Mustangs Host St. Mary's on Thursday, 7 pm
11/27/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
This Week: The Mustangs will remain home at home for a single this week when the will host Saint Marys on Thursday at 7 pm. Cal Poly will then travel to Reno for a single game and play Nevada on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 2 pm. The Mustangs enter the game with the Gaels with a 4-2 record while SMC is 3-2. Nevada enters the week 3-2 and will not host another game until the Mustangs visit.
Live Stats/Audio: Live stats will be available for all games with Audio and live steaming available for the Cal Poly home game. All Cal Poly home games are streamed at Gopoly.com with Dave Grant calling the play by play. Live stats will also be available through GoPoly.com. Video will be available at BigWest.org.
What's coming up: Following the trip to Nevada, Cal Poly will take a finals break before hosting three straight games starting with San Diego State (Dec. 16) then San Francisco (Dec. 18) and LMU on the 20th.
A Quick Look at the Teams:
CP SMC Nevada
Record: 4-2 3-2 3-2
Points PG 68.5 68.4 71.6
Opp. Points PG 70.7 73.8 69.0
Rebounds PG 44.2 47.2 44.6
Shooting % 39.4 37.3 37.8
3-Point % 32.9 27.5 31.9
FT % 64.3 75.0 75.2
Steals PG 8.2 4.4 9.8
Assists PG 15.3 13.6 12.4
Blocks PG 4.3 3.0 5.4
Turnovers PG 19.2 17.8 21.2
Saint Mary's: The Gaels enter the game with the Mustangs 3-2 with three of the five games played against Pac 12 opponents. SMC opened the season with a 70-68 loss to Washington only to follow up with a win over Oregon, 78-69. The third Pac 12 game came against ranked California with the team falling, 89-41. SMC hosted its own tourney and defeated Butler, 85-74 and Chattanooga, 70-67. Two players average double figures in scoring led by Jackie Nared's 18.6 points per game with Danielle Mauldin adding 12.8 points. Nared also averages a double-double with a team-leading 10.2 rebounds.
History with SMC: Cal Poly is winless against the Gaels including last season's 65-62 win in Moraga.
Nevada: The Wolfpack enter the game with the Mustangs with a 3-2 overall record having picked up wins over Cal State Fullerton, 76-72, UC Irvine, 72-49, and Cleveland State, 86-79. The team is led by Chanelle Brennan with 12.4 points per game followed by Danika Sharp with 11.2 points. Terilyn Moe is the third member of the team to score in double figures with 10.0 points per game. Brennan is also the team's top rebounder with 6.8 boards per game.
History with the Wolfpack: Nevada holds a 7-3 advantage over the Mutangs in the all-time series with the teams last playing in 2006 won by Nevada 76-62.
A Little About the Mustangs.....:
• The Mustangs are coming off back-to-back Big West Regular Season Championships posting a 12-4 conference record both seasons.
• The Mustangs won 17 games last season, one off pervious year (18) that tied for second-best in school history since making the move to Division I in the 1994-95 season. Cal Poly posted a Division I best 21 wins during the 2008-09 season when the team went 21-11. During the 2009-10 season, head coach Faith Mimnaugh's squad recorded 18 wins... Overall in women's basketball history (since 1974-75), the team posted a 21-12 record in the 1981-82 season and 18-11 in 1979-80 when the team was competing at the Division II level.
• The Mustangs have claimed the last three Big West Conference Player of the year award with Kristina Santiago winning twice (2011-12 and 2009-10) with Rachel Clancy winning in 2010-11.
• The Mustangs have advanced to the post season the last two seasons, both in the WNIT. In 2011 the Mustangs hosted California and lost 74-60 while in the 2012 season Cal Poly traveled to Seattle and lost to Washington, 90-71.
Playing the Best... : Cal Poly has opened the 2012-13 season 4-2 playing two teams ranked in the top 25. The Mustangs opened the season with No. 24 Oklahoma State, falling 90-59. Then came back after a pair of wins to play No. 12 California (87-61).
Who is Stepping Up.... : In five of the team's six games the Mustangs have had a different leading scorer. In the season-opener against Oklahoma State (90-59), junior Molly Schlemer led the team with 21 points and 12 rebounds. In the win on the road at Oregon State (72-62), sophomore Ariana Elegado scored 27 points with five assists. In the home-opening win over San Diego (69-50), senior Kayla Griffin scored 16 points with seven rebounds and five steals. In the win over Stephen F. Austin, Brittany Woodard led the team with 18 points with six rebounds. She made eight of 10 from the line. In the win over CSUB, Caroline Reeves and Nikol Allison each scored 14 points to lead the team. Allison came off the bench to hit six of seven from floor.
What the Team Lost: The Mustangs graduated the schools all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Kristina Santiago.... Last season she averaged 23.4 points and 9.9 rebounds. She hit 56 percent of her shots from the floor and made 72 percent of her free throws.... Also in the mix was the team's No. 2 scorer, Ashlee Burns who averaged 9.2 points while hitting 41 percent of her shots from long range.... The team's fifth leading scorer was Christine Martin who averaged 7.6 points while hitting 42 percent of her shots from the floor.
The New Guard Steps Up: Brittany Woodard leads a trio of players scoring in double figures. Woodard leads the team with 10.8 points followed by Kayla Griffin with 10.7. Ariana Elegado is the third Mustang with 10.4 points. Jonae Ervin and Molly Schlemer add 9.0 points respectively.
