By Rachel Prior and Cesar Rivas, February 10, 2026
The Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team defeated San Francisco State 76-57 in the first game of the Green and Gold Block Party with a second half comeback Jan. 31.
This win reinforced the Broncos’ postseason aspirations by holding on to the top seed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, improving their overall record to 18-2 and 13-1 in conference games.
The Broncos came into the game off two wins against Chico State and Cal State East Bay and a loss to Cal Poly Humboldt the prior week. They looked to continue their run against the Gators, who sit second to last in the CCAA with an overall record of 5-10 and a conference record of 3-10.
Head coach Danelle Bishop said it’s important for the team to stay focused, no matter what the opponent’s record is.
“It’s hard because, sometimes those are some of the hardest games,” Bishop said. “… When you’re at the top, you’re getting everybody’s best every day, and it’s hard sometimes to come out and mentally, and that’s one of the things that good teams do.”
San Fransico State opened the scoring with a 3-pointer from forward Tegan Gaines, but CPP quickly countered with a lay-up from junior forward Sydney Nelson.
CPP struggled to find the basket throughout the rest of the quarter, only scoring eight points from the field and seven points from the charity stripe. San Francisco State led 18-15 after 10 minutes of play.
The Broncos’ struggles continued into halftime, shooting 29% from the field and 25% from behind the arc, mixed in with some lapses defensively that allowed the Gators to go into the break up 35-31.
However, CPP opened the third quarter with new urgency, going on a 12-0 run in under four minutes.
The tighter defensive strategy slowed the Gators’ momentum, holding them to only eight points for the entire quarter. Shooting 11-18 from inside the arc, the Broncos took a comfortable 56-43 lead, as they headed into the fourth quarter.
“We adjusted and I thought we came out in the second half and held them to eight points in the third quarter,” Bishop said. “Our defense creates our offense, and that’s when we’re at our best.”
The offense was in fact ignited, as CPP shot 11-18 from the field, while the Broncos took a comfortable 56-43 lead, as they headed into the fourth quarter.
Junior point guard Brielle Minor led the offense in the third quarter after CPP’s team talk at halftime. Minor leads the CCAA in assist with 101, as she averages 5.1 assists per game.
“It wasn’t nice,” Minor said. “We got yelled at, but rightfully so. We knew how to play and what we needed to do. We made those adjustments, and that really fueled our run.”
The Broncos sustained their momentum and maintained the lead in the fourth quarter, trading baskets with the Gators and dominating the paint with buckets from guard Andrea Stajic and MydreaMoore.
The deficit was too large for the Gators, as the Broncos ran out the clock for a final score of 76-57.
Nelson led the Broncos’ offense with 21 points in addition to five steals and two blocks.
“We always have a defensive mindset,” Nelson said. “Focusing on getting stops, rebounding, put backs, all of that really fuels our offense.”
Nelson’s 21 points kept her at the top of the CCAA in scoring while averaging 18.9 points per game. Stajic also dropped 17 points, followed by Moore’s double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
“We have big goals this season,” Minor said. “We want to win the conference tournament and get to nationals. Every game is a stepping stone.”
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
