Box Score | AZUSA, Calif. – The Broncos were ready to bounce back.
One day after a disappointing loss to Western Oregon, the nationally-ranked Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team cruised to a 76-56 road win over Azusa Pacific Saturday. The Broncos quieted a crowded Felix Event Center with 1,395 in attendance at APU.
The result snapped the Broncos' first two-game losing streak since midway through the 2011-12 season.
For the second-straight contest, senior guard
DeRonn Scott set a new career best in points. On Saturday night, the Etiwanda native tallied 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Scott has knocked down 13 of his first 15 free throw attempts this season.
It certainly was a team effort Saturday as the Broncos showed plenty of toughness in rebounding, a category that CPP won by a wide 40-23 margin.
Ray Ray Chase led the Broncos with nine boards, including seven on the offensive end. Sophomore
Jordan Faison nearly notched a double-double performance with 12 points and eight rebounds.
CPP jumped out to a 9-0 lead at the start of the game and the visitors held a double-digit advantage through the final 32 minutes of play.
Junior guard
Jordan Finn entered the game at the 11:47 mark and collected a steal just 20 seconds later. The Broncos were in the middle of an 8-0 run at that point and Finn capped it off with a jumper, his first points at CPP. The Nevada transfer finished with nine points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Junior
Daniel Rodriguez assisted on that first Finn jumper and ended up with five assists in the game. Despite shooting just 1-for-4 from the field, Rodriguez contributed in other areas with five rebounds and a 5-for-6 effort at the free throw line.
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Ryan Hall layup in the final minute of the opening half sent the Broncos into the break with a 38-18 lead. The momentum continued in the second half as Rodriguez opened it up with a layup on the first possession. CPP's lead widened to as large as 26 and didn't fall below 15 the rest of the way.
As a team, the Broncos shot 56 percent while limiting the Cougars to a 36.8-percent effort. Troy Leaf led the APU offense as he tallied 18 points on 6-for-16 shooting with six assists.
The Saturday matchup marked the final non-conference tuneup for CPP, a squad that'll return to action Tuesday, Nov. 26 with the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener at home against Cal State San Bernardino.
