotes.
LAS VEGAS - Cal Poly basketball coach Greg Kamansky buried his head in his hands and stared at the floor in disbelief. Two of his players had just bobbled a loose ball and a Central Washington player scooped it up for an easy put back giving the Wildcats a 14-point lead.
There were still 12 minutes left but Kamansky knew his team wasn't coming back. That premonition proved true as the reeling Broncos suffered a 84-66 loss in their second game of the Great Western Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center in Las Vegas Wednesday.
The loss dropped the Broncos to 1-5 on the season, although the good new is that an 0-4 part of that is non-conference play. It is the worst start for the school since going 1-6 to start the 1981-82 season.
After the game Kamansky kept his team in the lockerroom for 90 minutes. There was considerable shouting audible from the adjacent hallway.
``In all of these games we have had leads,'' Kamansky said. ``But in every one we have a good 10 minutes and then self destruct. We don't have that mentality that allows us to respond when things get tough. Instead we just fall apart. That has to change soon.''
Even though it is early the frustration is showing on the court as well. Senior center Kaelen Daniels was ejected with 7:15 left in the first half and the Broncos up 21-20. Donnelle Booker had just been at the free-throw line and Daniels got tangled up with a Wildcat player underneath and was said to have thrown a punch.
Kamansky argued vehemently and was assessed a technical foul. Matt Penoncello only made two of four technicals tosses but Giovonne Woods drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, giving Central a 25-21 lead.
Kamansky said he didn't see what was called. He thought Daniels had been being held all game by Central's Bryce Daub, something a Bronco assistant had asked the referees to watch. The coach thought Daniels was only trying to clear some room but will watch the video to see exactly what happened.
``I don't want to say that cost us the game, but it was a momentum changer,'' Kamansky added. ``And we don't have the kind of team that answers adversity in a positive manner.''
The Broncos were within two at 25-23 seconds later but it was all Wildcats (4-3) after that. Central outscored Cal Poly 14-7 the rest of the half and led 39-30 at the intermission.
Things didn't get any better after that. The Wildcats started the second half with an 11-4 run and never looked back.
Junior forward Larry Gordon made up for a poor showing in the first half of Tuesday's loss to Western Washington with 23 points, 10 rebounds,four blocks and two assists.
But he didn't have a lot of help. Senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis netted 10 but six of those were from the free-throw line. He went just 2-of-8 from the field including an 0-for-5 from long distance.
The numbers actually made the contest look closer than it was with Central Washington shooting 48.3 percent (25-for-58) and Cal Poly Pomona managing 44 (22-for-50). Central went 17-for-26 for the line while the Broncos went 19-for-28 but the Wildcats were aided by an 11-for-23 effort from 3-point range compared to a 3-of-15 for the Broncos.
Central Washington had four players finish in double figures led by Penoncello with 18 and Nate Jackson with 17.
Next up for the Broncos is non-conference game against Division II LeMoyne on Dec. 30. Kamansky said he is not sure whether the ejection means Daniels will have to sit out that game.
The Broncos were soundly beaten by Western Washington 73-64 Tuesday at the Centennial Hills Center in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates. They will be looking for a better outcome in today's 2 p.m. game against Central Washington.
``We just got thrashed from top to bottom,'' Kamansky said. ``They were the better team, no doubt about it. We went completely blank on offense. We did that against San Francisco State. We did it against Vanguard and we did it again tonight.''
The Broncos (1-4) led early at 14-8 but that lead lasted only seven minutes. The Vikings pulled even when junior center Zach Bruce scored inside to tie the game at 19. The Vikings (7-1) took the lead for good moments later on a put back by junior forward Calin Schell.
Western Washington, which has won seven straight games since losing its season opener to Cal State San Bernardino, led 23-19 when Kevin Neveau scored inside with 6:12 left in the half to cut the deficit to two, 23-21.
But the Vikings reeled off the last 10 points of the half and the first eight of the second half, going up 41-21 on a jumper from the baseline by Derrick Webb. The scoring drought of 9:35 finally ended on two free throws by Larry Gordon but the Broncos were never in striking distance again.
Western Washington, out of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, maintained a double-digit lead most of the second half. The Broncos didn't get within single digits until Gordon hit a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left.
Cal Poly Pomona shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) but managed just 36 percent (9-for-25) in the first half. Angelo Tsagarakis had a team-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers. He also snagged eight rebounds and had four assists. Gordon added 15 with 10 rebounds but all of his points and seven boards came in the second half.
