Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Hot Third Quarter Leads Cal Poly to 56-45 Season-Opening Win in Texas
11/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Cal Poly women's basketball team closed the third quarter on a 10-0 run Friday evening, leading the way to a 56-45 season-opening victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Islanders Classic tournament.
The Mustangs opened with a hot start inside the American Bank Center, as a 3-pointer by senior guard Beth Balbierz — ultimately a sign of what was to come — provided a 9-2 lead less than four minutes in.
After a 15-7 first-quarter deficit, however, the hosts rallied with an 18-8 second period to go into halftime up 25-23.
A jumper by junior forward Amanda Lovely coming out of the break brought the Mustangs even at 25-all, before a lay-in by junior forward Hannah Gilbert and another Balbierz trey created a five-point lead.
Following a 3 of her own by Corpus Christi's Shay Weaver (the reigning Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year) to cut the gap to two, Balbierz converted a layup to ignite the pivotal run, before another Gilbert bucket, a 3 from senior point guard Lisa Marie Sanchez and then another bomb from Balbierz with only six seconds remaining ended the third with all the momentum.
Balbierz kept her streak going in the fourth, sinking another shot from behind the arc for a 43-28 advantage and then adding another jumper for a 17-point lead with 8:13 to play.
Balbierz finished with 21 points (going 8-for-12 overall and 5-for-9 from deep), matching her career-high output in the 87-79 win at LMU a year ago.
Gilbert had 17 points, and set her career high with 14 boards. She gave the Mustangs their largest lead of the night, 52-32, with 4:13 left.
Sanchez, playing a career-most 35 minutes, distributed seven assists (with no turnovers) to go with her seven points and five rebounds. Sophomore forward Lynn Leaupepe also grabbed eight rebounds.
Cal Poly will return to the neutral floor to take on Texas Rio Grande Valley, a WAC Tournament Championship participant in 2014-15, at 2:30 p.m. PST Saturday.
