ONTARIO, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team finished with a four-win lead atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings through the regular season.
That impressive achievement was recognized Wednesday night at the CCAA Championships banquet as three Broncos received All-Conference honors, including
Jada Blackwell earning Player of the Year selection and
Danelle Bishop being named Coach of the Year. The complete All-CCAA list of honors is accessible on
GoCCAA.org.
Ariel Marsh and
Ashley Lovett also earned All-CCAA accolades with Marsh selected to the First Team and Lovett collecting Second Team recognition. The Broncos have built up a 21-5 overall record and they'll play Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the semifinal round of the CCAA Championships at Ontario's Citizens Business Bank Arena.
This marks the first time since 2002 that a CPP head coach has won the Coach of the Year award. Prior to Bishop's selection Wednesday, Paul Thomas and Darlene May earned the award four times each. Through her four seasons as a Bronco, Bishop - a Manteca native - has guided CPP to an 82-32 record. This year, the Broncos have the CCAA's top-rated offense with 72.5 points per game.
With such a storied history for Broncos' women's basketball, Blackwell is also now in elite company. She's the 13th Bronco to achieve the CCAA's top honor and the first since
Reyana Colson received the accolade in 2011. Colson is in her second season as an assistant coach for the CPP squad. Through the 2013-14 regular season, Blackwell - a junior from Rancho Cucamonga - led the league in scoring with 17.7 points per game while ranking second in rebounding.
Marsh and Lovett are also both juniors and they've played a key role in the success of the Broncos' offense. Marsh, a Chino Hills native, sat out last season due to injuries but has returned to make a huge impact in 2013-14. She has the second-best scoring average in the CCAA at 16.7 points per game and she's also been an efficient shooter, posting a 39.1-percent mark from beyond the arc and an 80.3-percent effort from the free throw line.
Lovett has provided toughness at the post position for CPP as she ranks third in the league for rebounds with 8.3 per game. She's also taken advantage of her shot attempts, knocking down 51 percent of them. A Murrieta native, Lovett rivals Marsh for the top free-throw percentage on the team with an 81-percent mark.
Blackwell, Marsh, Lovett and the rest of the Broncos will return to action Friday for their first postseason game, a 5:30 p.m. semifinal matchup in Ontario against the winner of UC San Diego and Cal State L.A.
