POMONA, CA - The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos women's basketball team kicked off the 2023-2024 season in the CCAA/PacWest Challenge, facing the #12 Azusa Pacific University Cougars on Friday night. Despite a valiant effort, the Broncos narrowly fell to the nationally-ranked Cougars, by a final score of 81-76.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Danelle Bishop, a mix of five returning players and nine newcomers showcased their skills against the formidable #12 Azusa Pacific team. The Broncos made a strong offensive statement, led by Jeanette Fine and Kalaya Buggs, who emerged as the top scorers with 14 and 19 points, respectively. 

Breanne Ha set the tone for the Broncos by sinking a three-pointer early in the first quarter, continuing her impressive three-point shooting from last season. Her second trey of the night marked her 100th career three-pointer.

Despite a shaky start in the first quarter, the Broncos managed to close the 10-point gap, ending the quarter just four points behind. In the second quarter, the team faced a brief scoring drought before Sydney Fedinec's breakthrough ignited a comeback. Sydney Nelson, in her first collegiate appearance, scored her first two points from the free-throw line and went on to contribute 13 points, securing the third-highest score for the Broncos.

Throughout the second quarter, the Broncos fiercely contested the Cougars, keeping the game within reach. A strong performance Fine down low helped the Broncos trail by only two points at halftime.

Returning from halftime, the Broncos displayed renewed energy, taking their first lead of the game at 41-40. The team capitalized on Cougar errors, forcing turnovers and converting them into points. However, after facing some foul trouble, the Broncos ended the third quarter trailing by three.

The fourth quarter mirrored the third, with a fast-paced back-and-forth and numerous trips to the free-throw line. Kalaya Buggs, stepping up after Jeanette Fine fouled out, led the Broncos with an impressive stat line of 19 points, 4 steals, and 7 rebounds in 36 minutes played.

Buggs received support from three other players scoring in double digits: Jeanette Fine (14), Sydney Nelson (13) points, and Breanne Ha (12).

Despite Nelson's late-game contribution, sinking a shot with 5 seconds left, it wasn't enough to overcome the Cougars, and the Broncos were defeated 81-76.


Up Next
Tomorrow night, November 11th, at 7:00 pm, the Broncos will face the Point Loma Sea Lions to conclude the CCAA/PacWest Challenge. In last year's challenge, the Broncos defeated the Sea Lions 72-51.

Bronco Bits

• Sydney Nelson earned her first collegiate start and recorded 13 points.
• Head Coach Danelle Bishop boasts a 254-129 (.508) win record in her 13 years of coaching the Broncos.
• In her 13 years of coaching, the women's basketball team has only missed the CCAA Tournament once and has made it to the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament seven times.
• Breanne Ha achieved her 100th career 3-pointer in tonight's game (Nov. 10, 2023) with her second three-pointer of the night.