1-0,0-0Big West
UC Merced
0-0,0-0CCAA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Merced | 4 | 15 | 2 | 17 | 38 |
| Cal Poly | 13 | 16 | 21 | 29 | 79 |
11/2/2026 9:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly opened the 2026-27 season with a promising 79-38 victory over UC Merced on Monday evening at Mott Athletics Center, using a dominant second half to pull away for a 41-point win.
The Mustangs led 13-4 after the first quarter after shooting 6-of-18 from the field, but pushed the margin to 29-19 by halftime. Cal Poly then blew the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Bobcats 21-2 in the period.
Dessi Ulmer hit a 3-pointer with 4:29 left in the third, Mecca Alexander knocked down a triple at the 1:29 mark, and Ysabella Von Seipler drained two free throws at the buzzer to make it 50-21 heading into the fourth. The Mustangs added 29 points in the final frame to seal the result.
Sumer Lee co-led Cal Poly with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, adding four rebounds, two steals and two assists in 30 minutes on the court. Ulmer posted a debut double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds on 7-of-13 from the field, including one 3-pointer.
Gabby Robinson chipped in 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting (2-of-3 from deep) with three rebounds and three assists, while Madison Butcher added eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and five rebounds.
Maddy Tauro filled the stat sheet and was all over the court with seven points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Von Seipler provided a much needed fresh spark off the bench with six points, six rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes.
As a team, Cal Poly shot 30-of-66 (45.5%) from the field and 8-of-22 (36.4%) from 3-point range while holding UC Merced to 11-of-56 (19.6%) shooting and 2-of-15 from beyond the arc, the third straight opponent that the Mustangs have held below 30% on perimeter shots.
The Mustangs forced 21 turnovers and converted them into 20 points, outscored the Bobcats 40-14 in the paint and 15-10 on the fast break, and finished with 11 steals, led by Tauro's three. Cal Poly also posted a 14-9 assist edge and dominated the paint with 40-of-79 points.
Cal Poly returns to action Thursday, Nov. 5, hosting Whittier College, with tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Mott Athletics Center. The Poets will be Cal Poly’s final non-Division-I opponent of the season. The Mustangs and Poets have faced off just once in program history, a 101-41 home victory all the way back in January 1978.
