POMONA, Calif. - Cal Poly Pomona fell to Cal State LA, 78-62, in the CCAA Tournament Championship game on Saturday evening inside Kellogg Arena. With the loss, the Broncos drop to 26-4 on the season while the Golden Eagles improve to 24-6 and receive the CCAA's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
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Sydney Nelson delivered a game-high 27 points while attacking the rim and converting 9-of-13 free throws. The Eastvale native added nine rebounds and continued to pressure the defense throughout the night.
Hunter Hudson anchored the paint with a dominant 13-rebound effort to go along with eight points, helping the No. 7 ranked Broncos hold a 42-38 edge on the glass and generate 18 second-chance points.
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Andrea Stajic contributed 16 points, including four field goals from beyond the arc, while
Alexis Woodson provided a spark off the bench with six points on 3-of-5 shooting. Pomona also capitalized in transition, scoring 14 fast-break points.
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The Broncos battled early, with six lead changes in the opening quarter. A Stajic three-pointer and a fast-break layup by
Brielle Minor gave Pomona a brief advantage late in the first. After trailing 33-25 at halftime, the Broncos were unable to slow down the Cal State LA offense.
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Despite a strong rebounding performance and steady pressure inside that produced 32 points in the paint, Cal State LA used a pivotal third-quarter run and efficient perimeter shooting to create separation. CPP will now turn its attention to postseason play as it looks to regroup and build on an impressive season.
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Up Next
The NCAA Selection Show will take place tomorrow, March 8
th, at 7:30 PM PST on NCAA.com. The Broncos were ranked No. 3 in the latest regional rankings, and expect to hear their name called as an at-large bid with a 26-4 overall record.
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Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 24-10 against Cal State LA since 2008, and 6-4 in their past 10 games.
- Head coach Danelle Bishop is now 297-142 (.677) as head coach of the Broncos, and 20-19 (.526) in the postseason. Including two previous stops at APU and CBU, Bishop is 435-227 all-time as a head coach.
- The Broncos were ranked No. 7 in the latest WBCA poll.
- The team was ranked No. 3 in the first NCAA regional rankings. They will need to win the upcoming CCAA Tournament, or remain in the Top 8 of the west region to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
- The Broncos are 11-4 all-time in the CCAA Tournament Finals. They are 34-18 all-time in the tournament.
- CPP is 5-2 all-time against Cal State LA in the CCAA Tournament.