SportsScope : Bronco Women to Open Basketball Title Defense

Cal Poly Pomona, which has won or shared the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship in women’s basketball for seven straight years, will open defense of its title at UC Riverside at 5:45 p.m. Friday in the conference opener for both teams.

Pomona, which reached the NCAA Division II quarterfinals last season, is 11-4 and Riverside is 5-8.

While the Broncos would appear to have an advantage over Riverside, Pomona Coach Darlene May is looking at the game cautiously. “We have to be ready for them,” she said. “Riverside is not going to win every game, but they’re going to beat some people.”

Pomona will face a Riverside team that is led by its front line featuring center Tonie Carter (5-11) and forward Cokey Drake (5-8). Carter is averaging 18 points and 8.8 rebounds and Drake 13.6 points. Another top player is reserve center Patti Held (6-1), who averages 11.2 points.

The Broncos will counter with one of top front-line players in the conference in junior center Niki Bracken (6-2), who averages 18.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. In addition, Pomona starts senior Susan Luckinbill (5-8) and sophomore Stephanie Coons (5-10) at forward.

Pomona is also talented at guard with senior Cathy Gooden (5-5), who averages 14.1 points and 4.9 assists, and sophomore Carrie Egan (5-8), who averages 9.7 points.

Cal State Los Angeles has fallen a little short of its goal of making the NCAA Division II women’s basketball playoffs the last two seasons, but Coach Fran Buckless thinks he may have a better chance this time heading into the team’s California Collegiate Athletic Assn. opener against visiting Cal State Northridge at 5:45 p.m. Friday.

The Golden Eagles, who finished third in the conference last season, entered the week with an 8-7 record.

But Cal State L.A. has won two straight since adding 6-0 forward Trisha Maly, a transfer from Pepperdine. In her first two games last week, Maly scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds despite the fact that she hadn’t played in more than a year.

“Each year that’s a goal for us and I think that’s a little more realistic with the addition of Trish and the way the other players are playing,” Buckless said. “We’re real pleased to have Trisha.”

The Golden Eagles have two other outstanding players on their front line in center Lupe Quintana (6-0), who averages 14 points and 10 rebounds, and forward Tina Slatinsky (6-1), who averages 13 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Northridge, which finished second in the conference last season, enters conference play at 11-3. The Matadors are led by senior forward Chris Cavalin (5-10), a transfer from Chapman who averages 17 points and 10 rebounds. Two other top players are forward Julie Arlotto (5-11) and guard Bridgette Ealy (5-8).

The Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team can improve its winning percentage to .500 with a victory in its conference opener Friday, although it will not be easy.

The Broncos (5-6) face powerful UC Riverside (11-1) at 8:05 at Riverside. Among Riverside’s wins was a 110-92 decision over Iowa, which had been ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division I, in the final of the Chaminade Christmas Classic in Hawaii last month.

The Highlanders are led by senior guard Maurice Pullum, who averages 18 points, and junior forward Chris Ceballos (6-5) at 16 points.

Pomona’s top players include forwards Matt Sample (6-5) and Nate Macon (6-3) and guard D. J. Norman (6-1).