By Ashanti Velez, January 27, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball defeated Cal State San Bernadino Jan. 16, earning a 68-52 win with guard Alexis Woodson leading the team in scoring with 15 points.
Along with Woodson, forward Hunter Hudson added 12 points and 13 rebounds, while guard Brielle Minor contributed 11 points, five assists and five rebounds. The Broncos’ win over San Bernadino improves their overall record 14-1 and a 9-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Despite a slow start, with the Coyotes scoring first in the opening quarter, the Broncos settled in with forward Sydney Nelson helping the Broncos with two free throw shots.
“This is the most athletic team that we faced all year,” said head coach Danelle Bishop. “So, I knew just having a little more length in athleticism, trying to find the offensive rhythm was going to be a little different for us. We really pride ourselves on what our identity is, which is the defensive end.”
San Bernadino maintained momentum with a 7-2 run two minutes into the first quarter, but CPP responded by balancing out its shots and catching up. Hudson and Minor managed to shoot free throws, along with a strong jump shot from Nelson, allowing the Broncos to regain control and take an 8-7 lead.
The Broncos maintained control for the remainder of the first quarter and started the second with a 21-17 lead after guard Andrea Stajic followed up with a layup in the paint.
“I feel like most games are always there, and it’s always to focus on the defensive end,” Nelson said. “It’s never changed. We’re a defensive-minded team. So, it wasn’t hard to regain that focus.”
The Broncos wasted no time setting the tone in the second quarter, as Nelson scored on a fast-break layup within the first minute.
San Bernadino regained momentum shortly after CPP’s 23-17 lead, with back-to-back baskets sparking an 8-0 led by forward Jaushlynn Ruffin and guard Citlali Salazar.
But with three minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Broncos drew an even score before pulling ahead in a layup from forward Madison Eade and back-to-back three-pointers by guard Kadence Lloyd. The late surge allowed CPP to come up in a 34-28 lead, leaving the Coyotes down by six.
“We really trust each other,” Woodson said. “I think we all trusted that everybody was going to make every shot, or if somebody missed, we knew that we were going to get the rebound. No matter who was shooting the ball, everybody had confidence in that person. And I think having that trust within the people on the court really helped us build our lead.”
The Broncos scored within a minute of the third quarter as forward Mydrea Moore set the tone with a layup. The Coyotes attempted to catch up by six points and traded baskets, but the Broncos defense stood tall, not allowing any easy buckets for the Coyotes.
By the end of the third quarter, the Broncos held an 11-point lead, highlighted by a layup from Woodson in the paint with 1:30 left in the clock to secure a 46-37 advantage.
CPP opened the fourth quarter with a layup from Stajic within seconds. San Bernadino responded with six points and traded baskets, but the Broncos settled defensively and limited the Coyotes from scoring.
The Broncos closed out the game with a 68-52 victory, outscoring the Coyotes 22-15 in the fourth quarter. The Broncos built a lead with up to 16 points in the final seconds, with back-to-back, fast-break free throws from Minor.
“We play them again on Saturday, so obviously we’re going to take this game and learn from it,” Nelson said. “We know how they play. We know how they’re going to play us, and I think we’ll come out better prepared come Saturday.”
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics