Struggling Cal Poly Cagers Shoot for Win Against Talented Grand Canyon

The Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team can improve its record to .500 with a victory over Grand Canyon College at 7:30 tonight in Phoenix, but that does not figure to be an easy task.

Grand Canyon has a 6-0 record and is ranked No. 5 in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Antelopes won the NAIA championship last season.

The Antelopes also have an emphasis on experience with five seniors in their starting lineup including 6-3 forward Danl Williams, who averages 23.8 points.

Three other players averaging in double figures for Grand Canyon are guards Craig Johnson (5-9) at 18 and Mike Ledbetter (6-3) at 10.8 and center Blair Oliphant (6-8) at 10.

Pomona, which improved its record to 3-4 with a 70-53 win over the College of Notre Dame last week, will be short-handed at guard. With injuries to Galen Dedmon and Kenney Bennett, the Broncos will start freshman walk-on Justin Meza (6-0) at point guard.

“Whereas we started the season with pretty good depth at point guard, we’re now down to one with Dedmon and Bennett sitting down due to injuries,” Coach Dave Bollwinkel said. “I am happy with the way Meza has played, especially when you consider that he is just a freshman.

“But if somebody is thinking of what to give me for Christmas, a few guards under my tree would suit me just fine.”

Fortunately, the front line for the Broncos hasn’t had the same problems. The leader has been 6-5 senior forward Forrest Barnes, who averages 13 points and 9 rebounds. Junior forward Matt Sample is averaging 10.8 points.

The Broncos have received strong play in recent games from 6-5 sophomore center Andy Bojarski, a former All-San Gabriel Valley player at San Gabriel High. Bojarski is averaging 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds after posting a career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds against Notre Dame.

Another top player has been freshman guard D. J. Norman (6-1), who averages 12.7 points.

In dropping five of its first seven games this season, the Cal State Los Angeles men’s basketball team has allowed nearly 90 points a contest.

The outlook does not figure to improve much for the Golden Eagles when they visit Sacramento State for a non-conference game at 7:30 tonight.

The Hornets enter the game with a 6-2 record and have a high-scoring team paced by senior guard Robert Martin, who averages 27.9 points a game. Two other starters averaging in double figures are seniors Sean McClendon at center, who has a 16 average, and guard Bruce Woodard at 13.

Cal State L.A. entered the week on a three-game losing streak, having lost two games against NCAA Division I teams in Louisiana last week. The Golden Eagles lost to Grambling, 92-87, and Southern, 97-82.

“It was a positive trip because we played well against Division I teams,” Coach Henry Dyer said. “But it’s time to win some games.”

Offense has not been a problem for the Golden Eagles, who are averaging about 81 points a game. The leader is senior forward Rhodney Moore (6-4), who averages 30.7 points and 9.7 rebounds. Moore averaged 25.5 points against Grambling and Southern.

Other top players for Cal State are guard David Porter, a 6-2 junior, and center Andre White, a 6-5 sophomore. Porter is averaging 18.1 points and White 10.0 points and 8.6 rebounds.

The game against Sacramento will mark the start of a three-game road trip for the Golden Eagles. The other two games will be in Hawaii against Hawaii-Hilo on Tuesday and Brigham Young of Hawaii on Dec. 30.

Sophomore Mark Stevenson, who led the Citrus College water polo team to a 23-7 record and the second round of the state community college playoffs, has been named Foothill Conference player of the year.

Stevenson finished with a single-season school record for goals with 147 and the career mark with 254. That surpassed the marks of Bill Pfeiffer, who had 110 goals in 1985 and 204 in his 2-year career.

Other Citrus players who made the all-conference first team are Jason Miller, Jason Bissell, Gerard LaFond and Greg Galindo. The Owls went 6-0 in winning the conference title.

Stevenson and Miller also were named to the All-Southern California squad. Bill Ralls of Citrus was named conference coach of the year.