Box Score | LA JOLLA, Calif. – The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team jumped out to a 9-0 lead Friday at UC San Diego and never looked back, securing a 69-57 victory to push the Broncos' winning streak to 12 games.
That length matches the second-longest win streak in program history, with the 2012-13 and 1980-81 squads also putting together stretches of 12-consecutive victories. The 2009-10 national title team holds the school record of 15-straight wins.
The Broncos' defense continues to stifle opposing offenses as UCSD's 57 points equals the season average for CPP challengers. Among NCAA Division II teams, the Broncos rank No. 1 defensively while being featured at No. 23 in the latest Top 25 poll.
CPP dominated the first half of play Friday in La Jolla and took a 34-15 edge into the break. The Broncos then held off a strong second-half performance by the Tritons to capture the 12-point win.
Three CPP players finished in double figures with
DeRonn Scott collecting a team-best 15 points while
Chad Haysbert knocked down all six of his field goal attempts and finished with 13 points to match
Jordan Finn's total.
At 14-3 overall and 12-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the Broncos continue to hold second place in the conference standings. They'll travel Saturday to play first-place and undefeated Cal State San Bernardino, a squad ranks seventh nationally. On Nov. 26 earlier this season at Kellogg Gym, the Coyotes dealt CPP its only conference loss.
Sophomore guard
Barry Bell helped fuel the Broncos' offense Friday at UCSD as he racked up a season-best six assists. CPP shot 54 percent from the field, led by Haysbert's 6-for-6 effort.
Haysbert tallied the first two baskets of the game to help the Broncos push out to a 9-0 lead. The CPP advantage widened to double digits midway through the half on a Bell layup and the visitors took a 19-point lead into the break.
The Tritons slowly chipped away at the margin in the second half and managed to pull it down to single digits - 66-57 - in the final minute. Scott sank a pair of free throws though to eliminate any chance of a furious UCSD comeback.
James McCann finished with a game-high 21 points for the Tritons, who outrebounded CPP 31-30 but committed 14 turnovers to the Broncos' 11.
Saturday's 7:30 p.m. matchup in San Bernardino will bring together the league's top offense in the Coyotes against the CCAA's - and the nation's - best defense in the Broncos.
