Box Score | HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team brought some top-notch defense into Pioneer Gym Friday as the Broncos topped Cal State East Bay, 66-52, for the squad's fourth-straight win.
At 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), CPP is keeping pace with undefeated conference leaders Cal State L.A. and Cal State San Bernardino.
Statistically, Friday's game in Hayward marked the Broncos' best defensive effort in a CCAA contest so far this season. CPP limited the Pioneers to a 34.5-percent shooting performance overall while the hosts knocked down just five of their 24 three-point attempts.
On the opposite side of the floor, junior forward
Chad Haysbert provided a spark for the Broncos' offense. In 29 minutes of action, he collected a season-high 14 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists.
DeRonn Scott and
Jordan Faison joined Haysbert in double figures for scoring with point totals of 13 and 11.
Despite committing 21 turnovers as a team, CPP outrebounded the Pioneers by a 34-23 margin and shot a season-high 56.5-percent mark from the floor.
The Broncos found Haysbert with some nice looks on the first few possessions. The junior out of Sacramento threw down a two-handed dunk to give CPP a 4-2 edge and in the next trip down the floor, he cut into the lane for a pass before dropping in a layup.
Faison and Scott provided three-point plays a bit later in the opening half, combining high-percentage attempts with successful free throws after drawing contact. A jumper from
Jordan Finn initiated a 7-0 run for the visitors as CPP pushed out to a 16-7 lead.
The Pioneers chipped away at the margin and cut it to four late in the half before the Broncos snapped that spurt with a
Jeremy Dennis dunk on the fastbreak. A freshman out of Richmond, located just north of Pioneer Gym, Dennis supplied a big one-handed slam just a minute later. The Broncos took a 36-27 edge into halftime.
Out of the break, CPP continued to grab crucial rebounds as they limited the Pioneers' second-chance opportunities. In the second half, the Broncos' defense didn't allow any long runs from the host offense. During that time, the longest stretch of scoring for East Bay was four-consecutive points.
Just as the Pioneers got a bit of momentum from a three-point play by Mark Samuels off a layup and free throw, CPP freshman
Quentin Taylor knocked down his first field goal of the game with a trey at the seven-minute mark. That basket increased the Broncos' lead to 50-41 and later in the half, CPP put together a 10-0 run that started on a Scott three-pointer.
After pulling away for the 14-point victory Friday, the Broncos will return to action Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. game at Cal State Monterey Bay.
