College Division / Mitch Polin : Cal Poly Pomona Women Favored Again

At first glance, everything appears to be about the same as usual for the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team.

The Broncos are still winning with consistency, as their 11-4 record will attest.

They also will open their California Collegiate Athletic Assn. season against UC Riverside this evening in Riverside in their customary position as the conference favorite.

Pomona has won 7 straight conference championships. Only the circumstances have been a little different for the Broncos this season.

The Broncos have won despite a rash of injuries that probably would have been enough to discourage most teams.

The most severe occurred before the season even started, on Oct. 19, when forward Marcine Edmonds--a first-team All-CCAA player last year--suffered a knee injury.

Edmonds, a 6-foot 1-inch senior who averaged 14.7 points and 5.4 rebounds last season, was originally expected to return for the conference season after having arthroscopic surgery Dec. 2. But the injury has been slow to respond and the coaching staff has decided to red-shirt Edmonds for the season.

Three other starters have also been out with injuries and ailments.

There was 5-8 sophomore guard Carrie Egan, who missed the start of practice while recuperating from foot surgery and missed a week of practice in November because of a heart murmur.

All-American point guard Cathy Gooden, a 5-5 senior, also missed the first week of practice because of an Achilles’ tendon injury and sat out 2 games recently with back spasms. In addition, all-conference center Niki Bracken, a 6-2 junior, missed a game because of the flu.

Toss in the fact that reserve center Katie Donica, a 6-1 sophomore, broke her hand in practice Dec. 6 and is not expected to return this season and it has not been the easiest of seasons for Coach Darlene May.

“This is the worst I can remember it being for us,” May said. “We’ve had injuries before but not like this.”

That has made the success of the Broncos even more rewarding for May, who has the most victories of any women’s basketball coach in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s Division II, 380. May’s teams have lost 88 games.

“I am really proud of the way that this team has played when you consider the personnel that we have lost at one time or another,” May said. “One of the marks of a good team is being able to pull together during difficult times and this group has shown that character.”

May said the loss of Edmonds and Donica has been particularly difficult for the Broncos.

“That really hurts when you consider that they’re both inside players,” May said. “But it’s also nice to know we’ll have Marcine back next year.”

With Edmonds out, much of the burden has fallen on Bracken and she has responded by averaging a team-leading 18.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. But several other players have helped in the front line, including senior Susan Luckinbill, sophomore Stephanie Coons and freshman Tami Chick.

Not to mention the play of Gooden, who averages 14.1 points and 4.9 assists, and Egan, who averages 9.7 points, at guard.

“I think we’re fortunate enough that we have two or three other kids who have really (played hard),” May said. “I think we’re also shooting well from the outside which has helped.”

May said a lot of the credit goes to the younger players, such as Egan, Coons and Chick. “A lot of our kids have really come along well,” she said. “A lot of our sophomores have really made good progress this year.”

Based on nonconference results, Cal State Northridge would appear to be Cal Poly Pomona’s strongest contender for the CCAA women’s basketball title.

The Matadors, with an 11-3 record, have benefited from the addition of transfer Chris Cavalin, a 5-10 senior forward, from conference rival Chapman. Two other top offensive players are guard Bridgette Ealy, 5-8, and forward Julie Arlotto, 5-11.

But another contender could be Cal State Los Angeles, which has struggled to a 9-7 record but appears to be improving at the right time.

A former 2-year starter at Pepperdine, Maly had not played in more than a year but scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in her first 2 games last week. Coach Fran Buckless said the presence of Maly will make a big difference for her team.

“Trish is a good shooter and she goes hard to the boards and can really rebound,” Buckless said.

College Division Notes

John Scolinos of Cal Poly Pomona, the winningest active coach in college baseball with a 1,129-859 record, will be honored at a dinner and reception Saturday night at the Anaheim Hilton. Scolinos has coached for 42 years, the first 14 at Pepperdine and the last 28 at Pomona. . . . Athletic Director Richard Perry of UC Riverside said that the Highlanders would forfeit a season-opening basketball victory over California Baptist College because they had used an ineligible player, junior Jason Ricks. At the time, Ricks had a problem with transfered credits. He since has regained his eligibility. . . . Biola’s basketball team has appeared impressive in winning its last 7 games to improve to 13-3. But the schedule will get tougher for Biola starting this weekend with games against Occidental tonight and Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday night. . . . The Biola women’s team is also off to a fast start with a 10-3 record. Key players are 6-3 center Mary Beth Nelson, a junior who averages 19.8 points and 9.5 rebounds, and freshman forward Tonya Zwagerman.

Occidental appears to be the front-runner in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball race. The Tigers have a 10-2 record and finished second to NAIA power Grand Canyon in the Occidental tournament last week.