PITTSBURGH – Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball saw its 2025-26 postseason run come to a close Tuesday night, falling 61-53 to Alabama-Huntsville at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in the Elite Eight.
 
The Broncos controlled much of the first half, spreading the ball around the court and using strong defensive presence to build a double-digit lead. After taking a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Green & Gold found their rhythm in the second, outscoring UAH 20-9. The Broncos capitalized on timely shooting and contributions off the bench, highlighted by a late surge that included back-to-back three-pointers from freshman Kadence Lloyd to extend the lead to 33-21 at the break.
 
Sydney Nelson led the Broncos with a game-high 22 points while adding nine rebounds, marking her 16^th game this season with at least 20 points. Andrea Stajic contributed 11 points, including three treys in the first half, and Lloyd added 10 points off the bench to spark key runs. Cal Poly Pomona also controlled the interior early, finishing with 24 points in the paint and 14 second-chance points.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Broncos continued to apply pressure, pushing their lead to as many as 14 points early in the third quarter following a jumper from Nelson that made it 39-25. However, UAH began to chip away behind efficient shooting, closing the gap to seven by the end of the period.
 
The momentum took a turn for the worse in the fourth quarter as Alabama-Huntsville mounted a decisive run. The Bronco offense stalled out, seeing UAH go on a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the game. CPP battled to keep the game within reach late, but shooting just 2-for-14 from the floor in the closing 10 minutes proved to be too much of a challenge. Cal Poly Pomona was held to just six points in the final frame, struggling to find offensive consistency as UAH's defense tightened.
 
The Chargers were led by Lili Wilken's 19 points and Ivey Maddox's 12 points, with both players delivering key baskets in the comeback effort. UAH shot over 66 percent in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on late opportunities to pull away.
 
Cal Poly Pomona finished the game shooting 33.9 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from beyond the arc, while also forcing 13 turnovers. The Broncos held the lead for more than 28 minutes, but were unable to withstand the Chargers' late push.
 
The loss concludes yet another strong season for Cal Poly Pomona, which finished with a 29-5 overall record for the program's most wins in a season since 1989-90.
 

 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos are now 0-1 all-time against University of Alabama in Huntsville.
• Head coach Danelle Bishop is now 300-143 (.677) as head coach of the Broncos, and 23-20 (.535) in the postseason. Including two previous stops at APU and CBU, Bishop is 438-228 all-time as a head coach.
• The Broncos are 60-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. They are 10-5 all-time in the Elite Eight and 28-12 in neutral venues in the NCAA Tournament.
• The team's 29 wins during the 2025-26 campaign marks the most in a season since 1989-90.
• The team broke the program record for most blocks in a season with 143.