POMONA, Calif. – With the top of the conference standings as crowded as it is, a two-win week for the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team keeps the Broncos in first while a two-loss week could send them down to the No. 7 spot.

CPP is one of five teams tied for first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). With the second half of the regular season underway, the finish to the conference schedule is destined to be dramatic.

This week, the Broncos return to Kellogg Gym to host UC San Diego Thursday and Cal State San Bernardino Saturday. Both games are set for 7:30 p.m. start times.

Currently, CPP holds marks of 11-4 overall and 8-4 in CCAA play. The four other first-place teams include Chico State, Humboldt State, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Saturday's opponent, the Coyotes of CSUSB.
 
Make-a-Wish
Thursday's doubleheader at Kellogg Gym is "Make-a-Wish Night" for the Broncos. Join the athletic department and basketball programs as they recognize the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a charity that the Bronco Athletic Association (BAA) supports throughout the year.

Check Your Phone
Not able to attend this week's games and can't get to a computer to watch the live broadcast? Don't worry! We've got you covered with text message alerts so you can follow your favorite team wherever you are. To sign up, click here.
 
Road Warrior
Going on the road this past weekend to play CCAA rivals Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A., DeRonn Scott guided the Broncos' offense and helped CPP salvage a 1-1 record through that pair of tough matchups.

On Friday against the Toros of CSUDH, he collected 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting. The next night, Scott recorded a career-high 20 points to go along with seven rebounds while helping the Broncos capture a 59-49 victory. His scoring effort that night featured a 7-for-8 effort at the free throw line.

Dynamic D
Saturday's matchup at the Eagles' Nest between CPP and CSULA featured two of the nation's top defenses. The Broncos ended up topping the Golden Eagles, 59-49, marking the fourth time this season that a CPP opponent has scored under the 50-point mark. The Broncos defense is allowing 57.4 points per game, the fourth-lowest average in Division II and just 0.1 points more than the third-ranked CSULA defense.

Although the CPP defense relies on a team effort, there have been two standouts in terms of the steal and block statistics. Senior forward Tyquan Brown is averaging 1.3 blocks per game, the sixth-highest mark in the CCAA. In terms of steals, sophomore guard Terrence Drisdom owns the conference's third-best average at 1.7 per contest.

Scouting the Tritons
In the first meeting between the Broncos and Tritons this year, CPP captured a 66-52 victory in La Jolla. The result marked the seventh-straight win for the Broncos in the all-time series between the two squads. Despite holding 10th place in the CCAA standings with records of 7-10 overall and 3-9 through league play, the Tritons have played plenty of close contests. Nine of the Tritons' losses have been decided by 10 points or less and three of those defeats have come in overtime. UCSD's most recent game ended in a 65-64 home loss to Humboldt State in regulation. Christian Hatch leads the Tritons' offense with game averages of 13 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Scouting the Coyotes
The Coyotes carried a three-game winning streak into last week but ended up stumbling at home, dropping back-to-back losses to the Jacks of HSU and the Sonoma State Seawolves. Nonetheless, CSUSB remains one of the five teams tied for first place in the CCAA standings. Leading the Coyotes' attack with their balanced play are Theron Laudermill and Kwame Alexander, who both bring double-double potential to each contest. In the Dec. 29 game in San Bernardino, the Broncos held Laudermill to six points while CPP junior guard Mitchel Anderson tallied 23. The Broncos ended up prevailing in overtime, 85-76.