Despite a late surge in the fourth quarter, Cal Poly Women’s Basketball fell to UC Riverside 64-56, ending the Mustangs’ win streak.
The Mustangs (10-11, 5-6 Big West) trailed the Highlanders (10-11, 6-5 Big West) the entire game, but kept the deficit within reach.
Cal Poly went on an 11-2 run in the final minutes of the game, but it wasn’t enough to catch UC Riverside.
Throughout the game, Cal Poly struggled to break through UC Riverside’s defense, shooting just 33% from the field and 27% from three-point range.
Graduate guard Ashley Hiraki led the Mustangs in scoring, contributing 13 points off of 7-8 shooting from the free-throw line. Senior guard Sydney Bourland added 12 points of her own, going 5-10 from the field and finding efficiency in a tough shooting game for Cal Poly.
Recognizing the defense, Bourland found attacking the rim to be her best option throughout the game.
“I think they were super aggressive getting into our passing lane,” Bourland said. “So we had to attack the rim to try and get open, a kick-out, or even the opportunity of drawing the foul.”
Even with the shooting troubles, the Mustangs trailed by two points at halftime.
Shooting trouble
The Highlanders applied constant defensive pressure on senior guard Annika Shah, mirroring Cal State Bakersfield’s approach from Thursday’s game.
Shah’s movement off the ball was not enough to free her up for many shots. Due to the heavy defensive pressure, she went 3-9 from the field.
“We have to let things come to us a little bit more and set better screens for her and attack because if we attack and we score, then they are going to have to hop off Annika,” Bourland said. “So if someone else steps up, then we will have more opportunities for Annika to get open.”
Shah was held scoreless in the first half, but came alive in the second, finishing the game with nine points and helping to fuel the Mustangs’ offensive push.
The Highlanders’ fourth quarter push
Though the game remained close for most of the night, the Highlanders seized control early in the fourth quarter with an 11-0 scoring run, and the Mustangs quickly fell behind.
Despite the sudden deficit, Cal Poly responded with a scoring surge of their own, going on an 11-2 run late in the quarter.
However, their efforts weren’t enough to complete the comeback, as the Highlanders maintained their composure down the stretch, ultimately handing Cal Poly an eight-point defeat.
“You just gotta hand it to them, they fought harder than us tonight,” Bourland said. “Turnovers definitely hurt us a lot today, and I think they have in the past game, so that is something we are continuously working on.”
The Mustangs will fly to play Hawaii on Feb. 6 at 10 p.m., looking to bounce back against the Big West leading Rainbow Wahine (15-6, 9-2 Big West), in a tough road matchup.
