By: Gavin Claiborne, Jan. 21, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team kept the undefeated Chico State Wildcats on their toes in a close matchup ending in an overtime loss for the Broncos at Kellogg Arena Jan. 9, but rebounded to earn a victory over the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks Jan. 11.
The Broncos’ game against the Wildcats was filled with nail-biting sequences in overtime — neither team could knock down a 3-pointer — eliciting many reactions of disbelief, whether joy or anguish, from spectators at Acker Gymnasium, including Chico State basketball commentator Mike Baca, who could be heard exclaiming “Holy smokes!” as he called the game’s closing minutes.
CPP came out swinging against the Wildcats with a 7-0 lead after starting guard Demarreya Lewis-Cooper nailed a top-of-the-key 3-pointer and a transition layup, followed by a pair of free throws from starting swingman Sam Hunter.
Six of the Broncos’ reserves chimed in on the offensive end, too, contributing with 18 points off the bench to secure the Broncos a 42-37 lead at the half.
Forward Michael Ofoegbu, one of the Broncos’ reserves who chimed in offensively with seven points and six boards, said accepting his role as a nonstarter has served, and will continue to serve, as a crucial part of his team’s success this season.
“When you’re coming off the bench, I feel like that’s when you really have a role dictated to you,” Ofoegbu said. “Just coming out on the court, being solid for your teammates. I feel like that’s helped me really get myself into the rotation.”
With the exception of a 42-42 tie lasting 10 seconds, CPP held the lead for the majority of the second half. The Broncos had it in the bag, until the Wildcats’ starting guard Jojo Murphy went on a scoring frenzy, hitting two crucial free throws, a 3-pointer and a layup within the final three minutes of the half.
As the Broncos were up 77-74 with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation, Murphy, a recent recipient of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week Award, nailed a left-winged, long-range shot to put both teams at a 77-77 stalemate.
Ultimately, the Broncos fell to the Wildcats in overtime with an 83-81 score, increasing the team’s losing streak to four games.
Lewis-Cooper took charge offensively the entire night with 24 points on 73% shooting. Guard Shyheim Parm followed with 11 points and led the Broncos with four assists.
Despite his team’s shortcomings, Broncos head coach Greg Kamansky recognized the exceptional effort his team displayed throughout the contest.
“They hit some great shots,” Kamansky said. “Give them their credit. Jojo Murphy took (Chico State) on their shoulders. He made some big-time shots, and they got the win. But I thought we played really, really well for 38, 39 minutes, and unfortunately, we just couldn’t close it out.”
Murphy capped off the evening with a 28-point performance, going 4-8 from deep and 10-13 from the charity stripe. He currently leads the CCAA conference in scoring with 21 points per game. The Wildcats are tied with the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros for the top seed in the conference at 7-0.
Despite the overtime loss two nights prior, the Broncos reigned over the Lumberjacks 75-69 at Kellogg Arena Jan. 11 in the Cal Poly Clash, the annual rivalry series between CPP and Cal Poly Humboldt.
The matchup served as the first time both universities’ men’s basketball programs competed in the series, according to Bronco Athletics, and the Broncos were able to snap a four-game losing streak, which began in December.
The Broncos had a similar start against Cal Poly Humboldt as they did against the Wildcats when Hunter gave the Broncos its first 10 points of the game with a turnaround middy from free-throw range, a left-handed layup and a pair of 3-pointers.
The Lumberjacks had an exceptional start to the contest as well, shooting 41.7% from the field at the half to tie the game with CPP 31-31.
The game remained close during the second half, but the Broncos went on a collective scoring exhibition to earn the team’s biggest lead of the game at 65-55.
Starting center Kevin Simeth scored six points in the second half, including two of the Broncos’ four dunks in the game.
Lewis-Cooper, the Broncos’ current leading scorer, led his team yet again in scoring with a 13-point performance — just around his season average of 13.5 points per game — on 50% shooting.
Kamansky highlighted his team’s ability to convert from the free throw line as a contributing factor in the Broncos’ victory as they shot 13-19 compared to the Lumberjacks’ 11-19 from the line.
“We made some free throws down the stretch this time, and it helps when you make free throws,” Kamansky said. “But we executed pretty good, we kept our spirit up, and I think we’re a pretty good basketball team when we can do some of the little things.”
The Broncos, according to Kamansky, have made significant improvements during these road games, and he said he hopes the improvements continue as the team strives to climb the CCAA conference rankings.
“These next couple weeks are key weeks for us to see if we’re gonna try to make a move to get into the top half of the conference,” Kamansky said.
Feature image courtesy of Leroy Crook
