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WALNUT CREEK - After falling one win short of its first-ever Division II men's basketball championship a year ago, Cal Poly Pomona will try to complete the task when it returns to Springfield, Mass. for the 2010 Eilite Eight next week.
Led by California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Coach of the Year Greg Kamansky, the Broncos (25-6) will take on Saint Joseph's (20-11) of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) on Wednesday, March 24, at the MassMutual Center beginning at 3 p.m. (PDT).
Other quarterfinal games include St. Cloud State versus Augustana at 9 a.m. (PDT); Indiana (PA) versus Valdosta State at 11:30 a.m. (PDT); and Bently versus Augusta State at 5:30 p.m. (PDT). All quarterfinal games will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.ncaasports.com.
The semifinals are slated for Thursday, March 25, at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (PDT) and will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at 11 a.m. (PDT) and will be aired on CBS.
Cal Poly Pomona punched its second consecutive and fifth overall ticket to the Elite Eight after defeating BYU-Hawaii, 78-75, in the West Regional title game in Bellingham, Wash. The Broncos opened the regional with a 71-62 victory over Dixie State before defeating host Western Washington, 76-75, in overtime.
Cal Poly Pomona, which shared the CCAA regular-season title with Humboldt State, is paced by senior guard Austin Swift, who leads the Broncos with 13.1 points and 3.3 assists a game. Junior forward Donnelle Booker is second on the club with 9.9 points a contests and tops the team with 5.6 rebounds a game.
The 2009-10 Cal Poly Pomona season was highlighted by a school-record 15-game winning streak that was snapped by local CCAA rival Cal State San Bernardino in the conference tournament title game.
In returning to the Elite Eight, the Broncos are looking to erase the memory of tough 56-53 overtime loss to Findlay in last year's championship game.
Cal Poly Pomona in CCAA Rankings
Cal Poly Pomona tops the conference in scoring defense (56.4 ppg.) and field goal percentage (50.2 percent). The Broncos, who produced a school-record 15-game winning streak earlier this season, has won 18 of its last 19 games.
CCAA in the Elite Eight
Cal Poly Pomona’s appearance in this year’s Elite Eight marks the first time a CCAA institution has made back-to-back appearances since Cal State Bakersfield accomplished the feat in 1996 and 1997. Earlier in the 1990s, the Roadrunners made five straight Elite Eight showings between 1990 and 1994. Cal State Bakersfield, now a Division I independent, made a conference-record nine Elite Eight appearances. UC Riverside, also now competing at the Division I level, made eight appearances. Cal Poly Pomona, which is making its fifth trip to the Elite Eight, leads all current CCAA members.
CCAA NCAA Division II National Championships
California Collegiate Athletic Association teams have captured three Division II men’s basketball national championships. All have been won by Cal State Bakersfield as the Roadrunners captured titles in 1993, 1994 and 1997.
2010 NCAA Division II Elite Eight Schedule
Wed., Mar. 24
NCAA Quarterfinals; Springfield, Mass.
(All times Pacific)
All Games Web Streamed at NCAASports.com
St. Cloud State vs. Augustana; 9 a.m.
Indiana (PA) vs. Valdosta State; 11:30 a.m.
CAL POLY POMONA vs. St. Joseph (IN); 3 p.m.
Bentley vs. Augusta State; 5:30 p.m.
Thu., Mar. 25
Semifinals
Semifinal No. 1; 3 p.m. (CBS College Sports)
Semifinal No. 2; 5:30 p.m. (CBS College Sports)
Sat., Mar. 27
Championship
11 a.m. (CBS)