Cal Poly Women’s Basketball struggled to establish a consistent offense early on in their 75-57 loss to Montana State in a Tuesday morning game at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
The Bobcats’ (3-0) full-court press early in the game forced constant turnovers on the Mustangs (1-2), enabling Montana State to take advantage and capitalize off turnovers.
The game opened with Cal Poly quickly racking up fouls by acquiring two team fouls within the game’s first minute.
The Mustangs were down 17-11 at the end of the first quarter, mainly due to their struggles with fouling and turnovers.
Efficient ball movement and offensive rebounding extended the Bobcats’ lead in the second quarter, creating numerous second-chance opportunities and keeping Cal Poly’s defense on its heels.
A defensive battle on the Bobcats’ side forced 17 turnovers, capitalizing on them to score 12 points off turnovers and leading the game 39-20 at halftime.
Down at halftime, Cal Poly needed to find a way to break out of the press, move the ball down the court without turning it over, and establish good positioning to turn their ball movement into points.
Sophomore forward Mary Carter ignited a spark in the Mustangs’ offense in the third quarter as she knocked down three consecutive three-pointers to make up for the low scoring in the second quarter.
Carter ended the game leading with 13 points, shooting three-for-five from behind the arc.
The Mustangs intensified their defense, implementing a full-court press to cut into the lead in the fourth quarter, but Montana State fueled a fast-paced offense that Cal Poly couldn’t keep up with.
Cal Poly aims to make up for this loss as it gears up to take on the University of Montana on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. at Dahlberg Arena.