8-8, 2-1BWC
Cal State Northridge
6-11, 2-1BWC
Cal Poly Rally Falls Short on the Road against Cal State Northridge, 81-76
1/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. Four Cal Poly players scored in double figures, but it would not be enough as the Mustangs fall for the first time in conference play, 81-76, on the road to Cal State Northridge. With the loss the Mustangs fall to 2-1 in Big West play and 8-8 overall while CSUN improves to 2-1 in conference games and 6-11 overall.
Cal Poly returns to action on Saturday at 4 pm when the team travels to Long Beach State for a Big West Conference game.
Senior Molly Schlemer led the Mustangs with her ninth double-double of the season when she scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Junior Ariana Elegado added 20 points while fellow junior Taryn Garza recorded a career-high 15 points when she made seven of 11 from the floor. Senior Jonae Ervin tallied a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Ashlee Guay led the Matadors with 22 points while Cinnamon Lister added 20 points of her own. Janae Sharpe was the third CSUN player in double figures with 17 points.
Cal Poly shot 41 percent from the floor and made six of 17 from long range while CSUN shot 40 percent from the floor and made six of 20 from beyond the arc. Cal Poly converted six of 11 from the line while CSUN made 17 of 23.
The Mustangs turned the ball over 14 times compared to 12 by the Matadors. CSUN held its largest lead of the game, 12 points, midway through the first half in a game that had 14 lead changes and four ties.
The Mustangs opened up a quick lead (5-0), but CSUN came right back and took control 22-17 midway through the period. Late in the half CSUN held a 38-29 lead on a three by Balbierz with 4:48 left in the half. Ervin made it 40-34 on a three with 2:34 left and a Schlemer jump shot made it a four point game with 1:18 left. CSUN settled for a 43-36 lead at the half.
Early in the second half a jumper by Ervin cut the lead to two, 47-45, with 17:42 on the clock. CSUN opened up a seven point lead, 56-49, on a layup by Lister with 15:32 on the clock. A layup by Ervin at 12:47 cut the lead to four, 56-52, and another layup by Ervin made it a two point game, 56-54, at 11:51.
Cal Poly took the lead on an Elegado three, 59-58, forcing a CSUN timeout with 10:52 on the clock. The teams traded leads four different times until CSUN claimed a 66-63 lead on a three by Camille Mahlknecht with 6:53 on the clock. Cal Poly came right back on a 7-0 run to take a 70-66 lead on a layup by Schlemer with 5:25 left on the clock. CSUN came right back to tie the game at 70-70 at 4:28.
Schlemer gave the Mustangs a one point lead, 71-70, on a free throw at 3:36, but a 4-0 run by CSUN gave the Matadors a 74-71 lead. CSUN held a two point lead, 76-74, after a free throw by Elegado with 2:02 on the clock. A pair of free throws by Ervin cut the lead one, 77-76, with 1:01, but a free throw by CSUN gave the Matadors a two point lead with 25 seconds left in the game. A pair of free throws with 11 seconds left gave the Matadors four point lead and added one more to close out the game, 81-76.
