Strong defense and an efficient offense led Cal Poly Women’s Basketball over NAIA Life Pacific at Mott Athletics Center on Nov. 19.
After holding the Warriors (1-1) to just one point in the first quarter, the Mustangs (3-2) cruised to their 82-36 victory.
Efficient Offense
With four players in double figures, the Mustangs shot an impressive 50% from the field and 31% from three against the Warriors.
Three of the five starters scored more than 10 points in Tuesday night’s contest. Senior guard Annika Shah led the way for the Mustangs with a game-high 17 points and seven assists.
The other double-digit scorers were redshirt sophomore forward Sierra Lichtie, 12, sophomore forward Mary Carter, 10 and freshman forward Ana Moleon Hidalgo, 10.
The Mustangs jumped out to a big lead early, courtesy of Shah and Carter three-pointers.
However, the Mustangs only finished with six of their 31 made field goals coming from behind the arc.
Steals Galore
Turnovers were an issue for both teams, but especially for Life Pacific. The Mustangs had 23 total turnovers, 12 in the first half and 11 in the second, while the Warriors had 41.
Five Cal Poly players finished with four or more steals, helping force those 41 turnovers. They took advantage and scored 44 points off of those turnovers.
The Mustangs applied full-court pressure to force bad passes and mishandled dribbles from Life Pacific almost the entire game.
Young Mustang Talent
Cal Poly’s freshmen also made plenty of contributions in the win. They scored a total of 39 points against the Warriors, 36 of which came off the bench.
Hidalgo led all freshmen in points, while freshman forward Nora Perez had a game-high nine rebounds and added seven points.
Freshman center Gillian Bears also looked impressive, reeling in three offensive rebounds and converting two of her four attempts plus her four free throws to total eight points.
The Mustangs will look to extend their winning streak to three as they host Idaho on Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. at Mott Athletics Center.
