SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The No. 25 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos battled through early adversity to secure a 72-65 victory over Cal State San Marcos on the road Thursday evening. It was a game of momentum swings, but the Broncos proved resilient, pulling away in the second half after a back-and-forth first period.
The Cougars initially took control, establishing an early lead as the Broncos struggled to find their rhythm. However, eight minutes into the first half, Cal Poly Pomona fought back to tie the game at 19-19. They then fell behind again but regained ground, and with just 26 seconds left before the break, crucial baskets from Demarreya Lewis-Cooper and Shyheim Parm helped them take a 33-29 lead into halftime.
As has been the case in several of their road games this season, the Broncos came out of the locker room with renewed energy. They quickly pushed their lead to six points within the first 15 seconds of the second half, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Over the next few minutes, both teams traded baskets, but it was Cal Poly Pomona that began to pull away. Four minutes into the second half, the Broncos had stretched their advantage to 11 points, and from that moment on, the Cougars never got within five points.
Despite an impressive free-throw performance from the Cougars, the Broncos' defense and rebounding proved too much. Both teams struggled with their shooting, as neither exceeded 50% from the field or beyond the arc, but Cal Poly Pomona capitalized on key defensive stops and timely scoring runs. Demarreya Lewis-Cooper led the charge with 20 points, while Shyheim Parm contributed 19 and Kevin Simeth added 10. Together, this trio played a pivotal role in securing the 72-65 win in a hard-fought battle that saw both teams fight for every possession.
Up Next:
The Broncos head to Sonoma State for another CCAA match-up on Saturday, December 7th at 3:00 PM PST.
Bronco Bits:
- Greg Kamansky is now 458-207 as the head coach of the Broncos.
- The Broncos are 6-1 overall and 2-0 in CCAA conference play.
- Three Broncos totaled at least 10 points.
- Demarreya Lewis-Cooper leads the team in points at an average of 14.6 per game.
- Jordan Carpenter leads the team in rebounds with an game average of 5.1.
- Cal Poly Pomona is 8-6 against Cal State San Marcos.
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