AZUSA, Calif. – All 11 Broncos that touched the floor on Friday night scored, but it wasn't enough as the No. 19 Broncos fell to No. 18 Azusa Pacific by a score of 50-75. The entire CCAA struggled in their season openers, as eight of the conference's teams lost their opening game. This was the fourth straight season that CPP opened up against a nationally-ranked APU squad, with the Cougars capturing three of those four matchups.
The Broncos started off strong, outscoring the Cougars 21-11 in the first quarter. The team shined on points inside the paint, outscoring APU 10-4 in such shots. Senior Jeanette Fine scored the first basket of the season for the Green & Gold, making a three at the 9:18 mark. Fine would also finish the game with the most points on the team at eight.
It took Azusa Pacific seven minutes to erase the Broncos' lead in the second quarter, going on a 17-6 tear to head into halftime with a narrow 30-29 lead. The Cougars then gained massive separation in the third quarter, hitting an impressive eight treys and shooting 55 percent from the floor to take a commanding 20-point lead. APU was relentless, making six consecutive shots beyond the arc to close out the third quarter.
The Broncos' shots struggled to land in the second half, shooting just 19 percent from the floor and 13 percent beyond the arc. The two teams were even on the boards with 31 a piece, while both also collected 11 steals. However, Azusa Pacific's 14 three-point field goals in the game was more than enough for them to secure the win. Last season, the most treys CPP allowed in a game was nine.
In addition to Fine, Sydney Nelson, Kalaya Buggs, and Brielle Minor contributed more than five points, while Cookie Marques made the only other trey in her first game as a Bronco.
Up Next
Cal Poly Pomona will play Point Loma tomorrow, November 9th, at 4:00 PM in Felix Event Center.
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 13-12 (.520) all-time against Azusa Pacific, including 2-8 in their past 10 games.
- Danelle Bishop is now 246-133 (.649) as head coach of the Broncos.
- The Broncos were ranked No. 19 in the WBCA preseason poll – their first national ranking since the 2014-15 season.
- Record watch - Breanne Ha is 45 threes away from breaking the Cal Poly Pomona career record.
Latest All Athletics News
- O’Sullivan Named CCAA Coach of the Year, Nine Broncos Receive All-CCAA HonorsNine different Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer student-athletes received all-conference recognition on Wednesday night, in addition to head coach Matt O'Sullivan being named CCAA Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. The team's nine selections ties a program-high, and was the most in the conference.
- Volleyball Ranked No. 1 in First Regional RankingsThe Cal Poly Pomona volleyball team was ranked No. 1 in the first NCAA Division II West Region rankings on Wednesday afternoon, it was announced on NCAA.com HERE.
- Cruz and Mason Earn Individual Honors, Broncos Tie Program Record With Nine All-CCAA HonoreesNine Cal Poly Pomona women's soccer student-athletes earned All-CCAA recognition on Wednesday morning, tying the most in a season in program history.
- Men’s Cross Country Receives At-Large Bid for 24th Appearance at NationalsThe Cal Poly Pomona men's cross country team received an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Monday afternoon, it was announced via press release on NCAA.com. It is the team's 24th appearance at the national championships in program history, and their ninth in the past 11 seasons.
- Big Fourth Quarter Leads No. 19 Broncos to First WinThe Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team picked up their first win of the season on Saturday night, defeating Point Loma by a score of 71-66. After trailing 30-26 at the end of the first half, the Broncos kicked it into high gear with 45 points in the second half to come back for the victory.
- Volleyball Clinches First CCAA Regular Season Title Since 2005For the first time since 2005, Cal Poly Pomona volleyball has won the CCAA regular season title! Their 3-0 win against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday night secured at least a co-championship, and just one win next week will secure an outright regular season title.