Kamansky cited the layoff for the sluggish performance.
``I hate to use that as an excuse but we definitely looked like we haven't played in two weeks,'' he said. ``Our schedule has been erratic and we just haven't been able to get in a rhythm.''
Western Washington, which shot 474 percent (27-for-57) was sparked by a local product as former Fontana High standout Ira Graham who tallied 14 points, 12 of those in the first half. He also collected five assists and a steal.
Graham, who leads the GNAC in scoring, admits he likes playing against the local teams.
``I definitely get more focused, more excited when I play the local teams,'' the junior guard said. ``I had a lot of family here so it made it even better.''
Kamansky added that the pressure is on to win the second game in the tournament. Teams from the CCAA and the GNAC battle for playoff berths in the Division II West Regional in March so this weekend's games will have an impact.
``We aren't leaving ourselves a lot of room for error,'' he said. ``Right now we don't look like a good team.''
It was indeed a shootout but only one team participated as the Coyotes cruised past the Wildcats 83-60 Tuesday in the Great Western Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center.
The defense was as tenacious as always. But it was one of the more complete efforts for the No. 10 Coyotes this season as they hit 50.8 percent from the field and came within a point of their season high. But the perfectionist in Oliver still came out despite the comfortable win.
``It was a great defensive effort. For us to guard a team like that and to limit them like we did was fantastic,'' he said. ``Offensively, we're doing better but it was far from good. Maybe I'm
just a nitpicker.''
The point total was a season low for the Wildcats (3-3) and matched their season low of a year ago. It was also their least productive outing since 2004 when they were held to 47 once.
The Coyotes forced 22 turnovers and held their foe to 34 percent (16-for-47) from the field. Central had 24 points from the free-throw line so they got just 36 from the field.
``I thought they were going to be better than that, just by the numbers they were putting up,'' senior center Michael Earl said. ``But I guess you can contribute that to us playing well.''
Cal State blew the game open in the second half. It was even at 12 but the Coyotes tallied 10 of the next 12 points, surging out to a 24-14 lead on a driving layup by Marlon Pierce. The first half ended with the same point differential, the Coyotes up 39-29.
The Coyotes started the second half the way they ended the first. Reggie Brown hit a 3-pointer to give the Coyotes a 45-30 lead three minutes into the second half and Steve Gaston drained one the next trip down the floor to give Cal State a 48-30 lead that just got
bigger.
Oliver used 15 players and 12 of those scored. Earl led the way with 19, on 8-for-9 shooting from the field despite being slowed this week by the flu.
Pierce and Lance Ortiz also came up big. Pierce totaled 12 with five assists, four rebounds and two steals while Ortiz managed 11 with seven assists and four steals. The Coyotes chalked up 21 assists as a team.
There were also some big contributors off the bench as Philip Jones grabbed seven rebounds. Gaston added seven points, five assists and two steals.
All said the team came off Friday's 78-75 overtime loss to NAIA Azusa Pacific more focused.
``We worked on passing the ball hard. We had gotten lackadaisical and were not getting guys open,'' Ortiz said. ``We came in here focused, ready to bounce back because we knew these were big games.''
The Coyotes play their second game of the tournament at 5 tonight against Western Washington (7-1) which turned back Cal Poly Pomona 73-64 earlier in the day. Western Washington's only loss this season was to Cal State in the season opener played in Seattle.
It was indeed a shootout, but only one team participated as the Coyotes cruised past the Wildcats 83-60 Tuesday in the Great Western Shootout at the Centennial Hills Center.
The Coyotes' defense was as tenacious as always, but it was one of the more complete efforts for the No. 10 Coyotes this season as they hit 50.8 percent from the field and came within a point of their season high.
But the perfectionist in Oliver still came out despite the comfortable win.
"It was a great defensive effort. For us to guard a team like that and to limit them like we did was fantastic," he said.
"Offensively, we're doing better, but it was far from good. Maybe I'm just a nitpicker."
The point total was a season low for the Wildcats (3-3) and matched their season low of a year ago. It was also their least-productive outing since 2004, when they were once held to 47.
The Coyotes forced 22 turnovers and held their foe to 34 percent (16-for-47) from the field. Central had 24 points from the free-throw line, meaning they got just 36 from the field.
"I thought they were going to be better than that, just by the numbers they were putting up," senior center Michael Earl said. "But I guess you can contribute that to us playing well.''
