POMONA, Calif. – The Bronco defense once again showed up on Thursday night, holding Chico State to just 45 points in a 77-45 victory in Kellogg Arena. The Broncos are currently ninth in the nation in fewest points allowed this season at 53.0 per game, while the 45 points scored by the Wildcats marks their fewest in a game this season. With the win, CPP improves to 23-2 overall and 18-1 in CCAA play.
 
After holding a slim 12-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter, the No. 7 ranked Broncos seized control in the second behind 47 percent shooting for a 22-point surge, while converting turnovers into eight points to take a 34-18 lead into halftime.
 
Sydney Nelson paced the Broncos with a game-high 19 points, attacking the paint and going 9-of-10 from the free throw line while adding six rebounds. Andrea Stajic contributed 17 points, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc and helping spark a decisive third-quarter run. The Broncos shot 40 percent from three-point range and an efficient 81 percent at the free throw line as a team in the win.
 
Cal Poly Pomona put the game out of reach in the third quarter, opening on a 10-0 run and extending the lead to as many as 26. The Broncos shot nearly 53 percent in the period and held Chico State to just 13 points. CPP dominated the interior with 30 points in the paint and controlled the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats 44-35.
 
The Broncos continued to build their advantage in the fourth, stretching the margin to as many as 35 points before closing out the 77-45 victory.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos will hunt for a CCAA Title on Saturday, as they face Cal Poly Humboldt for a Cal Poly Clash matchup in Kellogg Arena at 1:00 PM. The team needs to win just one more game in order to clinch at least a share of first place in the CCAA standings, and two more wins will give them the outright title. Saturday will also be senior day, where CPP will honor their two seniors before the game.
 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos are now 24-14 against Chico State since 2009, and 6-4 in their past 10 games.
• Head coach Danelle Bishop is now 294-140 (.677) as head coach of the Broncos, and 227-93 (.709) in CCAA play. Including two previous stops at APU and CBU, Bishop is 432-225 all-time as a head coach.
• The Broncos were ranked No. 7 in the latest WBCA poll.
• This is the first time since the 1999-00 season that the team has started with a 23-2 record.
• CPP has the best overall winning percentage (.920) in both the CCAA and the west region this season, and rank sixth in all of NCAA Division II.
• The Broncos are one win away from a CCAA title. Their last title came in the 2013-14 season.