POMONA, Calif. - Cal Poly Pomona was narrowly defeated by Cal State San Bernardino, 65-62, in a hard-fought match-up on Saturday night. Despite a valiant effort in the second half, the Broncos were unable to overcome an early deficit and a costly turnover battle.

The Coyotes came out strong, taking an early 4-0 lead. However, the Broncos quickly responded, tying the game at 4-4 just a few moments later. Cal Poly Pomona then built a modest lead, pulling ahead to 11-4 midway through the first half. The Broncos maintained a slight edge for much of the opening period, but the Coyotes found their rhythm, eventually tying the game at 16-16 with 8:30 left on the clock in the first half.

The remainder of the first half saw the Broncos trail the Coyotes, who capitalized on a string of turnovers by the Broncos. Cal Poly Pomona committed 14 turnovers in the first half, compared to nine for the Coyotes, which allowed the Coyotes to score 23 points off those turnovers. As a result, the Broncos found themselves down 33-24 at the break.

The second half began with the Broncos at a disadvantage, but they quickly came out with renewed energy. After starting the half with two free throws awarded due to a technical foul at the end of the first half, the Broncos tied the game at 41-41 just seven minutes into the second half.

From there, the two teams went back and forth, with neither able to establish a decisive advantage. In the final minute, the Coyotes made a late push, pulling ahead to seal the 65-62 victory.

Demarreya Lewis-Cooper led the Broncos with 17 points, while Shyheim Parm added 11 points in the effort. Kevin Simeth had a standout performance on the boards, grabbing nine rebounds and adding two blocks, while Caleb Nelson chipped in five rebounds.

Up Next:
The Broncos will face Cal State Dominguez Hills on January 2^nd at 7:30 PM to kick off the New Year.

Bronco Bits:

• Greg Kamansky is now 460-208 as the head coach of the Broncos.
• The Broncos are now 8-2 overall and 3-1 in CCAA conference play.
• Cal Poly Pomona now leads 37-34 against Cal State San Bernardino.