Box Score | POMONA, Calif. - In the closest finish at Kellogg Gym since early January, the Cal Poly Pomona
men's basketball team held off Cal State L.A. Wednesday to earn a hard-fought 65-61 win.
Senior guard
Mitchel Anderson led the way, collecting 13 points and 11 rebounds to record his 10th career double-double. He also added three blocks and went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, moving him just three three-pointers shy of moving into a tie for the program's all-time lead in three-pointers.
Three other Broncos scored in double figures with
DeRonn Scott tallying 13 points while
Terrence Drisdom and
Mohamed Fall added totals of 12 and 11 respectively.
The CPP defense held the visiting Golden Eagles to a 39.3-percent effort from the field.
Up next, the Broncos - ranked
fifth nationally and No. 2 in the
West Region - will play their regular season finale Friday at Kellogg Gym as part of "First Friday" and "Senior Night." At 23-2 overall and 19-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), CPP has guaranteed its best conference regular season record in school history.
Wednesday's game between the Broncos and Golden Eagles featured nine lead changes and the margin didn't push above six in either direction. Entering this week, the Broncos and Golden Eagles ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in defense.
CPP held a lead for the majority of the first half and the host squad was helped by an old-school three-point play from freshman
Jordan Faison at the 9:25 mark.
A dunk by James Tillman gave CSULA a 23-21 edge but it didn't last long as the Broncos rattled off a 8-0 run capped off with back-to-back threes by Anderson and Faison. CPP took a 31-29 lead into halftime.
The Golden Eagles continued to stay within striking distance in the second half and took over the lead on a few different occasions. Anderson demonstrated his clutch shooting as both of his second-half three-pointers turned a Broncos' deficit into a lead. His final triple of the evening gave CPP a 55-53 advantage, one that the host squad wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way.
Drisdom hit clutch free throws down the stretch and finished with a 4-for-4 effort at the charity stripe Wednesday. Sophomore
Daniel Rodriguez dished out three assists in the game to match his season high.
Prior to Friday's game at Kellogg Gym, the Broncos will honor their two senior student-athletes: Anderson and Fall.
