LOS ANGELES – There were multiple milestones for Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball during Thursday night's win against Cal State LA, as the Broncos ultimately pulled out a tight 59-58 victory to improve to 18-3 overall. They remain comfortably in second place in the conference standings with a 13-2 CCAA record, sitting two games behind Cal State Dominguez Hills and two ahead of Chico State.
The headlining story came for head coach Danelle Bishop, now in her 14th season with the Broncos, who claimed her 203rd CCAA win to break the all-time conference record. She passes Renee Jimenez (Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State San Bernardino, and Cal State San Marcos) at 202 conference victories. Now, no coach in the history of CCAA women's basketball has more conference wins than Bishop. This milestone comes just weeks after passing Darlene May (196) for the most CCAA wins in school history while also recently reaching her 400th career win as a head coach.
As far as the game goes, Sydney Nelson was the story, scoring a career-high 34 points against the Golden Eagles. The Eastvale native went 14-for-20 from the field and 6-for-8 from the line, as she was the lone player in double figures for CPP. Down by one point with just two seconds on the clock, Nelson broke through two defenders and banked a layup, giving the Green & Gold the lead and leaving just one tenth of a second on the game clock – where CPP would ultimately hang on for the win. Nelson also pulled down seven rebounds with two assists and a steal.
The No. 22 ranked Broncos struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 26.9% from the field and a dismal 1-of-10 from three-point range. Despite the slow start, the defense kept them within striking distance, heading into halftime down just 22-19.
The tide turned in the third quarter as the Broncos found their rhythm. Behind Nelson's relentless scoring and Khamiyah Anderson's presence in the paint (6 points, 8 rebounds), Cal Poly Pomona outscored the Golden Eagles 22-15 in the period to seize momentum.
While Cal State LA found success from beyond the arc—hitting four three-pointers in the quarter—the Broncos countered with dominance inside, outscoring their opponents 14-2 in the paint. Despite being outscored in the final quarter, Nelson delivered when it mattered most with the aforementioned layup, and guided the Broncos to their 18th victory of the season.
Up Next
The Broncos will have a tough challenge on Saturday afternoon, as they face an undefeated No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills (23-0) on their home court. The game will take place at 1:00 PM in the Torodome.
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 90-14 (.865) all-time against Cal State LA, including 7-3 in their past 10 games.
- Danelle Bishop is now 264-135 (.662) as head coach of the Broncos, including 203-91 (.690) in CCAA play. Including two previous stops at APU and CBU, Bishop is 402-220 all-time as a head coach.
- Road warriors - the team is an impressive 11-1 in road contests this season, tying the most in a season since 1999-00. The most away wins in a season came in 1985-86 when the Broncos won 16 games on the road.
- The team's 18-3 start is their best since the 2018-19 season.
- Sydney Nelson has now reached double figures in 19 consecutive games. In 50 career games played with the Broncos, Nelson has reached double figures 44 times.
- Breanne Ha is four points away from 1,000 points in her collegiate career. Kalaya Buggs is also 54 points away and Cookie Marques is 33 points away from the same milestone, including their totals at other universities.
Latest Women's Basketball
- Senior Day Win, No. 20 Broncos Score 87 Against PioneersCal Poly Pomona women's basketball delivered a dominant performance in their final home game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming Cal State East Bay with an 87-51 victory in Kellogg Arena. The win improved the Broncos' record to 22-4 overall and 17-3 in CCAA play, as they remain two games ahead of Chico State and two behind Cal State Dominguez Hills in the conference standings.
- Cal Poly Pomona Celebrates DII DayThe Cal Poly Pomona Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is proud to celebrate the third annual DII Day on February 22, 2025.
- Women’s Basketball Collects 21st Win, Most Since 2019After a close first half that saw the Broncos ahead by just one by the end of the second quarter, Cal Poly Pomona outscored San Francisco State 45-24 in the second half to come away with a dominant 71-49 win. It was the team's 21st win of the season, marking the most in a season since the 2018-19 campaign. With the win, the Broncos improve to 16-3 in conference play, maintaining a two-game lead over Chico State for second place in the CCAA standings.
- Broncos Celebrate 2,000th Win Under Brian SwansonThough he may not be the one holding a clipboard or writing the starting lineup, Cal Poly Pomona Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Brian Swanson, has had a massive impact on the success of Bronco Athletics since taking the helm on May 31, 2005. Thursday night marked yet another milestone in Swanson's decorated 20 years as CPP Athletics Director, as the Broncos celebrated their 2,000th win under his leadership.
- Women’s Basketball Ties Highest Win Total Since 2019 With Victory Over CougarsThe Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team captured their 20th win of the season on Saturday afternoon with a 62-55 victory over Cal State San Marcos, improving to 20-4 on the season and 15-3 in conference play. Their 20 wins ties last year's total, and is tied for the program's most since the 2018-19 season.
- No. 21 Broncos Clinch CCAA Tournament Berth With 60-55 Win Over Sonoma StateThe No. 21 ranked Broncos pulled out another victory in Kellogg Arena on Thursday night, defeating Sonoma State by a score of 60-55. With the win, the Broncos clinch a berth into the CCAA Tournament for the 28th time in program history, while also improving to 19-4 on the season.
