Box Score
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Behind a tremendous homecoming performance from
Sarah Semenero and yet another superstar shooting night by
Reyana Colson, the Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team pulled away late to capture a 70-50 road victory against Sonoma State Thursday.
Semenero, a junior guard who grew up just minutes away from the SSU campus in Rohnert Park, poured in a career-best 11 points while adding three rebounds and two steals.
"It was great to be playing in front of my friends and family here," Semenero said. "It was important for our team to bounce back from the loss last week and it'll give us some momentum going into Saturday's game against Humboldt."
Meanwhile, Colson knocked down 10 field goals en route to a 25-point showing and collected a career-high seven steals. The senior from Compton, Calif., entered this week as the third-best scorer in Division II with her 21.4 average.
The Broncos, who held a six-game winning streak into late December until dropping a 54-48 decision to Cal State Monterey Bay, got back on the victory path Thursday and improve their marks to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
On the losing end, the host SSU squad has now dropped seven of its last eight contests and falls to 4-7 overall and 2-5 through conference action.
The Seawolves held CPP to a 28.1 shooting percentage in the opening half and a successful jump shot from SSU's Kristina Fahey with two seconds remaining before intermission locked the score at 26-26 heading to the break.
Early in the second period the Seawolves took a 31-28 lead on a three-pointer from Jaclyn Bisordi but after that point, the Broncos' offense awoke and stole all of the momentum away. CPP sprinted out to a 9-0 run and Semenero's two treys and a free throw accounted for eight of those points.
"She's a tough shooter and coming back from the injuries she's had, it's all about getting her confidence back," interim head coach Danelle Bishop said. "It was nice for her to be at home and she hit some big shots. She did a little bit of everything for us tonight."
La'kenya Simon West also found some rhythm late in the contest, scoring 10 of her 12 points during the closing half. She went 2-for-3 from three-point range and is now shooting 42.2 percent there through the first nine games of the season. Simon West added eight rebounds Thursday, just one shy of her career mark.
Colson's offensive game proved to be more efficient in the final 20 minutes as well, with her going 4-for-6 from the field. She had tallied five steals on nine different occasions during her career but the seven she recorded Thursday will set a new benchmark for her career numbers.
The Broncos entered the week with the conference's top turnover margin, at 8.8, and that mark will be widened even more after CPP forced 23 SSU turnovers while the visiting offense committed just 10.
Rosslyn Beard finished with a solid all-around game Thursday, totaling four points, five rebounds and a team-high three assists.
Up next for the Broncos will be a 5:30 p.m. matchup on Saturday at Humboldt State. The Lumberjacks' five-game winning streak was snapped Thursday in a 69-62 home loss to Cal State San Bernardino. Currently, HSU sits at 6-5 overall and 3-4 in CCAA play.
