SPORTSCOPE : Cal Poly Pomona Women’s Basketball Team to Play Hayward

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team, which has struggled early this season after reaching the NCAA Division II Final Four and finishing third last season, will try to reach .500 when it plays host to Cal State Hayward in a nonconference game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Poly Pavilion.

Pomona, ranked No. 2 in Division II in a preseason poll, entered the week 4-5. The Broncos suffered back-to-back losses last week, losing in overtime to Cal State Stanislaus, 69-61, and Division I opponent Fresno State, 76-67.

Hayward, which plays in the Northern California Athletic Conference, entered the week 5-1. It will be the last game of 1990 for the Broncos, who will be idle until they visit San Diego State on Jan. 2.

Pomona’s fortunes expect to improve when 6-2 center Danielle Carter returns for the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. season in January. Carter, a freshman All-American selection last season, is on maternity leave.

In the meantime, the Broncos have been led by the play of senior guard/forward Stephanie Coons, who is averaging 14.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. Two other top players are sophomore forward Tami Chick, who averages 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds, and senior guard Serenda Valdez, who is averaging 10.6 points.

Sophomore defender Chris Stempson, who helped the Azusa Pacific men’s soccer team reach the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 playoffs semifinals for the first time in eight years, has been named to the NAIA All-American second team.

Stempson is the first Azusa Pacific player to be selected to an NAIA All-American team since Valmir Fernandes was chosen to the second team in 1980.

Although his strength was his defensive play, Stempson also scored two goals and tied for the team lead with five assists.

“With the skills he has from playing midfield in high school, he has not only the ability to defend but to create offensively out of the (backfield),” Coach Don Lawrence said. “That was one of the keys to our success this year.”

The Azusa Pacific men’s basketball team will face one of the top programs in the NCAA Division II when it plays host to Cal State Bakersfield at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Azusa Pacific entered the week at 6-4 and Bakersfield is 4-3. Bakersfield, ranked in the Division II top 10 in a preseason poll, finished second in the division last season.

Bakersfield won the last meeting between the teams in 1986. The Roadrunners are led by junior guard Fred Eckles, who averages 13.6 points and 4.6 assists.

Azusa has been sparked by senior forward Matt Burns, who averages 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds and scored the game-winning basket in his team’s 64-62 victory over Pomona-Pitzer last week.

Three women’s soccer players from Cal Poly Pomona have been named to the 1990 NCAA Division II All-West Region team selected by the coaches’ association.

Sophomore forward Shannon Payne made the first team, senior midfielder Kristin Harkins the second team and senior defender Julie Huante received honorable mention.

Payne, a former standout at Muir High, established single-season and career-scoring marks at Pomona with 22 goals and 50 points last season.