Cal Poly Women’s Basketball overcame Division II Sonoma State University, 57-46, for its exhibition game on Wednesday morning, offering spectators at Mott Athletics Center a preview of what the 2024-2025 team is made of.
Over a thousand local elementary school students filled the stands in Mott Athletics Center for the annual ‘Field Trip’ game to celebrate the start of the upcoming season.
“The kids’ game is one of our favorite games all year,” redshirt sophomore Sierra Lichtie said. “It’s so fun to see all the screaming kids and the fans, so we are really grateful that they came today.”
Cal Poly’s ability to adjust and find offensive rhythm through perimeter shooting and ball movement in the second half after a slow start was crucial to their win.
The Seawolves scored all their first-quarter points by attacking the paint, while the Mustangs’ defense had trouble preventing shots from down low.
Senior point guard Annika Shah opened the second quarter, firing a three-pointer behind the arc. This shot got her fired up as she put on a notable performance from three-point range.
Sonoma continued exploiting the paint, but the Mustangs responded as they found good looks to Lichtie.
Despite turnovers from the Mustangs, they only trailed by one point, 28-27 going into halftime.
Cal Poly’s outside shooting came to life to start the second half, notably from Shah, whose three-point shooting helped the Mustangs take control.
Shah ended the night with 12 points, all from behind the arc.
“I have the utmost confidence in my shot, and I’m always ready to shoot another one,” Shah said.
Good ball movement on offense translated to better communication on defense, leading to quick transitions. The Mustangs pulled ahead and took advantage of Sonoma’s turnovers, feeding clean passes to Lichtie, who recorded a double-double performance.
“If they’re playing tight on me, it means that my teammates are going to be open,” Shah said. “So I have to do a better job of finding Sierra inside.”
The six-foot forward wrapped up the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Mustangs’ 7-0 run and cohesive defensive effort to end the third quarter pushed them further ahead, ending the quarter 42-34.
Head coach Shanele Stires emphasized the need for communication on defense, which paid off.
The Mustangs’ ability to spread the floor and set up the pick-and-roll to feed the ball down low was a tactic Sonoma didn’t capitalize on.
Fouling became an issue for the Mustangs in the fourth quarter.
As the clock winded down, the Seawolves found themselves in the bonus, but despite being sent to the free-throw line frequently, they struggled to close the gap.
The Mustangs will now gear up for their first of nine non-conference games this season in their home opener against UC Merced on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. at Mott Athletics Center.