Reggie Brown hit a 3-pointer to give the Coyotes a 45-30 lead three minutes into the second half, and Steve Gaston drained one the next trip down the floor to give Cal State a 48-30 lead that just got bigger.
Oliver used 15 players, and 12 of those scored. Earl led the way with 19, on 8-for-9 shooting from the field, despite being slowed this week by the flu.
Pierce and Lance Ortiz also came up big. Pierce totaled 12 with five assists, four rebounds and two steals, while Ortiz managed 11 with seven assists and four steals. The Coyotes chalked up 21 assists as a team.
There were also some big contributors off the bench; Philip Jones grabbed seven rebounds, and Gaston added seven points, five assists and two steals.
The Coyotes play their second game of the tournament at 5 tonight against Western Washington (7-1), which turned back Cal Poly Pomona 73-64 earlier in the day. Western Washington's only loss this season was to Cal State in the season opener played in Seattle.
The going gets tougher as SBVC travels to No. 2 Mt. SAC (15-1) for a 5:30 p.m. game Friday against the defending state champion Mounties. Then comes a game with No. 11 Saddleback (5-0).
SBVC had trouble with Pasadena's size up front, an advantage that Mt. SAC will have as well. Crebbin said she will be looking for more production from her guards.
"We have to get more from our guards, better shots, more shots. That's where our strength is," coach Susan Crebbin said. "Then if they start making some of those, it takes pressure off the girls up front. We don't have the size to go toe-to-toe with them in the paint."
The Wolverines are ranked 20th in the state and 10th in Southern California. Shy Walter (13.3) is the team's leading scorer, with Simeone Baker (7.3) the top rebounder. Jasmine Marshall (Arroyo Valley) leads the team in assists and steals. SBVC boasts the top defense in the state, allowing just 47.6 points per game.
Wilt, a 6-1 senior center from Hesperia, was recognized for her double-double - 18 points and 18 rebounds - in a 68-50 Coyotes win over University of Redlands this past Thursday.
Her 18 rebounds were a season high and her three blocked shots raised her 2007-08 total to 21 in six games, an average of 3.5 per game.
She has helped the Coyotes to a 6-0 record to open the season, equaling the best start ever by a CSUSB women's basketball team. The only other team in the history of the program to start 6-0 was the 2000-01 squad.
Thursday's performance by Wilt means that she has achieved a double-double (points and rebounds) in all six games this season. She is the only player in the CCAA thus far averaging a double-double
Wilt ranks No. 2 in the CCAA in scoring at 19.2 points a game but leads the CCAA in rebounding at 13.2 per game. She also ranks No. 1 in blocked shots with 21 (3.5/game). She is shooting 83 percent from the foul line (15 of 18) and 53 percent from the field (50 of 94).
The Coyotes return to action on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 18-19, facing Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene in the Dixie State College Tournament in St. George, Utah.
SPU is 5-0 and coming off a 68-60 win over Chico State, ranked No. 9 in the nation, while NNU is 5-1 on the season.
The awards are voted upon by the student-based Bronco Athletics Association.
Diaz, a freshman from San Bernardino, was the top freshman to finish in the California Collegiate Athletic Association race, held Oct. 20 at Cal State Stanislaus. By virtue of his 26th-place finish on the 8,000-meter course, he was named the CCAA's top newcomer of the year.
Williams, a junior from Riverside, was a standout all season long for the Broncos. Williams was named all-CCAA first team and was honored as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) honorable mention All-American and Pacific Region first-team selection. She finished seventh in hitting percentage in the CCAA with a .272 percentage (285-97-690). She also finished third in blocks (1.31/game) for the league-leading block team and was 19th in kills (2.74/game).
The Broncos finished the season 21-7 overall and tied for second in the CCAA with a 13-5 mark. They earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Pacific Regional, where they lost to Cal State Los Angeles 3-2 in the opening round Nov. 15.
Cal State San Bernardino stretched its
season-opening win streak to six straight Thursday
night with a 68-50 non-conference victory over
University of Redlands at the Bulldogs' Currier Gym.
The six wins equals the best start to a season in
the history of the program dating back to 1984-85. The
record of six was first set in 2000-01.
Senior center Vanessa Wilt, the CCAA conference
player of the week, dominated the inside with 18
points and a season-high 18 rebounds while blocking
three shots.
Guard Shanae Blake had 15 points, two blocked
shots and a steal while sophomore guard Krystal Ursua
came off the bench to score 16 points and grab eight
rebounds in the victory.