Mustang Snapshot: The Mustangs lost three of the team's top five leading scores from last season's squad. The two returning players, senior Kayla Griffin and junior Jonae Ervin, averaged 8.6 and 7.8 respectively. Griffin started and played in 29 games and hit 38 percent from the floor and 35 percent from long range. She also grabbed an averaged of 6.6 rebounds, second on the team. Ervin, a point guard, played in 31 games and started in 22. She shot 41 percent from the floor and 43 percent from long range. She dished out 112 assists while only turning the ball over 42 times.... She lead the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio..... 2.67
This Past Weekend: In the two wins the Mustangs picked up this past weekend Brittany Woodard led the team averaging 15.5 points with 6.0 rebounds. Caroline Reeves averaged 13.0 points with 3.5 assists. Jonae Ervin, in her first action of the season, averaged 9.0 points with 2.5 rebounds. Kayla Griffin added 9.0 points with 10 rebounds a game.
Wins and Losses.....:
Wins Losses
Record: 4 2
Points PG 70 60.0
Opp. Points PG 56.0 88.5
Rebounds PG 44.0 38.5
Shooting % 40.3 35.8
3-Point % 40.7 34.2
FT % 56.3 60.0
Steals PG 12.0 3.5
Assists 18.0 12.5
Blocks PG 5.5 2.0
Turnovers 15.5 23.5
In the Oregon State Win.... : In the Mustangs win on the road over Oregon State a number of players made major contributions... but the biggest could have been turnovers... In the loss at Oklahoma State, the Mustangs committed 31 turnovers with three players with five or more. In the win at Oregon State Cal Poly committed just nine... a difference of 22....
And Now The Game...: Aside from Ariana Elegado's career scoring night a few others contributed... Senior Kayla Griffin scored 15 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.. She was seven of 15 from the floor with six assists, a block and a steal... Molly Schlemer had a second game in double figures with 10 points with sophomore Kristen Ale coming off the bench to add 10 of her own... Cal Poly as a team had six blocked shots with true freshman Maddison Allen leading the team with three blocks in 15 minutes of play.
Two Local Women's Basketball Players Among Four to Sign NLI's
A total of four high school players have signed national letters of intent to enroll and continue their women's basketball careers at Cal Poly. The announcement was made Thursday by 16th-year Mustang head coach Faith Mimnaugh. The four players to sign NLI's on Wednesday include Hannah Gilbert (Morro Bay, CA), Mary Kate Evans (Atascadero, CA), Sarah Lipton (Irvine, CA) and Rachel Koehler (Billings, MT).
Hannah Gilbert, 6-3, Center, Morro Bay, CA/ Morro Bay HS
Named MVP of the Los Padres League as a junior when she led the team to a 20-4 overall record and 12-0 in league games… She averaged 14.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while making 73 percent of her shots from the line. As a sophomore she helped lead the team to a 20-6 overall record and a 10-2 mark in league games when she averaged 11.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game…. As a freshman she posted numbers of 5.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in helping the team to an 18-8 overall record and 10-2 league record… She plan to major in business administration at Cal Poly…
Mary Kate Evans, 6-0, Forward, Atascadero, CA/ Atascadero HS
As a junior she averaged 19.3 points, 13 rebounds, 4.4 blocks and 2.9 steals per game in leading her team to an 18-9 overall record and a 9-3 mark in league games earning All CIF honors…. She was named first-team all-league and all-county first-team and Atascadero High School MVP… As a sophomore averaged 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game earning All CIF for the second time… Named all-county… Also earned named team MVP… Intends to major in environmental engineering at Cal Poly….
Sarah Lipton, 6-1, Forward, Irvine, CA/ Woodbridge HS
As a junior she averaged 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.63 blocks per game while shooting 40 percent from the floor and 39 percent from long range… She was MVP and First-Team All-Pacific Coast League … She also honored when she was named All-City MVP and invited to the Nike Skills Academy… As a sophomore she was named All-CIF Southern Section, First-Team All-Pacific Coast League and led Woodbridge HS in scoring… As a freshman she named second-team all-league as the team advanced to the 1A CIF Semifinals and the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA Championships. Played club for Cal Swish Black and head coach Russ Davis…
Rachel Koehler, 5-10, Forward, Billings, MT/Billings Senior HS
Led the team in scoring (10 ppg) and rebounding (8 rpg) while adding 1.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block per game… She was named to the first-team all-league… The all-around athlete was named all-state in soccer three times and one in track and field… Finished second in the state in the triple jump and advanced to the championship in the 4 x 100 relay…
• Cal State Northridge is labeled the preseason favorite to win the Big West title this season, but the voting shows the race will be a tight one. The Matadors garnered six first place votes and 161 points overall, but
Pacific was only two points behind and picked up five first place mentions. Defending Tournament champion UC Santa Barbara picked up 153 points and three first place tallies, while Cal Poly (127 pts.) and Long Beach State (116) each picked up a first place vote and finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Preseason Big West Conference Media Poll
1. Cal State Northridge (6).......................................161
2. Pacific (5).............................................................159
3. UC Santa Barbara (3)..........................................153
4. Cal Poly (1)..........................................................127
5. Long Beach State (1)...........................................116
6. Hawai'i...................................................................81
7. UC Davis...............................................................80
8. UC Riverside.........................................................74
9. UC Irvine................................................................65
10. Cal State Fullerton...............................................29
Preseason Big West All-Conference Team
1. Kayla Griffin, Cal Poly
2. Ashlee Guay, Cal State Northridge
3. Kamilah Martin, Hawai'i
4. Tre'Shonti Nottingham, UC Riverside
5. Kendall Rodrigues, Pacific
6. Janae Sharpe, Cal State Northridge
Big West Notes....
• A $.32 stamp, a future President named Bill Clinton and Jerry Maguire. What do they all have in common? They were all in the news the last time Hawai'i was a Big West member. Well 16 years later the Wahine have returned to the California shores of the league. UH has fond memories of its previous 12 seasons in the league, picking up 230 wins, 128 conference wins, three Big West Tournament Championship game appearances and one Tournament title.
