5-7, 1-0BWC
Long Beach State
2-13, 0-2BWC
Mustangs Win Big West Opener, 83-72
1/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Cal Poly women's basketball team won its Big West Conference opener Sunday afternoon with an 83-72 win over Long Beach State. With the win the Mustangs improve to 5-7 overall and 1-0 in Big West play while Long Beach State falls to 2-13 and 0-2.
Junior Ashlee Burns came off the bench to lead the Mustangs with 17 points as a total of five Cal Poly plays tallied 10 or more points. Also coming off the bench was Caroline Reeves with 15 points with Kayla Griffin scoring 14. Rachel Clancy and Abby Bloetscher each added 12 points.
Burns' points came when she hit six of 13 shots from the floor including three of nine from long range. Reeves hit four of 10 from the floor, but hit seven of eight from the line.
Cal Poly as a team shot 38 percent from the floor and made six of 18 from beyond the arc. Long Beach State shot 41 percent from the floor and made 10 of 22 from long range, but committed 22 turnovers compared to the Mustangs 13.
The Mustangs outrebounded the 49ers 49-42 with Griffin leading the team with 11.
After falling behind 12-0 to open the game, Cal Poly finally got on the board at 14:27 when Reeves made a layup. The Mustangs scored their 10th point of the game at 10:52 when Griffin scored with LBSU leading 20-10.
Cal Poly whittled away at the lead and tied the game with 29 seconds remaining in the half at 43-43 when Bloetscher hit a jumper. The 49ers made a free throw and a jumper to take a 46-43 lead into the locker room.
The Mustangs took the lead for good and their first lead of the game, 53-51, with 16:10 left in the game when Desiray Johnston made a pair of free throws.
Cal Poly extended its lead to seven (58-51) when Griffin hit a jumper with 1353 left.
Reeves hit a jumper at the 11:40 mark to give the Mustang their largest lead of the game at 65-55.
And extended the lead to 13 (81-68) when Clancy hit a pair of free throws.
The Mustangs return to the court on Thursday, Jan. 6 when the team continues Big West Conference play when they host Pacific at 7 pm.