CSUSB darted out to a 14-0 lead before the
Bulldogs got untracked enough to trail only by eight,
28-20 at halftime.
After the break, Redlands made a run and got to
within four at 33-29 before the Coyotes opened up a
10-point advantage at 39-29 and were never threatened
thereafter.
CSUSB's largest lead, 22 points, came with just
1:41 left in the contest. Redlands' record dropped to
4-2.
It was the first meeting of the two schools in
women's basketball since 1989-90 when CSUSB was a NCAA
Division III independent. The Coyotes now lead the
all-time series 9-1.
CSUSB will be idle until playing in the Dixie
State College Tournament on Dec. 18-19 in St. George
Utah against Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene of
the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The Coyotes even got one first-place vote. The team received 162 votes, just four votes behind No. 4 Rollins University of Florida which is unbeaten at 5-0. Just ahead of them in the No. 5 spot is last year's NCAA runnerup Winona State, 8-1 on the season.
Bentley (Mass)., a quarterfinalist last year, is ranked No. 1 in the NABC poll at 6-0 followed by Grand Valley State (8-0) and South Dakota (7-0). The only other West Coast team in the top 10 is Seattle University (5-0).
BYU Hawaii holds down the 16th spot at 2-0 while Seattle Pacific is 4-1 and ranked No. 23. Its only loss was to the Coyotes on Nov. 17.
The Coyotes are idle this week for fall quarter finals and return to action on Friday, Dec. 14, in Coussoulis Arena against Azusa Pacific University at 7 p.m.
NABC/ESPN DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES POLL
No. Team (1st pl votes) Record Points
1. Bentley, Mass (4) 6-0 190
2. Grand Valley State (3) 8-0 188
3. South Dakota 7-0 184
4. Rollins 5-0 166
5. Winona State 8-1 163
6. COYOTES (1) 7-0 162
7. Emporia State 4-0 150
8. Drury 5-0 142
9. Findlay 4-1 113
10. Seattle 5-0 111
11. Northwest Missouri State; 12. St. Cloud State; 13. Southwest Okla. State; 14. Augusta State; 15. Virginia Union; 16. BYU Hawaii; 17. Central Oklahoma; 18. Central Missouri; 19. Fairmont State; 20. South Carolina Aiken; 21. West Georgia; 22. Nebraska Omaha; 23. Seattle Pacific; 24. Mount Olive; 25. Merrimack.
Wilt, an all-America honorable mention, all West Region and all-CCAA first team pick in 2006-07, averaged a double-double as the Coyotes edged Cal State Monterey Bay 47-45 and then defeated San Francisco State 57-45 this past weekend in the CCAA openers.
The 6-1 post player averaged 15.5 points and 12 rebounds a game in the Coyotes' sweep of conference opponents. She hit 16 points and 12 rebounds with five blocked shots and two assists and two steals in the win over Monterey Bay.
She came back Saturday against the double-teaming defense that San Francisco State sent her way and came away with 15 points and 12 rebounds in the win over the Gators.
Wilt has double-doubles in each of her first five games this season after posting 11 of them in 2006-07 while leading the Coyotes into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998.
She is averaging 19.4 points and 12.2 rebounds a game with 18 blocked shots and nine steals while shooting 54 percent from the floor through the first five games of this season.
In 2006-07, Wilt led the CCAA in four categories including rebounding (9.9 rpg), field goal percentage (59.2), rebounding defense (6.39/game)and blocked shots (41). Her field goal percentage was No. 3 in the nation.
She currently ranks in the top 10 all-time in seven CSUSB statistics categories.
CSUSB travels to Redlands Thursday to play U of R's Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m.
Men's basketball player of the week honors went to Cy Vandermeer of Humboldt State.
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - As a standout guard for Los Angeles Southwest College, Steve Gaston wasn't used to being a bench guy, a spark plug - any one of those polite synonyms applied to someone who wasn't in the starting lineup.
In this, his first season at Cal State San Bernardino, Gaston has tried hard to embrace the spark plug role. On Saturday, he relished it.
Gaston came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer that broke a 29-29 tie 5:40 into the second half, the critical shot in a 69-54 victory over San Francisco State at Coussoulis Arena.
Reggie Brown hit a three on the Coyotes' next possession, then Gaston hit another on his next touch to break the game open.
Gaston finished 6-for-9 with 15 points on the evening and Cal State (7-0 overall, 2-0 California Collegiate Athletic Conference) made the game look easy down the stretch.
