CHICO, Calif. – Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball earned a hard-fought 62-59 road victory at Chico State on Saturday afternoon at Art Acker Gym, securing a key conference win and improving to 16-2 overall on the season. With the win, the Broncos and Wildcats are now tied for first place in the CCAA standings, each with an 11-1 conference record.
 
The Broncos set the tone early in the CCAA Game of the Week with a dominant defensive first quarter, holding the Wildcats to just six points while building a 14-6 lead. Cal Poly Pomona controlled the glass from the opening tip, finishing the game with a 36-21 rebounding advantage and 34 points in the paint. Chico State answered in the second quarter, briefly taking the lead, but the Broncos responded with timely shooting and second-chance points to go into halftime up 31-27.
 
Sydney Nelson once again led all scorers with 22 points on an efficient 11-of-20 shooting, her third consecutive game scoring 20 or more points. Hunter Hudson turned in a dominant defensive performance, recording a career-high 16 rebounds including 11 on the defensive end. Hudson ranks Top 10 in the CCAA this season in rebounds per game, as well as offensive, defensive, and total rebounds.
 
Mydrea Moore, Andrea Stajic, and Brielle Minor each chipped in 10 points in the win over the Wildcats. Moore capped the scoring for CPP with two critical free throws in the final 90 seconds to seal the win, while Stajic and Minor each made two treys. Minor also facilitated the offense with seven assists, as her 5.0 average per game ranks second-best in the CCAA this season.
 
Cal Poly Pomona seized control in the third quarter, shooting 63.6 percent from the field and pushing the lead to as many as nine. Chico State mounted a late fourth-quarter rally and briefly took a one-point lead with just over two minutes remaining, but Nelson answered immediately with a strong finish in the paint. The Broncos' defense then came up with multiple stops down the stretch, forcing misses and limiting the Wildcats to a final scoreless possession.
 
The win was big for the No. 10 ranked Broncos, as they move back into first place in the conference standings and gain a head-to-head advantage over Chico State as they move into the back half of CCAA play.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos will return home for two games next week in Kellogg Arena, first with Cal State East Bay on Thursday then with San Francisco State on Saturday. The third annual Green & Gold Block Party will take place on Saturday before the game, a campus event with free food, carnival games, rides, performances, and raffle opportunities beginning at 10:00 AM. More information about the event can be found HERE.
 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos are now 23-14 against Chico State since 2009.
• Head coach Danelle Bishop is now 287-140 (.672) as head coach of the Broncos, and 220-93 (.703) in CCAA play. Including two previous stops at APU and CBU, Bishop is 425-225 all-time as a head coach.
• The Broncos were ranked No. 10 in the latest WBCA poll.
• This is the first time since 2018-19 that the team has started with a 16-2 record.
• CPP has the best overall winning percentage (.889) in the CCAA this season.