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.
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