Women’s Basketball Headed to NCAA Tournament for the 29th Time in Program History
By: Alex Kline, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – For the 29th time in program history, Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball will be competing in the NCAA Tournament. After putting together an impressive 20-9 record, including finishing third in the CCAA with a 15-7 conference record, the Broncos were seeded No. 6 in the West Region.
The eight-team regional will be hosted by No. 1 seed Azusa Pacific University at Felix Event Center in Azusa, CA. Should the Broncos win the West Regional, they will advance to the Elite Eight – which will be hosted at St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri from March 25-29th.
Head coach Danelle Bishop makes her eighth appearance with Cal Poly Pomona in the national tournament, in just her 13th season at the helm. Bishop has led the Broncos as far as the Final Four back in 2014, losing to the eventual national champion Bentley University. In Bishop's very first season with CPP in 2010-11, she led the Broncos all the way to the Elite Eight with a 28-5 record. In total, Bishop's squads are 9-6 in NCAA postseason competition.
Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball is one of the most storied programs in NCAA Division II history, currently holding the most national titles among active DII schools with five. This includes winning the first-ever DII championship held in 1982, where legendary coach Darlene May guided the Broncos to their first title with a 29-7 record. They went on to win back-to-back titles in 1985 and 1986, followed by another back-to-back title run in 2001 and 2002.
2024 West Region Seeding | ||
Seed | Team | Record |
1 | Azusa Pacific | 28-3 |
2 | Cal State San Marcos | 23-6 |
3 | Western Washington | 23-6 |
4 | Montana State Billings | 26-6 |
5 | Chico State | 21-9 |
6 | Cal Poly Pomona | 20-9 |
7 | Point Loma | 18-12 |
8 | Cal State LA | 17-12 |
Game Preview
As the No. 6 seed, the Broncos will face No. 3 seed Western Washington (23-6) this Friday, March 15th, at 12:00 PM. The two teams have not faced one another since the 2008-09 season, and the Broncos hold a 9-7 record all-time against the Vikings since their first matchup in 1988-89.
The Broncos are 2-1 against WWU in the NCAA Tournament, most recently beating them in the regional finals of the 2001-02 season – which was also the last year the Broncos won a national championship. Coincidentally, the Broncos also defeated the Vikings during the 2000-01 regional semifinals en route to winning that national championships as well.
Visit our women's basketball schedule for relevant links, such as tickets, live stats, and the NCAA bracket.
CPP Game Times (PST)
Quarterfinals: Friday, March 15th @ 12:00 PM vs Western Washington
Semifinals: Saturday, March 16th @ 5:00 PM vs Winner Game 2
Finals: Monday, March 18th @ 7:00 PM vs Winner Game ¾
Where to Watch
New this year, the NCAA will broadcast all Division II championship events through Hudl, the same platform used to broadcast the CCAA Network. If you currently own an existing CCAA Network subscription, it will not carry over for the NCAA postseason. Fans will be required to purchase a Championships Pass to view events, which will become available in the coming days HERE. Fans will have the option to pay per contest at $9.95, or for the entire postseason tournament at $29.95.
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