Saturday, December 16
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
6 P.M.
3-6,0-0Big West
65
vs
67
Montana
4-3,0-0Big Sky
1
2
3
4
F
Montana
18
16
14
19
67
Cal Poly
24
12
13
16
65
Team Stats
Mont
CPO
FG%
.474
.423
3FG%
.435
.462
FT%
.600
.600
RB
38
27
TO
21
11
STL
8
17
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
7
3FGM
4
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballPG
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Mustangs Drop Close Battle with Montana Saturday, 67-65
12/16/2023 10:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Junior guard Annika Shah set a new career-high in scoring and four Mustangs scored in double figures, but Cal Poly dropped a close contest to visiting Montana Saturday inside Mott Athletics Center, 67-65.
Shah led all players with a career-high 24 points, knocking down four threes. Redshirt freshman forward Sierra Lichtie and graduate guard Ania McNicholas each poured in 13 points. McNicholas also matched her career-high with seven steals in addition to six rebounds and five assists. Senior forward Natalia Ackerman added 10 points, five rebounds, and three blocks for the Mustangs (3-6), who due to injuries only saw eight players play in the game.
Both teams came out hot to start the game as they combined to make the first seven shots of the game. Cal Poly shot 75-percent in the first quarter and led 24-18 heading into the second.
In the second quarter, the Mustangs led 26-18 before a 14-6 run by the Griz (4-3) tied the game up at 32 apiece. Right before the buzzer to end the first half, Shah got fouled on a three with less than a second remaining, knocking down two of the three free throws to give Cal Poly a 36-34 lead at the half.
In the third, Montana took its first lead of the second half at 48-47 after making a three with under a minute left in the third. The Mustangs scored on their next possession to take the lead back and go up 49-48 into the fourth quarter.
Cal Poly held the Griz scoreless for nearly the first five minutes of the fourth as the Mustangs went up by six at that point. However, Montana went on a 7-0 run over the next minute to go up 55-54. It was back-and-forth from there with a wild last minute of play.
Tied at 61, McNicholas got a steal and a layup to put the Mustangs up by two with 41 seconds left. Montana knocked down a three on its ensuing possession to go ahead by one with 30 seconds left. Ackerman made a layup with 24 seconds left to put Cal Poly back ahead by one. The Griz then got a layup to go ahead 66-65 with 16 seconds left. The Mustangs came up empty on their next possession and Montana made a free throw to push the lead to two. Shah's jumper with 1.5 seconds came up empty to seal the win for Montana.
Cal Poly will now head back on the road next week to Sacramento State on Thursday, Dec. 21 for an 11 a.m. tip time with the Hornets.
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