Cal Poly women’s basketball is set to start their conference schedule and is hoping to repeat last year’s regular season success.
The Mustangs finished conference play with an 11-5 record and second place finish in the Big West. Cal Poly matched Big West program records for victories, fewest losses and winning percentage (.688) during the 2009-10 campaign.
Cal Poly showed they were a match for any team, defeating each conference team at least once, including a 69-48 win over first place UC Davis and two wins over Big West Tournament Champions UC Riverside.
But the Mustangs were upset in their first game of the Big West Tournament by seventh seeded UC Irvine in the semifinals losing by just a basket (54-51).
Expectations for Cal Poly were high again this season, as they were selected to finish second again in the Big West Conference as voted on by the media in the Big West Women’s Preseason Basketball Poll.
However, Cal Poly will have a huge obstacle to overcome this time around, without Big West Player of the Year, Kristina Santiago, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Last season, homecourt advantage proved a big factor to the Mustangs, finishing the season undefeated in Mott Gym versus all conference opponents. Cal Poly will welcome being home this season after having nine games on the road in five different states and only have three games in San Luis Obispo.
Cal Poly will face Pacific and UC Davis, back-to-back, in its first home games of the conference schedule. In Mott Gym last season, Cal Poly earned its largest victory of the season over Pacific in a one-sided 99-66 win. UC Davis, was selected to finish first in the Big West again this season.
The game versus Pacific is set to start Jan. 6 at 7:00 p.m. in Mott Gym, and the game against UC Davis will start at 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 8.