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| Students watch the Broncos defeat Augusta State 74-70 in the national semifinals of the NCAA Division II basketball tournament. |
For the first time in Cal Poly Pomona history, the men's basketball team will play in the NCAA Division II championship game after a thrilling 74-70 victory over Augusta State on Thursday.
The unranked and undeterred Broncos (25-7) will play in the finals on Saturday, March 28, against unbeaten University of Findlay (35-0). The championship game will be televised at a viewing party in the Bronco Student Center's Ursa Major Suite. Chips, drinks and hot dogs will be available. The game will also be broadcast on CBS Sports, Channel 2. Tip-off is at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time).
The Findlay Oilers, based in Ohio, have preserved an unblemished record this season, but the wins haven't come easy. They trailed Central Missouri (30-5) through most of their semifinal appearance, but Central Missouri turned the ball over and missed a shot in the final 30 seconds to allow Findlay to win, 67-65.
The Broncos led through most of their semifinal game against Augusta State. The Jaguars attempted a rally with six minutes left in the game and took the lead with 3:15 left on the clock. However, Cal Poly Pomona stayed its course and out-rebounded the Jaguars to advance to the finals.
With a win on Saturday, the Broncos would become the first unranked team to win the Division II title since North Alabama in 1979.
For more information, visit Bronco Athletics at https://dsa.cpp.edu/athletics.