4-9 (1-0BWC)
UC Santa Barbara
5-7 (0-1BWC)
Women's Hoop Defeats UCSB, 61-58, to open Big West Play
12/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
With the win the Mustangs open conference play 1-0 and improve to 4-9 overall. UCSB falls to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Cal Poly will return to the road and continue Big West play when they travel to Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 5 for a game at 7 pm.
For UCSB, it was the team's second loss in a Big West opener in the past in 17 years.
Senior Kristina Santiago led all scorers with 18 points while sophomore Jonae Ervin added nine and Burns eight.
Santiago's points came when she hit nine of 20 shots from the floor while she added seven rebounds and three steals.
Junior Kayla Griffin led the team with 12 rebounds and contributed six points in the win. The 12 rebounds was one shy of her career-best.
Melissa Zornig led the Gauchos with 16 points when she hit six of 12 from the floor including a pair from long range. Destini Mason came off the bench to add 11 points.
Cal Poly as a team shot 43 percent from the floor, but made only four of 18 from long range. UCSB shot 45 percent from the floor and made 44 percent from beyond the arch.
Cal Poly committed a season-low six turnovers while forcing the Gauchos into 12. The Mustangs held a one rebound advantage, 33-32.
The game had 14 lead changes with the score tied eight times.
UCSB opened the game with the hot hand and moved out to an 11-5 lead with 16:07 on the clock in the first half.
Cal Poly then put together a 12-2 run and a 17-13 lead capped by a pair of free throws by Kristine Martine at 10:43.
UCSB closed the half on a 10-2 run over the last 3:07 with Mason accounting for six of the points and a 38-30 Gaucho lead at the half.
Cal Poly opened the second half on an 11-2 run to take the lead 41-40 lead capped by a three by Burns with 14:26 on the clock.
After that run, neither team ever had more then a three point lead the rest of the game.
The Mustangs held a three point advantage (58-55) when Caroline Reeves made a layup with 3:22 left.
After a missed shot by UCSB, Cal Poly held possession of the ball for 90 seconds as the team grabbed three offensive rebounds.
With seven seconds remaining on the clock, Emilie Johnson hit a three from the right side of the court tying the game and setting up Burns' heroics.
