SPORTSCOPE : Cal Poly Pomona Basketball Team Travels to Bakersfield

The Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team is off to a strong start in California Collegiate Athletic Assn. play. The Broncos (10-7 overall, 2-0 in league play) defeated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Los Angeles last week.

But the Broncos figure to receive a more difficult game when they visit perennial conference power Cal State Bakersfield at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Bakersfield (11-4, 2-0) is tied for first in the CCAA with Pomona and UC Riverside. It finished second in the NCAA Division II last season.

Bronco senior forward Terry Ross was named CCAA player of the week after scoring 59 points and grabbing 22 rebounds against San Luis Obispo and Cal State L.A. Pomona defeated San Luis Obispo, 89-68, and Cal State L.A., 59-57.

The strong performance by Ross enabled him to take over the conference scoring lead with a 24.5 average.

Bronco senior forward Eric Mobley, a 6-7 transfer from the University of Portland, is averaging 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds. The Broncos also start senior Rafael Vargas (6-7) at center and juniors Andre Harrell and D.J. Norman at guard.

Bakersfield has been led by junior guard Fred Eckles and junior forward Beau Redstone. Eckles averages 11.8 points and Redstone averages 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.

The Roadrunners, who defeated Chapman and Cal State Dominguez Hills last week, also have an outstanding inside player in 6-9 center Russell Jarvis, a transfer from Boston University.

In its first nine seasons of competing in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team has never finished with less than a share of the conference title.

The Broncos will start working toward another title when they play host to UC Riverside in their CCAA opener at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Pomona enters conference play at 9-7 and Riverside is 8-9. The Broncos suffered a 79-78 loss to Southern Utah State, a Division I team, in their nonconference finale Monday, but have won five of seven games.

The Broncos have been led by senior guard/forward Stephanie Coons, who averages 16.3 points and eight rebounds. Coons scored a career-high 28 points and added nine rebounds in Pomona’s 70-56 victory last week over Sacramento State.

Pomona junior center Leslie Ellis is averaging 9.7 points and sophomore reserve forward Tami Chick is averaging 9.5.

Riverside’s strength has been its front line, which features Becky Geeson and Rachel Rosario. Geeson averages 15.1 points and Rosario 10.3.