After falling short in their first conference matchup against UC Davis on Thursday night, Cal Poly women’s basketball regrouped to secure their first Big West win on the road against CSU Northridge at Premier America Credit Union Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Mustangs (4-5, 1-1 Big West) beat the Matadors (2-6, 0-2 Big West) 58-45, and snapped the Mustangs three-game losing streak.
The Mustangs were hot from three-point range to start the game. Sophomore forward Mary Carter, along with senior guard Annika Shah, combined for a total of six three-pointers in the first half.
With three Mustangs scoring in double figures, Carter led the way with a season-high double-double, recording 18 points and 10 rebounds. Right behind her, sophomore redshirt Sierra Lichtie also set a season-high, contributing 17 points to the victory.
Defensive discipline in paint
Drawing offensive fouls proved crucial in Cal Poly’s win over CSUN. Cal Poly consistently capitalized on its court positioning and size mismatches, successfully drawing charges numerous times throughout the game.
Their defensive awareness not only disrupted the Matadors’ offense but also gave them an early advantage in controlling the game’s momentum, especially in the paint.
CSUN outscored Cal Poly 14-4 in points in the paint during the first half, making the Mustangs’ defensive awareness even more crucial.
Their ability to anticipate drives and draw charges helped counter the Matadors’ dominance inside, forcing turnovers and creating opportunities to stay competitive despite the scoring disparity.
CSUN mounts comeback to start second half
While the Mustangs seemed to have controlled the whole first half going into halftime, 31-19, the Matadors mounted a comeback early in the second half to cut into the deficit and only trailed by seven points, 26-29.
CSUN outscored Cal Poly 16-14 in the third quarter as they capitalized on Cal Poly’s turnovers.
Turnovers have been a problem for the Mustangs this season and continue to prove costly. The Mustangs ended the game with 28 turnovers.
Despite this, Cal Poly overcame those mistakes and outscored the Matadors 13-10 in the fourth quarter to close out their first Big West win of the season.
As Cal Poly focuses on reducing turnovers, they have a short break ahead, providing ample time for practice before facing the No. 1 team in the nation, UCLA (8-0), on Monday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion.
