POMONA, Calif. - The Broncos took on a tough challenge on Saturday afternoon against the first-place Cal State San Marcos Cougars, ultimately falling short in a 45-63 loss. With this defeat, the Broncos' CCAA record slips to 5-4, while their overall season record stands at 9-5. 

Kalaya Buggs emerged as the offensive standout for the Broncos, showcasing an impressive all-around performance with 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block. Sydney Nelson contributed with 12 points and four rebounds, her fourth consecutive game reaching double figures and the 11th time she has done so in her first 14 collegiate games. Jeannette Fine also made her presence known with 11 points and one rebound, while Sydney Fedinec added five points to the Broncos' score. 

The opening quarter featured an intense back-and-forth pace, with four lead changes in the first quarter alone. Despite the Broncos' efforts, the Cougars pulled ahead in the final minutes to narrowly secure a 13-10 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter.

The game remained steady in the second quarter, seeing both teams score 11 points. Despite a five-minute scoring drought between the first and second quarters and a subsuquent run by San Marcos, the Broncos were able to make a late push to bring the score back within three headed into halftime. 

Entering the third quarter, the Cougars immediately added to their lead with a layup to go ahead by five. They would maintain this lead through the first half of the quarter, until CSUSM would pull away with a 13-2 run in the final five minutes to take a commanding 44-29 lead.

The Broncos turned it around in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points - their most of the game. Despite the improvement in shooting, the team could not keep up with the Cougars and trailed by 18 points at the final buzzer. Unfortunately, the Broncos were unable to mount a comeback, and the game concluded with a 63-45 victory for the Cougars.


Up Next 
The Broncos will travel to Stanislaus State to face the Warriors (10-9) on Thursday, January 18th, at 5:30 pm. Historically, the Broncos have been dominant, winning 14 of their past 20 games against the Warriors. The game will be broadcast on the CCAA Network at ccaanetwork.com.


Bronco Bits

• Danelle Bishop now has a coaching record of 235-127 (.649) and 180-86 (.677) in CCAA games.
• In the past 10 games against the Cougars, the Broncos have struggled, winning 3 out of 10 matchups since 2018. The Broncos have only scored over 70 points once over that stretch, highlighting the consistent low-scoring nature of their contests.
• The Broncos were held to their fewest points of the season at 45.