15-11, 9-4
UC Riverside
6-20. 2-11
Mustangs Snap Streak, Defeat UC Riverside, 83-72
2/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Cal Poly women's basketball team defeated UC Riverside, 83-72, to snap a three game winless streak to improve to improve to 15-11overall and 9-4 in Big West play an into a tie for first place tie with Cal State Northridge in the conference standings. UCR fell to 2-11 in Big West play and 6-20 overall.
Cal Poly shot 43 percent from the floor and made 46 percent (10 of 22) from long range while making 15 of 20 from the line. UCR shot 40 percent from the floor and made four of nine three pointers while making 22 of 20 from the line.
Cal Poly outrebounded UCR, 51-37 and had 27 points off the bench compared to two from UCR. The Mustangs committed just 10 turnovers while UCR was credited with just seven.
Senior Molly Schlemer led the team with 20 points when she converted nine of 14 shots from the floor and two of four from the line. She added a career-high 19 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season. Junior Ariana Elegado added 18 points when she connected on four of six from long range. Beth Balbierz came off the bench to add 10 points with a pair of three pointers while Jonae Ervin scored five points with seven assists. Junior Taryn Garza added eight points with eight rebounds.
UC Riverside, playing with just six players, was led by DeCoud with 27 points while Harewood added 18 and Brittany Crain 14 points.
To open the game the teams traded points until Ale hit a three to give the Mustangs an 11-7 lead with 16:42 on the clock and on the next Mustangs possession Schlemer connected on a layup to put Cal Poly up 13-7 with 16:00 on the clock. UCR retook the lead on a three by DeCoud, 19-18, with 11:55 on the clock. But Sarah Lipton connected on a three to retake the lead, 21-19, and followed it up with another three to give the Mustangs a 24-22 lead with 10:37 on the clock.
With a fast flow of the game, Ervin hit a pair of free throw to put Cal Poly up, 28-14, with 8:15 on the clock. A pair of free throws by Balbierz with 6:29 on the clock gave the Mustangs a 30-28 lead. Back-to-back layups by Shlemer put the Mustangs up, 34-30, with 4:22 left in the half. Late in the half, 2:08, a layup by Schlemer put Cal Poly up six (40-34) and made it an eight point lead on a Ale jumper with 42 seconds left. The Mustangs settled for a 42-34 lead at the break.
The Mustangs opened the second half with a three after a field goal by UCR when Elegado connected on a three to give Cal Poly a 4536 lead and a layup by Ale with 18:35 on the clock put Cal Poly up eight, 47-39. A layup by Shlemer put the Mustangs up 13 at 16:21 left in the game. A three by Balbierz gave the Mustangs a 55-41 lead at 15:24. A minute later Balbierz connected on another three to put the Mustangs up 60-45. With 9:33 on the clock, Shlemer had a put-back for a 70-56 lead.
UCR cut the lead to 10 with a 6:59 left on a pair of free throws by DeCoud and after a Cal Poly foul, cut the lead to nine, 72-63, with another free throw by DeCoud with 6:11 left in the game. The Mustangs maintained the lead and closed the game holding an 83-72 lead for the win.
