Broncos Outlast Warriors in Final Minutes
POMONA, Calif. - In their closest game of the season, the Broncos survived a thriller to Stanislaus State on Saturday afternoon, winning by a score of 65-64. With a 9-12 conference record, Cal Poly Pomona falls short of a CCAA tournament appearance after a win by San Fransico State to secure their spot.
After a slow offensive start for CPP, Brandon Porter scored a layup to get the Broncos on the board following a 4-0 run by the Warriors. In the final lead change of the game, a lay-up and trey by Chris Gayles Jr. delivered a six-point lead over Stanislaus State – they never trailed from that point forward. Heading into halftime with a convincing 32-24 lead, the key difference came in bench points as the Broncos outscored the Warriors 16-1.
The Broncos continued to build a comfortable buffer to start the second half, reaching a game high 13-point lead. The Warriors kept within distance of the Broncos, cutting the lead to single digits with six minutes left on the clock. The last minute proved to be intense - after a layup by Dontrell Hewlett closed the gap within one for the Warriors with 16 seconds left. Hewlett delivered an all-around performance for Stanislaus State, earning himself a double-double, with 18 points with 11 rebounds.
The Broncos outlasted the Warriors' final efforts, with two crucial free throws by Jaden Winfield to solidify the win. In their best shooting performance of the season, the Broncos shot a remarkable 54 percent from the field, compared to the Warriors 38 percent. Winfield led the Broncos in scoring with 14 points, Chris Gayles Jr. followed closely behind with 13 points and Malachi Murrell added ten of his own with six assists.
Freshman Kodey Weary reached double figures for just the second time this season with ten points and Kevin Simeth continued to lead the team down low in back-to-back games with double-digit rebounds, collecting 11 on the night.
Up Next
The Broncos will host Cal State Bernardino for their Senior Night matchup on Thursday, February 29th, at 7:30 PM. The two teams faced each other on December 31st, where the Yotes won 71-31. You can watch the game on the CCAA Network.
Bronco Bits
- Cal Poly Pomona leads the series 37-14 (.726) all-time against Stanislaus State. The Broncos are 5-5 in their last 10 matchups.
- Greg Kamansky is now 452-205 (.688) as head coach of the Broncos. He is also 336-152 (.669) all-time in CCAA play.
- The Broncos are 2-8 in their last 10 matchups against Cal State San Bernardino.
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