Box Score
LOS ANGELES – With four players collecting double-digit points, the Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team cruised to a 78-58 victory over Northwest Nazarene Saturday afternoon to conclude its non-conference portion of the 2010-11 schedule.
Despite shooting under 40 percent, CPP used an enormous edge in rebounding for second- and third-chance opportunities. The Broncos finished with 44 rebounds, including a career-high 17 from Megan Ford, while the Crusaders totaled just 25.
"My teammates did a great job of boxing out and that created space to make my job easy," Ford said. "We still have a lot of work to do before conference starts again but it was another nice win."
CPP improves to 5-1 overall with the win, marking the best start for the program since the 2004-05 campaign began with seven-straight victories.
Saturday's contest was part of the joint California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Classic, hosted at Cal State L.A. Friday and Saturday. Reyana Colson was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for the second time in the event's three years of existence, while Ford also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Saturday's loss for NNU drops the Crusaders to 6-4 this season. Although Briaunna King sunk a pair of free throws for NNU to start action Saturday, Colson knocked down a three-pointer to give the Broncos a lead that they would not relinquish.
Colson ended up pacing CPP with 21 points, including 14 in a big first half. She also added five steals, tying a career mark that she has reached nine different times as a Bronco.
In her seventh career double double, Ford totaled 12 points to go along with the 17 boards. Her previous career high in rebounds was 12.
With the score 22-19 just past the midway point in the first half, Rosslyn Beard tallied eight-consecutive points to initiate an 11-0 run for CPP. Beard finished the game with a career-high 14 points, which included a 5-for-5 performance from the free throw line.
The Broncos carried a 43-30 lead into halftime and used a balanced attack in the second period to maintain that advantage.
#J.J. Judge# reached double figures for the first time in her young CPP career, recording 10 points with two treys on the afternoon. One of her three-pointers capped off a 9-0 Bronco run to start the second half.
King ended up leading the Crusaders in scoring with a 21-point performance that featured a 9-for-10 showing at the strike.
CPP fired at 38.7 percent from the field while NNU shot a few points lower at 35.7, but the Broncos earned 20 extra shot attempts with their large rebounding edge.
The CPP squad will return to action on Dec. 29 when it hosts San Francisco State at 3 p.m. to resume CCAA play.
