POMONA, Calif. – Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball fought hard, but couldn't hold off a late Chico State rally, falling 77-72 at Kellogg Arena on Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Broncos are now 17-3 on the season while holding a two-game lead over Chico State for second place in the CCAA standings.
The No. 15 ranked Broncos started strong, leading 21-17 after the first quarter thanks to an efficient offensive attack. Sophomore Sydney Nelson led the charge with 17 points, three steals, and four rebounds, while senior Kalaya Buggs added 14 points and six boards. Mydrea Moore provided a solid inside presence, shooting 5-for-7 and pulling down six rebounds.
Cal Poly Pomona controlled the paint throughout the game, outscoring Chico State 42-26 inside. The Broncos also capitalized on turnovers, converting 18 Chico State giveaways into 26 points. However, their struggles from beyond the arc (5-for-25) and the free-throw line (7-for-15) proved costly in the closing minutes.
After holding a narrow 51-49 lead heading into the fourth, the Broncos were unable to slow down a red-hot Chico State offense. The Wildcats shot 66.7% from the field in the final quarter and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line to surge ahead in the final three minutes.
Despite a strong rebounding effort from Khamiyah Anderson (7) and Brielle Minor (5), the Broncos were outrebounded 41-35. A late push fell short, as Chico State sealed the game from the charity stripe.
The loss marks just the second conference defeat for the Broncos, and only their third overall on the season. They remain comfortably in second place in the conference, sitting two games ahead of Chico State and two games behind an undefeated Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Up Next
The Broncos will travel on the road next week to Cal State LA (13-6) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (22-0).
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 34-31 (.523) all-time against Chico State, including 5-5 in their past 10 games.
- Danelle Bishop is now 263-135 (.661) as head coach of the Broncos, including 202-91 (.689) in CCAA play. Including two previous stops at APU and CBU, Bishop is 401-220 all-time as a head coach.
- Bishop remains one CCAA win away from breaking the conference record (202).
- The team's 17-3 start is their best since the 2018-19 season (18-2).
- Sydney Nelson has now reached double figures in 18 consecutive games. In 49 career games played with the Broncos, Nelson has reached double figures 43 times.
- An impressive five Broncos scored in double figures on Saturday.
Latest All Athletics News
- Broncos Break Records and Claim NCAA Provisional Cuts at Midwest ClassicThe women's track and field team delivered an impressive performance at the Midwest Classic, with several athletes standing out in multiple events.
- Broncos Upset No. 24 Chico State, Winfield Shines With Double-DoubleIn a thrilling battle on the court, the Cal Poly Pomona emerged victorious, defeating No. 24 Chico State 65-54.
- Baseball Rallies Back for Series Win Over WestmontCal Poly Pomona battled their way to a series win on Saturday, taking both games of the doubleheader against No. 25 Westmont. After an emphatic come-from-behind, walk-off win in the first game, the Broncos held on in the nightcap. The offense continued to impress, scoring 22 runs on the day with 31 hits.
- Comeback Effort Falls Short in Season OpenerThe Cal Poly Pomona baseball team kicked off their 65th season with a home game against Westmont College at Scolinos Field on Friday night, falling 5-4 in an exciting final few innings. Five of the nine runs in the game were scored in the final two innings, but ultimately the Broncos fell one run short. Randy Betten is now 11-3 in season openers as head coach of the Broncos, as this is CPP's first time starting 0-1 since the 2022 season.
- Clash Ends in Heartbreak for the BroncosIn a hard-fought contest, the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos fell to the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks, 57-55, in a dramatic finish. This was the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the Broncos having won the first match up of the Cal Poly Clash.
- Broncos Hold Lumberjacks to 34 Points in Dominant Cal Poly Clash VictoryThe No. 16 ranked Broncos won in convincing fashion on Thursday night, defeating Cal Poly Humboldt 69-34 in the second iteration of the Cal Poly Clash. With the win, the Broncos improve to 17-2 overall and 12-1 in conference, maintaining a three game lead over third place Chico State and trailing undefeated Cal State Dominguez Hills by just one game.
