PITTSBURGH – Cal Poly Pomona returns to the national quarterfinals for the first time in over a decade, matching up with a talented Alabama-Huntsville squad in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. Tip-off is set for 5:30 PM PT (8:30 PM local) and will air on ESPN+.
 
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The Broncos (29-4) punched their ticket with a gritty 57-51 win over No. 1 seed Central Washington in the regional final last Monday, leaning on rebounding and defensive execution to close out a west region title run. This season the Broncos rank fifth in the entire country in rebounds per game (43.82), and Top 20 in fewest points allowed per game (55.2) as well as scoring margin (14.1).
 
Across the bracket, The University of Alabama in Huntsville (31-5) arrives with momentum of its own. The Chargers advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history, dominating Eckerd 66-46 in the South Region Championship. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs, as they have never faced one another in the NCAA Tournament or in the regular season.
 
Historically, few programs match CPP's success at this stage. The Broncos own five national titles, tied for the most in Division II history, and are making their 15th NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance. Cal Poly Pomona is a combined 23-9 all-time in the Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship rounds.
 
Head Coach Danelle Bishop is no stranger to this stage either, having led the Broncos to the Elite Eight in her very first season at CPP in 2011, and again to the Final Four in 2014. The team's last win in Ellensburg last Monday marked the 300^th of Bishop's CPP career, joining legend Darlene May as only the second coach in program history to reach that milestone. Now, the 16^th year head coach looks to guide the program to the ultimate prize – a national championship of her own.
 
The Broncos have built their postseason identity on defense and toughness. In the entire three-game regional tournament, the Broncos made just four three-point field goals. However, CPP knows how to play into their strengths, holding an impressive Central Washington offense to 51 points in the regional final and turning offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. If the Green & Gold continue playing to their potential on defense and win on the glass, they may not even need an impressive offensive showing to bring home the trophy.
 
As the saying goes, defense wins championships.