Cougar Cagers Hope Classic Brings Rematch With Broncos

Azusa Pacific University may be the favorite when it plays host to its first Cougar Classic in men’s basketball Friday and Saturday.

Cal Poly Pomona enters the tournament with a 2-1 record, best mark in the four-team event, but Azusa Pacific (2-2) beat the Broncos, 89-88, in a non-conference game last week.

Pomona faces West Coast Christian (1-3) at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Azusa Pacific plays La Verne (1-2) at 8:30. The winners meet for the title at 8:30 Saturday and the losers play at 6:30.

Azusa Pacific has been led by 6-8 junior center Bill DesRochers, a former Glendora High standout, who is averaging 21 points and 8.8 rebounds a game. DesRochers scored 26 against Pomona.

The Cougars also count on 6-5 senior forward Alex Adams, who averages 19.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, and 6-1 junior guard Danny Scott, who averages 12.8 points and 4.8 assists.

Cougar Coach Cliff Hamlow, whose team defeated Pomona for the first time in 12 tries, is looking forward to a rematch.

“I’d like to meet Cal Poly again in our tournament,” Hamlow said. “It was a great game last Saturday and this one, if it happens, has all the makings to be even better. I’m sure they want a measure of revenge and we’d like to prove ourselves again in front of the local fans.”

Pomona, which won the Pomona Lions Club Classic to open its season, has a balanced attack with forwards Terry Stevens (6-4) and Zenon M (6-7), center Gregg Brofer (6-7) and guard Bill Dobbs (6-2). Stevens averages 14.3 points and Dobbs and M are averaging 11.3. Brofer is averaging 9 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

After a third-place finish in the Converse Classic at Cal State Fullerton last week, the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team will be matched against NCAA Division I teams in the four-team Taco Bell Classic at Fresno State this weekend.

The Broncos, defending Division II champion, take a 3-1 record into the tournament against the University of San Diego, Weber State and Fresno State.

Pomona faces Weber State (0-1) at 6 p.m. Friday and Fresno State (1-0) takes on San Diego (1-1) at 8. The championship game is at 8 Saturday.

In the Converse Classic, Pomona lost to Pepperdine (62-59) before edging Fullerton (74-73) for the consolation title.

The Broncos are expected to be aided this week by the addition of 6-0 sophomore center Marcine Edmonds, who was academically ineligible, and 5-9 junior forward Jodi Keidel, who is eligible after transferring from Marquette University.

“We’ve finally got a full team,” Coach Darlene May said. “We’re going up there (to Fresno) to improve our game with a full squad.”

May has been pleased with the rapid progress of 6-2 freshman center Niki Bracken, a prep standout at Compton High, who is averaging 13 points and 7.8 rebounds.

The Broncos have been led offensively by 5-10 senior forward Debra Larsen, who averages 19 points and 13.8 rebounds, and 5-6 senior point guard Michelle McCoy, who averages 14.5 points and 6.5 assists.

Cal Poly Pomona, which finished with a 17-15 record, has placed two players on the All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. women’s volleyball team.

The Broncos landed senior left-side hitter Peggy Baker (5-7) on the first team and sophomore middle hitter Terry Dias (5-11) earned honorable mention.

In addition, sophomore middle hitter Gayle Deisinger (5-11) was one of 39 players nominated to the Academic All-American team of the College Sports Information Directors of America. Deisinger has a 3.73 grade-point average.