Cal Poly Women’s Basketball hosted UC Davis in the opening game of Big West play on Thursday, Dec. 5, but they fell short in a 66-60 final in Mott Athletics Center.
In a game littered with mistakes, the Aggies (3-4, 1-0 Big West) took advantage of the Mustangs’ (3-5, 0-1 Big West) late-game mistakes to pull out the win.
Efficient shooting from UC Davis
In the first quarter, the Mustangs made almost double the number of shots the Aggies made, but UC Davis shot almost 90% from the field and jumped out to an early lead.
The Aggies’ efficiency didn’t stop after the first quarter; they finished the game, shooting 51.1% from the field.
UC Davis struggled at the free-throw line, allowing the Mustangs to stay in the game late. They only made 16-of-26 free-throw attempts in the game, 7-for-12 in the fourth quarter.
Turnovers continue to prove costly
Cal Poly has struggled with turnovers all season, and tonight was no different, at least in the first half. At halftime, Cal Poly had 12 turnovers, but they could take care of the ball better in the second half, with just six turnovers.
Some costly turnovers late in the game really hurt the Mustangs’ chance to make a comeback.
Mustangs fall short late
Some key missed free throws in the fourth quarter by UC Davis allowed the Mustangs to stay in the game, and they brought it to a four-point game with the ball with less than 20 seconds left.
Cal Poly could not convert on its offensive possession, which inevitably allowed the Aggies to slam the door on the Stangs.
Senior guard Annika Shah led the team in points with 18, while redshirt sophomore forward Sierra Lichte led the team in rebounds with nine while tacking on 14 points.
Looking forward for the Mustangs
After the loss to the Aggies, the Mustangs will hit the road to take on CSU Northridge and then UCLA in Los Angeles, the nation’s No. 1 team.
It’ll be a tough test for the Mustangs before they finish out the Big West play and push to make the postseason tournament.
The next game against CSU Northridge is on Saturday, Dec. 7th at 2:00 p.m. as the Mustangs aim to win their first conference over the Matadors.
