POMONA – The Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team has made a habit out of winning close games – the Broncos are an impressive 6-1 this season in games decided by six points or less. That penchant for winning the squeakers came in handy Friday, as the Broncos engaged in a tight contest with Chico State, and like their first meeting this season – a two-point Pomona win – the Broncos emerged victorious, using two early second half runs and two critical buckets in the final two minutes to hand the Wildcats a disappointing 53-48 defeat at Kellogg Gymnasium.
With the loss, Chico State drops to 11-8 on the season and into fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with an 8-6 conference mark. Cal Poly Pomona improves to 15-4 overall and moves into a tie for second place with Humboldt State in the CCAA standings with a 12-3 conference record.
The Wildcats and Broncos played it close for most of the first half – Christine Vest and Synchro Bull combined for 10 early points for the ’Cats – before Cal Poly Pomona took a 16-12 lead courtesy of a Reyana Colson 3-point jumper. Chico State responded with a 10-2 run, highlighted by a Natasha Smith 3-point play, that put the Wildcats in front, 22-18. Two baskets by Colson late in the period brought Pomona back and knotted up the contest, and at halftime it was all even at 22 apiece.
The Broncos came roaring out of the gate in the second half, scoring 10 of the period’s first 12 points – Megan Ford, held scoreless in the first half, bookended the run with layups as Pomona went up 32-24. 3-pointers by Smith and Melissa Richardson whittled the Broncos lead to four, but the Broncos answered with an 11-4 run to extend their advantage to 11. Down 45-34, Chico State got some big buckets as Kristin Marquart put in a trio of layups and Taylor Lydon drained a 3-pointer to lead a 12-4 Wildcat run and pull to within three with 2:20 to play. But Pomona squashed any hope of a ’Cats comeback as Ford made a layup with 1:44 to go…then after Bull answered with a hook shot, the Broncos’ Stephisha Walton hit a layup with just 11 second left to give Pomona the 53-48 lead and the ballgame.
Bull led all Wildcat scorers with 13 points, with Smith adding eight and Richardson seven…Chico State as a team shot 42.6 percent on the night. Colson was the game’s high scorer with 18 points, while Ford added 11 for the victorious Broncos, who shot nearly 47 percent in beating the Wildcats for the second time this season.
BOX SCORE
Chico State is back in action Saturday, as they travel to Coussoulis Arena to take on the Coyotes of Cal State San Bernardino. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.; hear all the action with Mike Baca calling the play-by-play on ESPN 101.7 FM locally or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website.