By Jacob Rodriguez & Ashanti Velez, Feb. 25, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team clinched a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament with victories over Sonoma State Feb. 13 and Cal State San Marcos Feb. 15.
“I was hot,” said Broncos head coach Danelle Bishop critical of the game despite the team’s win. “It was an extremely physical game, and I thought that we allowed them to be the aggressors and let them dictate the physicality of the game, and not a lot of calls are going on. We have to be able to respond better and quicker.”
Sophomore center Khamiyah Anderson led the Broncos with an impressive start against Sonoma State, scoring back-to-back layups within 30 seconds.
The Seawolves responded with two layups, which sparked a 9-4 run through the next four minutes of play.
The Broncos’ offense stalled, struggling to find the basket as CPP shot 5-17 from the field. Their next points wouldn’t show until 1:45 remained.
Redshirt freshman Hunter Hudson sank a layup as the first quarter ended, and the Broncos trailed 12-10.
“It was rough in the beginning,” sophomore forward Syndey Nelson said. “It’s also important that we always fight back. Despite our starts, though, it would be very helpful if we can really start applying what we preach, punching first and setting the tone for the game.”
The Broncos quickly bounced back as Hudson and Nelson opened the second quarter with key layups to help the team gain momentum and start strong.
Senior guard Cookie Marques sank two free throws to tie the game 16-16 with around six minutes left in the second quarter. However, the team ended the half trailing the Seawolves 24-20.
“(Coach Bishop) dug into us at halftime, and that opened our eyes to how we were playing,” Nelson said. “Not that we didn’t already know, but she just made it even more of a point. This isn’t the team that she knows, and we know how to play, so she just gave us a not-so-gentle reminder to go out there and lay it on them.”
The Broncos wasted no time setting the tone in the third quarter when junior guard Aaliyah Wright made two free throws and followed up with a steal that led to a layup.
The Broncos maintained their momentum, making steady progress and maintaining an impressive 8-0 lead throughout the first two minutes of play.
“Our shots are not falling, so let us focus on getting stops back-to-back to back-to-back, and then the offense will come with that,” said Hudson.
The Broncos scored 22 points in the third quarter, while the Seawolves scored only 15, giving the Broncos a 42-39 lead heading into the final period.
Senior guard Kalaya Buggs was a dominant force in the fourth quarter, leading the Broncos with 8 points to secure the win.
Nelson collected 15 points and 3 assists, while Hudson contributed 9 points and 1 assist against the Seawolves.
The Broncos secured a spot in the CCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, which is scheduled for March 6-8.
Following the win, the Broncos hosted against Cal State San Marcos.
The Broncos came out of the gates swinging, starting with a jumper from sophomore forward Mydrea Moore to open the aggressive attack.
Moore dominated the boards with a game-high 10 rebounds while also contributing 12 points for her second career double-double.
“I’ve been having a rough couple of games, but coach Bishop made sure to have everyone focus on defense this game,” Moore said. “We always write goals before a game. One of my goals was to get seven-plus rebounds, and I exceeded and got 10.”
The Broncos raced to an early 8-2 lead, holding the Cougars offense to 2 points through the first four minutes of play.
Marques kept the ball rolling, driving down the paint and allowing Hudson to sink a jumper to widen the gap once more.
The Broncos outscored the Cougars 16-7, shooting 54% from the field, while the Cougars shot 23%.
Bishop highlighted the team’s preparations for this game and how its defense was key to the victory. The Broncos collected 36 rebounds, while the Cougars collected 28 rebounds.
“I thought we had a great start, and that has been something from the last game we focused on,” said Bishop. “We were locked in on the defensive end and we held (Cal State San Marcos) to 23 points at the half, we did a great job in the first and second half.”
Buggs drove down the paint, allowing Sophomore forward Sydney Nelson to burry a layup to extending the Bronco’s lead 18-7.
The Cougars found some rhythm on offense when forward Destiny Okonkwo hit a jumper to begin scoring for the Cougars.
Both teams traded points through the next three minutes of play, with the Cougars chipping away at the lead with a 3-pointer and three free throws from guard Tatum Tamashiro, followed by a layup to cut the Broncos lead 22-17.
The Broncos regained their offensive rhythm when Nelson hit a pair of layups and a jumper to bring the lead to 26-17.
The Broncos edged out the Cougars, having a 40-23 lead by halftime. The Broncos shot an impressive 64% from the field compared to the Cougars’ 31%.
“Coach Bishop always reminds us, even if we are up by 20, to think of the game as a championship game,” Moore said. “She always wants us to have a defensive and aggressive mindset, no matter the score.”
Although the third quarter started with Nelson driving down the paint to sink a layup, the Cougars’ momentum stalled. The Cougars began to rally as they slowly chipped away at the deficit and held CPP to only 8 points for the entire quarter.
It wouldn’t be until three minutes and five seconds left when Nelson drove down the paint on a fastbreak, allowing a layup to bring life to the Broncos’ offense. The Cougars outscored the Broncos 17-8 in the third quarter, bringing the Broncos lead 48-40.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Cougars’ fast-paced offense went on a 7-2 run within two minutes, continuing to cut the Broncos’ lead to 50-47.
Buggs sunk two jumpers to extend the Broncos lead to 54-47 as the Broncos looked to secure a victory.
Both teams traded points for the next minute of play before the Broncos pulled away, with Moore hitting a jumper to increase their lead.
Despite the Cougars’ late rally, the Broncos sealed the 62-55 victory with two clutch free throws and another jumper to cap off the weekend.
Feature image courtesy of Ece Aliyazicioglu
