(5-9, 2-0)
Cal State Fullerton
(7-7, 1-2)
Women's Hoop Improves to 2-0 in BWC with Win over CS Fullerton
1/5/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FULLERTON, Calif. – Senior Kristina Santiago and junior Kayla Griffin each tallied a double-double in leading the Cal Poly women's basketball team to a 76-69 win over Cal State Fullerton in a Big West Conference basketball game on Thursday.
With the win the Mustangs improve to 2-0 in Big West play and 5-9 overall while the Titans fall to 1-2 in conference games and 7-7 overall. Cal Poly will return to the court on Jan. 12 when the team will host UC Riverside in a Big West Conference game at 7 pm.
Santiago recorded 29 points and 14 rebounds while Griffin scored a career-high 19 points with 10 rebounds.
Santiago's points came when she hit 12 of 16 shots from the floor with 11 of her rebounds coming at the defensive end of the court. She was also five of six from the line. Her rebound total leaves her just two shy of the school record for career rebounds. Santiago currently has 690 career rebounds and trails the record book leader, Sherrie Atteberry, with 692. Atteberry played at Cal Poly from 1983 to 1987.
Griffin was six of 10 from the floor including a three pointer. The junior hit all four of her shots from the line.
Sophomore Jonae Ervin was the third Mustang in double figures with 10 points when she converted three of nine shots from the floor and all four at the line.
Cal State Fullerton was led by Mya Olivier with 14 points, followed by Kathleen Iwuoha and Tailer Butler with 11 points each.
Cal Poly made 28 of 59 from the floor, good for 48 percent, but could only manage one of nine from beyond the arch. The Mustangs hit 19 of 22 free throws and managed 40 rebounds.
Cal State Fullerton shot 35 percent from the floor and hit 31 percent from long range. The Titans were 11 of 15 from the line with 39 rebounds.
The Mustangs went down early to open the game, 4-2, but rebounded to go on an 8-0 run to hold a 10-4 lead at 16:18 when Santiago hit a jumper.
With 13:10 left in the period, Griffin hit a three off an assist from Kristen Ale to give Cal Poly a 10 point lead at 19-9.
The Mustangs maintained the 10 point lead (21-11) when Santiago hit a jumper with 10:50 left in the half.
Fullerton made a push and cut the lead to five (27-22) with 7:42 on the clock when Iwuoha made a layup. But Cal Poly scored the next four points to hold a 31-22 lead on layups by Griffin and Ervin.
Late in the half the Titans went on a 7-3 run to close to four, 40-36, at the break.
In the second half, Cal State Fullerton tied the game up at 42-42 with 16:25 left in the game when Alicya Crisp hit a three. Cal Poly came right back and grabbed a 48-42 lead on a layup by Caroline Reeves at 14:13.
The Mustangs made it a nine point lead (52-43) on a pair of free throws by Christine Martin with 13:14 left in the game.
CSF cut into the lead, but Cal Poly managed a six point lead (66-60) on a field goal by Ale with 5:41 left.
Down the stretch, Santiago hit a jumper a pair of free throws to seal the 76-69 win.
