Division II : Cal Poly Pomona Wins Championship, 80-69

Led by Vickie Mitchell’s 24 points and 12 rebounds, Cal Poly Pomona upset defending champion Central Missouri State, 80-69, at Springfield, Mass., Saturday to win the NCAA Division II women’s basketball championship.

It was the second national championship for the Broncos, who won the first-ever Division II women’s tournament in 1982. They finished second the following season.

The Broncos wrapped up this season with a 26-7 record, having won their last 16 games, including five in tournament play. Central Missouri State, which came into the game ranked No. 1, finished 28-4.

A layup by Mitchell sparked a 10-point run by the Broncos midway through the first half, and the smaller Jennies were never able to recover.

The Broncos, ranked No. 8, took a 40-26 lead midway through the first half as 5-11 senior guard Kelly Fraser, who finished with 13 assists, bombed for eight straight points from 25 feet.

Central Missouri cut the margin to seven with 11 minutes left to play, behind the shooting of Rosie Jones, the Division II women’s player of the year.

Jones, who finished with 28 points, won the scoring battle with Mitchell, a 6-0 junior, but Central Missouri’s 5-6 and 5-8 guards could not handle the taller Fraser, who picked apart the Central Missouri defenses, to feed Mitchell and 5-10 forward Sheri Jennum underneath.

Jennum finished with 15 points and five assists and was named to the all-tournament team along with Mitchell, who won MVP honors.

Cal Poly shot 51.7% from the field (31 of 60) and 72% from the free-throw line (18 of 25).