Bronco Women Cagers Launch Their Drive for Another Conference Crown

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team has not had much difficulty in NCAA Division II games in recent years.

The Broncos have won two straight Division II national championships and 39 straight Division II games since a 70-53 loss to Chapman in January, 1985.

Cal Poly, ranked No. 1 in this week’s first Division II poll, will take a 13-1 record and 11 straight victories into its California Collegiate Athletic Assn. opener against UC Riverside at 5:45 p.m. Friday at Kellogg Gym in Pomona.

Pomona has won five straight CCAA championships and Coach Darlene May is optimistic about another title.

“Our goal is just to be in the top four in the conference, but hopefully we’ll be No. 1,” May said. “You have to get into the conference tourney to do anything in postseason play.”

Pomona’s top challenger for the conference title may be Riverside, which is tied for No. 13 with Hampton Institute of Virginia in Division II rankings. Riverside (9-2) is led by forward Alondra Varisco, who averages 18.6 points, and center Debbie Arnold, who averages 14.6 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Pomona has been led by senior forward Debra Larsen (5-10), who averages 16.3 points and 11.3 rebounds. Other standouts are 6-2 freshman center Niki Bracken, 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds; 5-6 senior point guard Michelle McCoy, 13.2 points and 7 assists, and 6-0 sophomore center Marcine Edmonds, 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds.

The Cal State Los Angeles women’s basketball team, off to its best start in recent years with a 10-3 record, opens its California Collegiate Athletic Assn. season against Cal State Northridge at 5:45 p.m. Friday at Northridge.

Cal State L.A., which rolled over Sonoma State (68-48) in a non-conference game Monday, has been led by 6-0 sophomore center Lupe Quintana and 5-8 junior guard Shelly Bowcutt. Both were all-tournament selections in the Big Sky Holiday Classic last week at Butte, Mont.

Quintana is averaging 10.1 points and 11 rebounds and Bowcutt 13.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. Other players scoring in double figures for the Golden Eagles are junior forward Sue Doody (5-10) at 10.4 points and 5-6 junior guard Geri Montanio at 11.7.

Northridge has struggled to a 7-6 record after reaching the NCAA Division II playoffs last year.

In men’s basketball, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Los Angeles open their California Collegiate Athletic Assn. seasons Friday.

Pomona (7-6) meets UC Riverside (10-3) at 8 p.m. at Kellogg Gym in Pomona and Cal State L.A. (5-6) visits Cal State Northridge (4-9) at 8.

Pomona will face a Riverside team that rolled over highly regarded Abilene Christian of Texas (85-67) on Monday.

Riverside, ranked No. 15 in NCAA Division II in a preseason poll, is led by forward Robert Jimerson and center Paul Kapturkiewicz. Jimerson is averaging 18.8 points and 11.1 rebounds and Kapturkiewicz 20.2 points and 9.2 rebounds.

Pomona guard Darron Suttle averages 12.9 points and forward Zenon M 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. Forward Terry Stevens averages 11.9 points and 5.2 assists.

Cal State L.A. has won three of its last four games. The Golden Eagles, who lost four of their first five games, have been led by forward Curtiss Bradley, who averages 15 points and 9.1 rebounds, and guard Marty Heede, who averages 12.5 points.

The Azusa Pacific University men’s basketball team will try to snap a 10-game losing streak when it meets Schriener of Texas in the first round of the eight-team Point Loma Classic at 4:30 p.m. today at Point Loma.

Azusa Pacific enters the tournament with a 4-12 record and Schriener is 3-8. Biola, Warner Pacific of Oregon, Grand Rapids of Michigan, Northwestern of Minnesota, Cal Baptist and Point Loma are in the tournament. Undefeated Biola (11-0) is the favorite.

Despite the losing streak, Azusa Pacific has received strong play from senior forward Alex Adams (6-6) and junior center Bill DesRochers (6-8). Adams is averaging 19.6 points and 6.9 rebounds and DesRochers 17.7 points and 7.8 rebounds.

“We haven’t played a solid 40 minutes yet,” said Cliff Hamlow, who has coached the Cougars for 31 years. “We’ve played very well at times but we’ve been inconsistent on both our outside and inside game.

“I’m surprised at our record. I knew the schedule was difficult, but I certainly thought we’d be around .500 by now. We’ve allowed too many points.”

Among Azusa Pacific’s conquerors were Loyola Marymount, an NCAA Division I team; Southern Nazarene of Oklahoma and Northeastern Oklahoma State, both ranked in the NAIA top 20, and Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Dominguez Hills, strong NCAA Division II teams.

Arroyo High School, which won the CIF 3-A Division boys cross-country title in November, has been ranked No. 1 in the final 1986 state cross-country poll by California Track and Running News.

The top harriers for the Knights, coached by Tim O’Rourke, were juniors Jeff Gilkey, Derrick Powers, Gerardo Puentes and Jaime Ortega.

The only other San Gabriel Valley team ranked in the top 10 was No. 9 Walnut, which won the CIF 2-A Division championship.