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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:39 p.m., Thursday, March 26, 2009

CBKB: Cal Poly Pomona reaches NCAA II title game

Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Larry Gordon had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Cal Poly Pomona withstood a late Augusta State rally for a 74-70 win and a spot in the NCAA Division II championship game.

Trying to become the first unranked team to win the Division II title since North Alabama in 1979, the Broncos (25-7) earned a spot in Saturday's title game.

They will play the winner of Thursday's semifinal between Central Missouri and Findlay (Ohio).

Tobias Jahn, Walter Thompson and Robert Summers scored 11 points each for Cal Poly Pomona, which had a 36-31 rebounding edge despite the presence of Garret Siler, Augusta State's 7-foot senior.

Siler scored 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting, and had nine rebounds. Fred Brathwaite led the Jaguars (30-5), who had won 16 straight, with 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting.

Augusta State lost to Winona (Minn.) State in the 2008 championship game.

Trailing 61-50 with six minutes to play, Augusta State briefly took the lead when Daniel Dixon's 3-pointer made it 66-65 with 3:16 left. The teams exchanged baskets before Jahn, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Germany, scored to give Cal Poly Pomona the lead for good at 69-68 with 1:35 left.

The Broncos led 31-27 at halftime. Augusta State hit 4 of 5 3-pointers during its comeback surge, but was only 5 for 21 for the game.

Cal Poly Pomona beat Brigham Young-Hawai'i last week in the West Regional final to reach the Elite Eight.