4-3
Saint Mary's
4-2
Elegado Scores Career-High 31 in 70-67 Loss to Saint Mary's
11/29/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Sophomore Ariana Elegado scored a career-high 31 points, but it would not be enough to hold off Saint Mary's as the Gaels came back from a 15 point deficit to defeat the Mustangs, 70-67 in a non-conference basketball game on Thursday in Mott Gym.
With the loss the Mustangs fall to 4-3 on the season while SMC improves to 4-2. The Mustangs will return to the court when they travel to Reno to face the Wolfpack on Sunday at 2 pm.
The Mustangs used a 22-4 run to overcome a four point deficit (16-10 SMC) and held a 32-20 lead at the break. Elegado scored 19 points, hitting five of eight from long range.
In the second half the Mustangs held their largest lead, 15 points, just one minute in the final period when Kayla Griffin popped for a three pointer giving Cal Poly a 35-20 lead.
SMC went on a 11-2 run over the next four minutes and closed the gap to six points, 37-31. Elegado stopped the run with a three, but SMC kept the pressure up and when on a 6-0 run to close to three points, 40-37 with 13:42 left in the game.
The Mustangs finally gave up the lead with 6:36 remaining in the game when Lauren Nicholson hit a three to give the Gaels a 57-56 lead. SMC held a four point lead, 68-64, with 58 seconds remaining when Elegado hit her seventh three of the game cutting the lead to one. SMC hit a pair of free throws for a three point lead, 70-67, with 19 second left in the game. In the closing moments of the game, Cal Poly worked the ball to Elegado who missed a pair of three from the right side, but the Mustangs had one more attempt as Brittany Woodard missed a three as the buzzer sounded.
Elegado's points came when she hit seven of 14 from long range and 11 of 19 from the floor. Griffin added 14 points when she connected on three of seven from long range as the Mustangs shot 37 percent from the floor.
Saint Mary's was led by Jackie Nared's 21 points with Danielle Maudin and Carli Rosenthal adding 15 and 12 points respectively. SMC shot 40 percent from the floor as the Gaels outrebounded the Mustangs by 16 boards (49-33).
Cal Poly shot 44 percent from long range, but hit only seven of 13 attempts at the line while SMC shot 31 percent from long range and made 18 of 26 from the line.
