POMONA, Calif. - Cal Poly Pomona's postseason run came to an end Friday night as the Broncos fell to No. 2 Cal State East Bay 62-52 in the semifinals of the CCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Pomona battled throughout the night and held the Pioneers to their lowest first-half point total of the season, but East Bay used a second-half push to pull away and secure a spot in the conference championship game.

Head coach Greg Kamansky said the Broncos competed well but struggled to execute consistently against East Bay's defensive pressure. "I thought we played extremely hard," Kamansky said. "We battled them and were a couple shots away from making it a real game at the end, but we just couldn't quite get it done."

The Pioneers opened the game on a quick run before Pomona responded with a pair of three-pointers from Malcolm Bell to even the score. Jake Goldberg followed with another three to give the Broncos their first lead of the night, and the teams traded baskets throughout a tightly contested first half.

Pomona leaned on its defense to stay within striking distance. Kevin Simeth anchored the interior with several key stops, finishing the game with five blocks. "My teammates know I'm here protecting the paint, and it allows us to go back into the offense with a lot of energy," Simeth said.

Despite the defensive effort, East Bay converted a late basket to take a 30-27 lead into halftime.

The Pioneers began to create separation early in the second half, capitalizing on turnovers and transition opportunities to stretch their lead. A fast-break layup pushed the margin to double digits with just under 14 minutes remaining.

The Broncos continued to fight back. Zach Broadous and Simeth combined for several baskets in the paint, while Asher Schroeder knocked down a three-pointer to trim the deficit midway through the half.

Simeth said East Bay's constant defensive pressure made it difficult for Pomona to get into its offense. "They put a lot of ball pressure on us," Simeth said. "They're picking up full court almost every play, so it makes it harder to set things up and get into what we want to run."

Pomona cut the deficit to single digits late after Michael Saba scored on a tip-in and a dunk, but East Bay closed the game at the free-throw line to seal the 62-52 victory.

The semifinal appearance marked the Broncos' deepest run in the conference tournament since 2020 and capped a season defined by perseverance through injuries and a shortened rotation. "These guys overcame so many different injuries," Kamansky said. "They didn't turn on each other and they didn't turn on us. The last few weeks we finally started to feel like a real team."

For Pomona's veterans, the program's culture and growth over the past few seasons made the experience especially meaningful. "It's meant a lot," Broadous said. "The culture has definitely shifted in a positive way, and the coaches made sure we were better people on and off the court. I'm definitely going to miss being a Bronco." Simeth echoed the sentiment. "I'm extremely proud of being a Bronco," Simeth said. "I grew on the court and as a person thanks to the coaches and my teammates. It was a great experience."

Although the Broncos fell short of advancing to the championship game, Kamansky said the team's growth throughout the season will serve as a foundation moving forward.

Bronco Bits:

• Greg Kamansky is now 489-227 as the head coach of the Broncos
• Now in its 78th season, CPP Men's Basketball is 1,185-935 all-time with a 522-426 record in CCAA games
• The Broncos limited Cal State East Bay to its lowest first-half scoring output of the season
• This is the first time the Broncos have advanced to the CCAA Semifinal since the 2019-2020 season