Broncos’ Final Shot Is a Winner As CPP Edges Toros Men in OT
February 24, 2007

Courtesy Cal Poly Pomona Sports Information Office

Complete Box Score

POMONA -- Cal Poly Pomona’s Luis Pulido made sure his first basket of the game was a big one.

Pulido drained a 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds left in overtime to edge Cal State Dominguez Hills, 70-69, Saturday night in Kellogg Gym. Pulido, one of three seniors honored in pre-game ceremonies before the Broncos’ final home game of the regular season, took only two shots in the game and the 3-pointer was his only basket.

Cal Poly Pomona (19-6, 15-5) won its seventh straight game and remained two games behind California Collegiate Athletic Association leader first-place Humboldt State with two conference games remaining. The Broncos are ranked 19th in the country and third in the NCAA Division II West Region.

Dion Cook had a huge night for the Broncos, pouring in a career-high 39 points. That is the second-highest single-game point total in Cal Poly Pomona history and just one off the program record of 40 points set by Ed Johnson in the 1961-62 season.

Kaelen Daniels had 16 points for the Broncos. Mike Steed led four Toros in double figures with 14 points. Shamont Brown had 12 points and Gabe Bernard added 10 points.

For the second straight night, the Broncos had to rally from a sizeable deficit. Cal State Dominguez Hills jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead and led by as many as 12 points in the first half. The Toros held a 30-23 lead at halftime.

The Toros boosted their lead to 12 points again early in the second half on a layup by Steed that made it 38-26 with 16:06 to go in regulation. Cook then took the game over, scoring all 14 points in a 14-1 run that gave the Broncos a 40-39 lead. Cook scored the Broncos’ first 17 points of the second half and assisted on a layup by Daniels that gave Cal Poly Pomona a 42-39 lead.

The Broncos built their lead to five points, 46-41, after a free throw by Donnelle Booker (Fr., San Bernardino, Cajon HS) with 9:11 to go, but the Toros came charging back and tied the game on a 3-pointer by Steed that made it 46-46 with 8:23 remaining.

A three-point play by Daniels gave the Broncos a 54-49 edge, but a 3-pointer by Gabe Bernard started a 7-0 run by the Toros that put Cal State Dominguez Hills ahead. The run was capped by a go-ahead jumper by Bernard.

Cook then knocked down three straight free throws to give the Broncos the lead, but a 3-pointer by Jonathan Toliver with 2:46 remaining gave the Toros a 59-57 lead. A jumper by Cook tied it, but a three-point play by Steed gave the Toros a 62-59 lead with 1:52 to go. Two free throws by Cook made it 62-61 with 34 seconds remaining and, after Carlos Rivers made one of two free throws with 29 seconds to go, Cook made a jumper with 21 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

The Broncos got a basket from Kevin Neveu and two free throws from Larry Gordon to take a 67-63 lead in overtime, but the Toros got three free throws from Jonathan Toliver and a 3-pointer by Bernard with 1:53 to go to take a 69-67 lead.

The Toros missed two opportunities to extend their lead, but missed shots and Neveu rebounded the second one to give the Broncos the ball. After a timeout, Pulido drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds left. Cal State Dominguez Hills got a final shot off, but a driving layup by Steed in traffic wouldn’t fall.