6-6, 0-1BWC
Long Beach State
8-5, 1-0BWC
Cal Poly Falls, 62-52, to LBSU in Big West Opener
1/3/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Cal Poly had three players score in double figures, but it would not be enough as the Long Beach State 49ers defeated Cal Poly, 62-52, in both teams conference opener on Thursday. With the loss the Mustangs fall to 6-6 overall and 0-1 in Big West games while LBSU improves to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in conference games.
Cal Poly returns to the court on Saturday when the team travels to UC Irvine for a Big West game at 4 pm.
Senior Brittany Woodard led the Mustangs with 14 points when she made four of 16 shots from the floor. Fellow senior Kayla Griffin added 12 points with sophomore junior Jonae Ervin helping out with 11. Woodard and Caroline Reeves led the team in rebounding with seven boards each.
Cal Poly shot only 28 percent from the floor making just 20 shots on 71 attempts and only hit only three of 20 from long range. The Mustangs made nine of 16 shots from the line. Cal Poly grabbed 43 rebounds while dishing out 10 assists with 17 turnovers.
Long Beach State was led by Alex Shanches with 15 points with Ella Clark adding 12. Bianka Balthazar and Mary Ochiltree each helped out with 10 points. LBSU shot 42 percent from the floor and made four of 15 from long range. They went to the line 17 times and made 71 percent (12). They grabbed 45 rebounds with 13 assists while turning the ball over 21 times. The team added six blocks and six steals in the win.
The Mustangs opened the scoring on a layup by Ervin, but LBSU responded with a three on the next possession to take the lead and midway through the half held a 14-7 lead. The Mustangs came back on a 8-0 run, capped by Ashley Cascio's three pointer and a fast break layup by Woodard with 8:25 left in the period for a 16-14 lead. A jumper by Ervin with 6:35 on the clock gave Cal Poly a 19-16 advantage.
Cascio's jumper with 5:22 on the clock gave the Mustangs a 21-17 lead and made it 25-19 on a layup by Caroline Reeves with 3:30 left in the half. LBSU cut the lead to one, 27-26, with under a minute left in the period and tied the game at 29-29 on a three in the closing moments of the half. Woodard missed a jumper at the buzzer and the teams were tied at the break.
Woodard led the Mustangs at the half with 10 points while Ervin had six with Cascio off the bench with five. The team shot 41 percent from the floor while making one of four from long range. LBSU shot 44 percent in the half and made four of 11 from long range.
In the second half it would not be until the 13:09 mark that either team would gain a three point advantage. LBSU's Wilson hit a jumper for a 37-34 lead and expanded the lead to four on a free throw with 11:06 on the clock. Long Beach made it a seven point game (45-38) on a jumper by Hudson with 7:48 left in the game.
A three by Kayla Griffin with 6:14 on the clock, cut the lead to five, 48-43, but LBSU would respond and stretch its lead to 11 (54-43) on a 6-0 run with 4:20 left in the game. LBSU put the game out of reach with 36 seconds on a fast break layup by Hudson and a 62-52 win.
