Recently in CCAA Category
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
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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.
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