POMONA, Calif. – Trailing by 19 points just before halftime, the 17th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team staged a furious rally in the second half against San Francisco State Tuesday.
The Broncos pulled to within just one point of the Gators in the game's final minute but SFSU outlasted the hosts for the 56-53 upset.
The result drops CPP's marks to 11-3 overall and 7-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), while the Gators earn their third conference victory. The Broncos now stand in a three-team tie for third place in the CCAA standings.
Senior
Sarah Semenero led CPP in scoring Tuesday and tallied her second career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Joining her in double figures was freshman
Lisha Elsenbach, who tallied 10 points, four rebounds and four steals.
Charlene Popoff also contributed to the second-half turnaround, registering nine points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
The Gators' defense showed plenty of toughness in the opening period, holding the Broncos to just four points through the first 11 minutes. CPP went 8-for-33 from the floor in the first half, while SFSU posted a 44-percent clip.
CPP junior guard
Rachel Hatch delivered a three-pointer to close out the period's scoring and settle the halftime score at 34-18 in favor of the Gators.
Semenero recorded all 15 of her points in the second half, a performance that included three successful attempts from beyond the arc. The first trey for the senior capped off an amazing 14-0 run after intermission, which cut SFSU's edge to just two at 34-32.
The Gators didn't fade though as they managed to bounce their lead back to double digits at 52-42 with 4:17 remaining. The play of Popoff, Semenero and Elsenbach helped the Broncos rally once again. Trailing 54-50 with 12 seconds left in the contest, CPP got another three-pointer from Semenero to make it a one-point affair.
SFSU's next possession brought about a missed three-point attempt but the Gators scrapped together an offensive rebound and knocked down a pair of free throws to escape with the three-point win.
Up next for the Broncos will be a 5:30 p.m. matchup Friday at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
