Box Score | POMONA, Calif. - The 17th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team used a big second-half performance to collect a 73-54 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills Thursday at Kellogg Gym.
With the victory, CPP clinches at least a share of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season title. The Broncos can capture the championship outright with a win Saturday against Cal State L.A. on Senior Night. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
CPP's lone senior,
J.J. Judge, put together a memorable performance Thursday as she tallied a season-high 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting. She also added eight boards, helping the Broncos outrebound the Toros 44-27.
The 19-point win proved to be a great bounceback game for CPP after the team lost to San Francisco State on the road Saturday. With an overall record of 19-4 and a CCAA mark of 16-3, the Broncos have secured a first-round bye for the conference tournament that'll be held March 6 through March 8 in Ontario.
Joining Judge at the 23-point mark Thursday was junior center
Jada Blackwell, who also contributed eight rebounds while swatting three shots as well. Fellow third-year
Lauren Goecke set a new career best in assists with seven.
The Broncos and Toros engaged in a back-and-forth battle in the first half as the teams traded the lead 12 times. Dominguez Hills held a 10-5 lead with five minutes played but CPP put together a 6-0 run over the next few minutes as Blackwell dropped in a pair of layups.
With some Judge free throws in the final minute of the opening half, the Broncos took a 28-26 advantage into intermission. The Toros reversed the momentum early in the second half as the visitors staked a 41-37 lead at the 15:32 mark.
CPP bounced right back with a 10-0 run that featured a Judge triple and the Broncos never wavered from that point forward. The margin widened to double digits and CPP continued to use its rebounding edge to limit the Toros' second-chance opportunities.
The Broncos put together another strong showing from the free throw line, knocking down 16 of their 19 attempts for an 84-percent mark.
