POMONA – The fourth-seeded Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball saw their incredible 2017-18 season come to a close on Friday night, losing to Saint Martin's University 66-58 in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament.
THE BASICS:
Final: #5 Saint Martin's 66, Cal Poly Pomona 58
Records: SMU (25-7), CPP (23-6)
Location: NPE Gymnasium I Monmouth, OR
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Broncos got off to a slow start in the first half, shooting 32 percent from the field while going only 1-of-10 from three-point range.
- Tied 7-7, the Saints pulled away from the Broncos with a 10-2 run to lead 17-9.
- CPP strung together a few points of their own, outscoring SMU 8-2 to come within two points.
- As the offense continued to struggle for the Broncos, Saint Martin's went up by as much as 12 points before both teams settled with a score of 32-21 at halftime.
- The Broncos finished the night shooting only 1-for-21 from three-point range, going 0-for-11 in the second half. CPP shot 37 percent from the field while SMU shot 45 percent, going 9-for-20 from beyond the arc.
- As SMU extended their lead to 18 points in the second half, the Broncos continued to fight as they pulled off a 12-0 run to come within six points of the lead.
- The Saints broke their scoreless streak with a three-pointer with just over five minutes to go in the game, keeping them on top for the remainder of the night.
KEY PERFORMERS:
Outside the Box:
- The all-time series record against the Saints goes to 2-2, with SMU winning the last two matchups. Their previous matchup was 13 seasons ago when the Saints picked up a road win.
- The Broncos conclude the 2017-18 season with one of the best defenses in the country, ranking third overall in Division II and claiming a CCAA Championship as they finish 23-6 overall on the year.
