Cal Poly Pomona Broncos: 2008-09 Men's Basketball
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The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team ended the 2008-09 season with an overall record of 25-8 and a 15-5 record in CCAA play to finish first in the conference. The season was filled with exciting and memorable moments, capped off by a second-place finish nationally after falling to Findlay, 56-53, in overtime at the NCAA Division II National Championship game on March 29, 2009 in Springfield, Mass. A team plagued with early season injuries stuck together and overcame adversity in leading CPP to the school's first-ever appearance in the national championship game.
With 25 wins overall, the Broncos recorded the second-highest win total in program history, which was the best win-total since the 1953-54 season in which CPP won 26 games.
One of the key moments in the 2008-09 season came in the West Region title game against BYU-Hawaii. In front of a sold-out crowd of 4,241 screaming Seasider fans, CPP would comeback from a 15-point deficit to top BYUH in regulation, 59-58. All-American senior guard Larry Gordon guided the Broncos with an impressive double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds and provided the winning shot in the final moments of play.
A local native from Montclair, Calif., Gordon put together one of the most remarkable individual seasons in school history compiling an endless amount of prestigious accolades while leading CPP to its first-ever national title game. Highlighting a few of Gordon's numerous individial achievements were earning NCAA Division II All-American honors and receiving West Region Player of the Year and CCAA Most Valuable Player awards.
Deemed as the "Road Warriors," CPP's impropable march through postseason play was also highlighted by the grueling traveling demands. The team traveled to three different cities in a span of two weeks compiling a total of 10,000 miles.
Despite beginning the 2008-09 campaign with a sluggish 9-6 mark, the Broncos began to turn their fortunes around by ending the season on a 10-game winning streak, during that span going undefeated in the final month of regular season play, and finishing 16-2 in their final 18 games en route to the national title game.
Gordon led the Broncos with his double-double season, averaging 15.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Senior guard Walter Thompson also averaged a double-digit point average with 10.8 points per game in his one season with the Broncos. Junior guard Dahir Nasser, in his first season with CPP, averaged a team-high 2.9 assists per game.
In his final season, Gordon became the Broncos' all-time rebounds leader with 958 and finished second all-time for a CPP player in career points with 518, career field goals made (527), career free throws made (385), and rebounds in a season (343). He also played the third-most games for a career with 116.
All-CCAA: Larry Gordon, Austin Swift, Tobias Jahn
CCAA Player of the Week: Larry Gordon, Austin Swift
NCAA Division II All-American: Larry Gordon
NCAA Division II Bulletin All-American: Larry Gordon
NCAA Division II All-West Region: Larry Gordon
First-Team Daktronics West Region: Larry Gordon
CCAA Most Valuable Player of the Year: Larry Gordon
West Region Coach of the Year: Greg Kamansky
CCAA Coach of the Year: Greg Kamansky
CCAA All-Academic Awards: Kyle Krause, James Miyasaka