"It's been a struggle coming off the bench," Gaston said. "I just try to come in, play both ends of the floor, be a spark plug."
He made the most of his 16 minutes Saturday, helping rescue Cal State from an uncharacteristically cold shooting night. The Coyotes shot 34 percent from the floor before halftime and 55.6 percent after.
Lance Ortiz also scored 15 points for Cal State, and center Michael Earl added 12 points and five blocked shots.
Head coach Jeff Oliver, the Coyotes' toughest critic, said his team's positives were outweighed by an "atrocious" offense.
"We've just got to polish things up," Oliver said. "We don't do any of the little things well. We're losing the hustle battle.
Still, his team did nothing over the weekend to disown its No. 9 ranking in the latest Division II poll. After beating Cal State Monterey Bay 79-71 on Friday, the Coyotes' unbeaten league record could go a long way toward a repeat of last year's deep playoff run.
"There's a distinct possibility we'll be in first place by ourselves after the first weekend," he said, referring to the conference's other three 1-0 teams.
San Francisco State (4-3, 1-1) was also unbeaten in league prior to Saturday, and found success early giving the ball to post man Chris Rodriguez (17 points, eight rebounds).
But Cal State's sudden shooting success, and their frustrating full-court trap, seemed to sap the Gators' momentum in the second half.
Former Apple Valley High star Will Logan played a scoreless 22 minutes for San Francisco State.
The Broncos lost their second heart-breaker in as many nights, this time falling to visiting Cal State Monterey Bay 77-71 Saturday in CCAA play at Kellogg Gymnasium.
Just 24 hours earlier, coach Scott Davis' team fell to San Francisco State in overtime, 59-57.
Both teams came in winless. The Otters were also coming off a tough game, losing to Cal State San Bernardino 47-45.
"I don't think we stepped on the floor with the energy and desire to compete that we did last night," Davis said. "It shouldn't have had anything to do with playing back-to-back nights. These are well conditioned college athletes and they played back-to-back night too."
The Otters (1-3, 1-1) secured the game at the free-throw line.
They sank 30 of 43 attempts in the game but hit 19 of 29 attempts in the second half, including 10 in a row starting at the 3:22 mark, when they were up 65-60.
The visitors trailed 67-64 when Dana Andrews stepped to the stripe. She banked in the first try and got nothing but net on the second, extending the Monterey lead to five points.
Cal Poly (0-3, 0-2) misfired on its end with a runner by Ashley Moody lipping off the rim. Otters junior Ja'Nae Westmoreland, a graduate of Rialto and San Bernardino Valley College, grabbed the rebound. The host team didn't threaten again.
``This is disappointing because it was a winnable game,"Davis said. "I don't think there is panic but there is getting to be a sense of urgency."
The game was tight from the start, with neither team ever able to build a double-digit lead. The first half featured six lead changes.
Cal Poly's biggest edge was three points, 17-14, after a bucket by Anna Pineda with 7:07 left.
The Broncos also led 21-17 but gave up the next 12 points, eight of those by Andrews, who drained back-to-back 3-pointers for a 27-21 lead with 3:43 to go. Cal Poly ran off the last five points of the half to stay within striking distance at 29-26.
The Otters shot 53.8 percent (21-for-39) with Andrews tallying 29 points. Teammates Britnea Moore and Alma Lopez chipped in with 17 and 16 respectively. Westmoreland snagged 11 rebounds, 10 of them on the defensive end.
The Broncos, who shot just 33.3 percent (22-for-66), had four players in double figures, led by Reyana Colson with 16 and Andrea Ohlssen with 13.
"We're going to learn from our mistakes," said Ohlssen, whose four 3-pointers in the second half fueled a Broncos comeback.
"We're still getting to know each other. We know it isn't going to get any worse."
The Broncos will have 10 days off before returning to game action on Dec. 11 with a non-conference contest at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. It will be the first of five straight on the road.
"I'm looking forward to going on the road. There are less distractions," Davis said. "We have a lot of new players and the time together should help us too."
--- MEN ---
CS San Bernardino 69, San Francisco State 54
Cal Poly Pomona 77, CS Monterey Bay 66
UC San Diego 66, Chico State 55
CS Los Angeles 81, Sonoma State 72
Humboldt State 77, CD Dominguez Hills 72
--- WOMEN---
CS San Bernardino 57, San Francisco State 45
Monterey Bay 77, Cal Poly Pomona 71
UC San Diego 60, Chico State 46
Sonoma State 65, CS Los Angeles 54
CS Dominguez Hills 66, Humboldt State 60
It proved to be the right approach as the Broncos turned back a tenacious Monterey Bay 77-66 in CCAA play Saturday at Kellogg Gymnasium.
