6-10 (3-1BWC)
UC Irvine
8-10 (4-2BWC)
UC Irvine Upsets Women's Hoop, 62-60
1/14/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Cal Poly women's basketball team suffered its first defeat of the Big West basketball season, falling, 62-60, to the visiting Anteaters of UC Irvine. With the win UCI improves to 8-10 overall and 4-2 in Big West play while Cal Poly falls to 6-10 and 3-1 in conference games.
Cal Poly returns to the court on Jan. 19 when they travel to Cal State Northridge for a Big West Conference game at 7 pm.
Trailing by two, 62-60, the Mustangs had possession of the ball, but a turnover with four seconds on clock dashed any real hopes of sending the game into overtime.
UCI's Jacquelyn Marshall broke a 59-59 tie with a jumper just inside the free throw line with 19 seconds remaining.
On the Mustangs possession, senior captain Kristina Santiago had the ball roll off the rim, but drawing the foul. Santiago missed the first, but made the second, leaving the Mustangs down one, with 10 seconds left.
After a series of fouls by the Mustangs and putting UCI in the bonus, Kelly Meggs went to the line and made one free throw, but was whistled for a lane violation on the second setting up the Mustangs with the ball with six seconds remaining.
After the turnover and a Cal Poly foul, UCI missed the front end of a one and one, leaving Santiago with a desperation shot from UCI's free throw line.
In the first half, UC Irvine took the lead with 16:46 left in the first half (7-6) and put the Mustangs down 12 (32-20) at 3:18 when Anete Klinstone made a pair of free throws. UCI settled for a six point lead at the break, 34-28.
In the second half the Mustangs battled back and went on a 7-0 run and tied the game at 41-41 on a layup by Kayla Griffin with 13:40 left in the game.
The two teams battled back and forth with the Mustangs eventually gaining a five point advantage (53-48) on a layup by Santiago with 9:00 minutes remaining.
Cal Poly maintained the five point advantage when Santiago converted a jumper off a feed from Jonae Ervin with 4:29 on the clock.
UCI scored the next five points and tied the game (57-57) with 2:44 remaining in the game.
Ervin made a layup with 1:51 left and giving the Mustangs their last lead, 59-57.
Santiago led all scorers with 21 points when she made 10 of 18 shots from the floor. Ashlee Burns chipped in with 12 points as the team shot 41 percent from the floor.
Kassandra McCalister led UCI with 16 points with Klintsone adding 13 points. The Anteaters shot 39 percent from floor and made five of 16 from long range. Cal Poly made five of 19 from beyond the arch.
UC Irvine outrebounded the Mustangs 39-28 with Santiago leading all players with 10 boards.
Cal Poly committed 18 turnovers with UCI turned the ball over 16 times.
