Cal Poly women’s basketball used a strong second half to take down University of St. Thomas 63-51 on Friday, Nov. 26 inside Mott Athletics Center.
The Mustangs (1-2) got their first win of the season while the Tommies (0-4) remained winless.
The first quarter was tightly contested and evenly matched, as the score was knotted up at 14 apiece at the end of the first 10 minutes.
This trend continued in the second quarter as each team battled on the defensive side. A last-second jumper at the end of the half by junior point guard Maddie Vick gave Cal Poly a one-point lead at 24-23.
St. Thomas came out firing in the third quarter, as they went on a 10-0 run to secure a 33-24 advantage. However, the Mustangs answered with a 17-4 run of their own in the quarter, which ended with Cal Poly on top 41-37.
This momentum carried into the final quarter, as the Mustangs scored the first 12 points of the fourth to extend their lead to 53-37.
The 29-4 run across the two quarters proved to be too much for the Tommies, as Cal Poly’s lead never faltered and they came out on top 63-51.
Vick led the Mustangs with 10 points and six assists while junior forward Julia Nielacna added nine points, her career high at Cal Poly.
The Mustang defense stepped up in the victory, as they tallied four blocks and 10 steals on the day.
Cal Poly will continue their homestand when they face Montana State on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 2:30 p.m. inside Mott Athletics Center.