``I've done enough screaming and yelling,'' he said. ``Teams aren't always going to respond to that. I just tried to emphasize the little things you have to do to play winning basketball. We actually did those things tonight.''
The Broncos recent fortunes were helped by the clutch performance of senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis. The transfer from Oregon State hit 10 of 13 shots from the field, including a 7-for-10 showing from long distance.
The Broncos (1-3, 1-1) had their biggest lead of the contest at 54-39 with 11:36 to go. But the pesky Otters came back and cut the deficit to 58-54 with 6:04 to play on a free throw by D'Shon Cannon.
Then Tsagarakis took over, hitting the first of five buckets in the next five minutes, four of which were 3-pointers. His first in that span boosted the lead to 61-54.
``Tonight I felt like I was in a good rhythm and the good shots were coming,'' he said. ``Sometimes I get a little too eager to make things happen.''
Monterey Bay (1-5, 0-2) was equal to the task much of the night. Of the nine times the Broncos connected for 3-pointers, the Otters answered with a bucket on their end on the next possession seven times. Four times they answered with a 3-pointer of their own.
The visitors finally ran out of answers. Tsagarakis hit his last bucket of the night, this one a two-pointer with 47 seconds to play, giving his team a 73-66 advantage.
The Otters missed their next attempt and Larry Gordon came up with the loose ball to secure the first win of the season.
The Broncos shot 57.4 percent (31-for-54). Tsagarakis ended up with 27 points with Gordon contributing 16 points and 10 rebounds. Donnelle Booker chipped in with 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks despite playing on a sprained ankle.
``We came out very determined tonight,'' Tsagarakis added. ``We knew we had to come back and play with energy and play with confidence and we did that tonight. Even when they made a shot, we knew we were going to come back and make one on our end.''
Monterey shot 49 percent (25-for-51) with Augie Johnston netting 18 and Joe Mitchell 16. Fontana native Zach Von Pertz had seven off the bench.
``This was a step in the right direction,'' Kamansky said. ``Before it was bad shot selection, no fluidity, no purpose on offense. Guys were just running around out there like they didn't
know what to do. We have to build on this.''
The Broncos will have more than two weeks to get healthy and work on their flaws, with the next game not coming until Dec. 18 when they head to Las Vegas to face Western Washington and Central Washington in consecutive nights.
CS San Bernardino 79, CS Monterey Bay 71
San Francisco State 60, Cal Poly Pomona 59
Humboldt State 77, CS Los Angeles 72 (OT)
UC San Diego 63, CS Stanislaus 60
Sonoma State 65, CS Dominguez Hills 56
WOMEN
CS San Bernardino 47, CS Monterey Bay 45
San Francisco State 59, Cal Poly Pomona 57 (OT)
CS Los Angeles 80, Humboldt State 69
UC San Diego 77, CS Stanislaus 58
Sonoma State 61, CS Dominguez Hills 56
The Coyotes blew an 18-point lead in the last 10 minutes of the contest. They were up comfortably 40-22 with 12:25 left but only managed seven points the rest of the game.
A bucket by the Otters Dana Andrews cut the deficit to 45-43 with 1:37 to go. The visitors had the ball back with a chance to tie, thanks to a steal by Alma Lopez with 48 seconds remaining. Monterey (0-3, 0-1) got closer on a free throw by Andrews, inching to within one 45-44.
The Coyotes (4-0, 1-0) got some breathing room on two free throws by Stephanie Barnes, making it 47-44. Andrews was fouled on a 3-point try with 11 seconds left but missed two of the three. The Coyotes Ashlee Ford then came up with the loose ball to end the game.
The Coyotes shot just 32.2 percent (19-for-59) from the field with senior Vanessa Wilt leading the way as usual. She had 16 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks before fouling out with 4:51 left. The only other Coyote player in double figures was junior forward Rachel Johnson, who had 12 points, all in the first half. He points came on four 3-pointers.
Ford, a sophomore point guard, also had a solid game with five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
The Otters got 18 points, 10 rebounds and a steal from Dana Andrews. The game also marked the return of 6-foot-1 junior Ja'Nae Westmoreland, who spent the last two years at San Bernardino Valley College. She tallied seven points,, five rebounds, three steals and a block.
