Cal Poly Women’s Basketball clinched a Big West Championships berth after defeating Cal State Fullerton 68-62 on the road on Thursday, March 6 at Titan Gym.
This win over the Titans (7-22, 5-14 Big West) guarantees the Mustangs (13-16, 8-11 Big West) the eighth and final spot in the Big West Championships tournament, which will take place in Henderson, Nev., beginning Wednesday, March 12.
It also marks the third time during Head Coach Shanele Stires’ three-year tenure the team has qualified for the postseason conference tournament.
Depending on who takes the fifth seed on Saturday, the Mustangs will play the No. 5 seed in the first round of the Big West Championships. Currently, UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis are tied for the fifth place spot, but that will definitely change after Saturday.
Regardless, they will be tested and will look to finally win a Big West postseason game under Stires.
Cal Poly overcame a 15-point deficit to defeat the Cal State Fullerton, led by 17 points each by sophomore forward Mary Carter and redshirt sophomore forward Sierra Lichtie.
Carter’s field goals came from solely behind the three-point line, going 5-for-9 on threes.
After being held to just eight points in the second quarter and trailing by 12 at halftime, Cal Poly responded.
The Titans did not score in the first six minutes of the second half, allowing the Mustangs to climb back in the third quarter.
Cal Poly wouldn’t take the lead until the fourth quarter. Down six points with about six and a half minutes remaining, back-to-back threes by Carter and senior guard Annika Shah finally cut the Titans’ lead to zero.
Immediately after, Lichtie stole the ball and hit a layup, giving the Mustangs the lead for the first time since the beginning of the second quarter.
The battle came down to the wire, testing the Mustangs’ free throw abilities in the clutch as they held their lead for the rest of the game.
In the final two minutes, the Mustangs hit nine of 10 free throws, keeping them ahead as the Titans tried to foul for the ball.
The Mustangs scored 25 points in the fourth quarter, and 42 points in the second half to complete the comeback.
Lichtie and graduate guard Ashley Hiraki made all nine of their combined free throws in the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs host their final game of the season and senior night against Long Beach State Saturday at 2 p.m.
