As the clock reached double zeroes for the 10th time at the Mott Athletics Center this season, the 70-66 score flashed tauntingly at Cal Poly Women’s Basketball following their second scrap of the season with UC Riverside.
The narrow loss to the Highlanders (7-14, 5-6 Big West) officially marked the fourth consecutive week in which the Mustangs (3-18, 1-10 Big West) were unable to secure a win. In that span, Cal Poly has lost seven consecutive matches.
Standout ‘Stangs
Key individual performances from the Mustangs’ younger core, particularly in the second half, kept Cal Poly within striking distance. The opening 20 minutes of the afternoon, however, told a different story.
Rushed shots and trouble with hitting from beyond the arc defined Cal Poly’s play in the first half. The Mustangs had made just one three-pointer of their 10 total attempts. Cal Poly knocked down just 10 of their overall 30 field goal attempts, leading to a 33.3% field goal percentage in the opening half. Entering the second half, the Mustangs found themselves with a 32-23 deficit.
The latter half of the game showcased an entirely different team. Cal Poly upped their efficiency and found the basket 14 more times for a 43-point explosion in the second half.
Sophomore guard Vanessa McManus was at the center of the Mustangs’ late charge. Having exited the first half with only two points in a 1-7 shooting slump, McManus sank six of her next 11 shots to tack on an additional 17 points to Cal Poly’s side of the scoreboard.
Of McManus’ 17 second half points, 13 were scored in the fourth quarter alone, including a miraculous, on-the-move three pointer that cut the Highlander lead to two with three seconds to play.
Freshman forward Charish Thompson was an equally-significant factor in the Mustangs’ ability to keep fighting. Thompson led Cal Poly with 20 points – the fourth time this season in which the freshman forward had scored 20 points or more.
In addition to leading the Mustangs in scoring, Thompson nabbed nine rebounds and threw for three assists, continuing a season in which she has consistently shown development in all aspects of the game.
A learning process
Several other factors outside of the primary core’s scoring abilities contributed to the close game. A lack of turnovers from Cal Poly’s side, for example, lowered the number of scoring opportunities for UC Riverside.
In a week in which the Mustangs had given up the ball 26 and 27 times in each of their past two games respectively, Cal Poly significantly lowered their turnover output to close out the month of January. The Highlanders were able to take the ball away just 12 times on the afternoon.
On the flip side, the Mustangs were able to force 13 takeaways and capitalized on the opportunities, adding 14 points to the scoreboard on possessions that began with a UC Riverside turnover.
In addition to polishing their turnover numbers, Cal Poly looked revitalized in their interior scoring abilities. Having faced season-long struggles against opponents in the paint, the Mustangs matched the Highlanders close to the basket, with each team recording 34 points inside.
This is the second straight game in which Cal Poly has kept pace with, or scored more than their opponents in the paint, as the Mustangs outpaced Cal State Bakersfield in interior scoring, 36-26 on Thursday.
Looking forward
Cal Poly will have nearly all of the following week to shake off the loss against UC Riverside and prepare for their subsequent away match against Cal State Northridge. The Mustangs’ previous loss to Northridge kicked off Cal Poly’s current seven-game losing streak beginning on Jan. 8.
“We’re trying to even get to Vegas, so we need these ones coming up,” McManus said. “I think we’re right there. We’re competitive these last three games, so we’re almost there.”
In addition, the Mustangs will look to snap their winless streak in road games, as the match will be played at Northridge. The game will tip off on Thursday at 6 p.m.