Monterey has two other local players on its roster - Zulema Barajas, out of Alta Loma High and SBVC, and Mikeshaya Edwards, out of Eisnhower and Riverside Community College. Both are struggling with injuries and did not play.
The Coyotes made progress there although their trademark defense wasn't quite as sharp. The end result was still a 79-71 win over a pesky Monterey Bay squad 79-71 Friday at Coussoulis Arena in the CCAA opener for both teams.
``We were better in terms of our spacing and the quality of shots we took,'' coach Jeff Oliver said. ``But we didn't share the ball enough. There was too much one-on-one play going on. Too many guys thinking it was their time.''
All were pleased with the win, no matter what the drawbacks. The Otters (1-5, 0-1) are a team that has given the No. 9 Coyotes (6-0, 1-0) fits in the past and the recent showdown was no exception.
``They don't quit. They just keep playing, whether they're up by 20 or down by 20,'' senior Lance Ortiz said. ``They're always a scarey team to play because you know they aren't going to go away.''
The Coyotes led by as many as 11 points in the opening half, going up 40-29 on a 3-point play by Marlon Pierce with 1:54 left. But the Otters ran off the last seven points of the half and only trailed 40-36 at the intermission.
Cal State didn't put the game away until the last six minutes. They were up by just three at 62-59 with 7:15 left when several player figured in the most spectacular play of the night.
Renardo Bass chased down a loose ball, flinging it the air before falling out of bounds. Ortiz, the smallest player on the court, went high in the air at midcourt to snag it, then unleashed a pass to Pierce for a layup that made it 64-59.
Moments later Michael Earl scored inside off a pass from Pierce to give the Coyotes a 76-65 lead with 2:45 left. The host team never looked back.
Pierce netted a season-high 21, 15 of those coming in the first half. Earl contributed 16 with nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Ortiz added 11 with eight assists while Reggie Brown came off the bench for 10.
``They were giving Lance (Ortiz) a lot of attention so I think that's why I had some open shots in the first half,'' Pierce said.
``It feels great to be able to contribute. I worked hard on my shot in practice and thought it was coming.''
The Coyotes shot 51.7 percent (30-for-58) while the Otters shot 45.3 (29-for-64). Joe Mitchell tallied 25 with 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.
Cal State will be home again tonight, with San Francisco State making a visit for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. It was early in the first half and the
Division II Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes were battling the Bruins
in front of a national television audience. He leaped high to swat
away a shot from much heralded freshman Kevin Love.
There weren't many highlights for the Coyotes. But the play marked
the arrival of a 6-foot-9 senior newcomer who should have Cal State
in the CCAA and West Region title hunt once again this season. The
Coyotes (5-0), ranked No. 9 in the NABC national poll, will host
Monterey Bay (1-4) at 7:30 tonight in a conference opener at
Coussoulis Arena.
That the Diamond Ranch High School product held his own against the
Bruins should be no surprise. He transferred from Division I Utah
State.
``He is one of those players that changes games, especially on the
defensive end,'' Coyotes coach Jeff Oliver said. ``When he's not
blocking a shot, he's changing it and that can have just as much
impact. He's a perfect fit for what we do.''
Earl, 22, played two years at Fullerton Junior College, averaging
17.2 points and 7.9 rebounds in leading the Hornets to a state title
and perfect 37-0 record in 2005-2006.
He made an oral committment to Utah State after an early
recruiting visit there. Then-coach Dieter Horton said if Earl, one of
five players on that team that went to a Division I school, had
waited he would have had between 25 and 30 other offers to choose
from.
But Earl stuck with his word and headed to Logan, a city of 42,000
people located 90 miles north of Salt Lake City with an
African-American population of .064 percent. It didn't take long for
the culture shock to set in.
``I had white people there asking me how I get my hair like this.
I don't think it was racism. They just didn't know because they
hadn't been around black people before,'' Earl said.
Earl said his easy-going demeanor helped him adjust to the
environment. Getting used to the level of play in the Western
Athletic Conference was tougher. Earl was brought in to play the
forward spot but moved to center midway through the season when a
7-foot prospect failed to progress as the coaching staff had hoped.
Earl didn't hold up against larger, more physical foes in the
paint. He confronted coach Stew Morrill about it after giving the new
position a try but saw his playing time drop off considerably after
that.
``He can play at the Division I level. That just wasn't the right
system for him,'' Horton said. ``They play grind-it-out, smashmouth
basketball. He's athletic and lean and needs to play in an offense
with more of a flow.''
Earl finished off the school year but called his former coach and
asked him to spread the word he was looking to transfer. Earl's
original plan was to go to Cal State Fullerton, along with former
junior college teammate Tim Denson who wanted out of Colorado State.
That plan hit a snag when many of their academic credits wouldn't
transfer. Earl also didn't want to sit out a year which is necessary
when going from one Division I school to another.
Oliver knew one of the assistants at Utah State which gave him an
upper hand in trying to land Earl. It also helped that Phil Jones, a
third member of that junior college powerhouse, had already signed
with the Coyotes in the spring.
Earl and Denson both followed.
``Christmas definitely came early,'' Oliver chuckled.
Earl has been solid, averaging 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds on a
balanced team that has just one player in double figures. He has a
conference-high 17 blocks, nine coming in one game against Seattle
Pacific. He earned CCAA Player of the Week honors for his showing in
that game and the one the previous night against Western Washington.
Oliver and Horton both call Earl a ``late bloomer.'' As a high
school freshman he tried out for the team at Ayala, but was cut. He
transferred to Diamond Ranch the following year and made that team,
marking the first time he had ever played organized basketball.
A growth spurt of seven inches between his freshman and sophomore
years helped. By the time he was a senior, many Division I schools.
were interested but most dropped off when he sustained an ankle
injury the last half of the season.
Tonight's game will be the first at home for the Coyotes. Earl's
parents and two younger brothers are his biggest supporters but they
have to juggle their schedules to accommodate another talented
athlete. Younger sister Nina, a 6-1 forward, is averaging 10.3 points
as a true freshman at UCLA.
``When I was at Fullerton our schedules conflicted a lot,'' Earl
said. ``They hated having to decide which game to go to.''
Earl hopes a strong showing this season will lead to future
basketball opportunities. But if he has other options if that doesn't
happen. He will graduate with a degree in political science in the
spring and is debating going on to law school with a possible
emphasis in real estate law.
Working with his father who is in real estate has piqued his
interest in that field.
``I love basketball but you can't play forever,'' he said. ``You
have to have something to fall back on.''
There was no looking ahead for the Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team.
The Coyotes may be facing their longtime nemesis UC San Diego Saturday but they tuned up for that rivalry match dismantling Cal State Los Angeles 30-16, 30-17, 30-26 Friday at Coussoulis Arena. The Coyotes (21-1, 13-0) played perfect volleyball the first two games, then withstood a minor challenge in the third game.
And to think this team has just two seniors.
The Coyotes, ranked No. 2 nationally, now have a commanding four-game lead in the CCAA and have a two-game cushion in the Region. So it looks like they will get to host the Pacific Region tournaent Nov. 15-17.
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team moved up to the top spot in the AVCA Division II National poll this week after the two teams ranked ahead of it in the preseason poll lost matches their first weekend.
Being No. 1 can be both a blessing and a curse. It is a nice accomplishment for a program that has been among the country's elite the last five years and it is good recognition for a city that isn't often put in a positive light in the media.
But there is also the pressure that comes with living up to those expectations. Opponents will get that much more fired up when playing the Coyotes. And they already will be facing the toughest competition in the country when CCAA play starts this weekend. Cal State will host Monterey Bay Friday and Sonoma State Saturday at Coussoulis. Those two matches should be free passes. But there are formidable foes waiting in the wings in long-time nemesis UC San Diego, Cal State Los Angeles, Chico State and neighborhood foe Cal Poly Pomona, which always gives Cal State a problem.
The higher the Coyotes finish in the rankings, the better their chance at hosting the Pacific Region and possibly the NCAA Nationals. The first regional ranking won't come out until October and hosting rights for that tournament traditionally go to the top team, no questions asked.
There are other things considered when it comes time to select a host for nationals however. That right will go to one of the eight qualifiers. Should the Coyotes win the Pacific Region, they would be attractive as a host site because of the quality of the arena, the accessability in and out of the area from a transportation standpoint as well as the organization the Cal State staff has shown when it has hosted marquee events in the past.
A team from the West is also due to host. The NCAA tries to move the event around so that each region has the opportunity every few years. It was held in Pensacola, Fla. last year with Nebraska-Kearney getting the nod the previous year.
The last time the event was held in the West was when the Coyotes hosted in 2003. The last host from the West before that was Cal State Bakersfield in 1997.
So let's hope the Coyotes live up to that billing and have that
chance further down the road.
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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