Cal Poly Women’s Basketball fell to Cal State Fullerton by a score of 64-78 on Saturday, Jan. 19. The match, played in Titan Gym, was decided by a third-quarter stretch in which Fullerton outscored the Mustangs 25-15. Junior forward Alicia Roufosse registered a team-high 12 points en route to the program’s third loss since the start of conference play.
Fullerton’s quick start to the game granted them an 8-2 lead early in the first quarter, but Cal Poly kept close to the Titans with the help of junior forward Hana Vesela and freshman guard Alli Hallberg. Vesela, the 6’4 power forward who debuted against Seattle U on Dec. 17, went 3-4 from the field in the first quarter. Vesela’s six points were followed by a three-point shot from Hallberg with just seven seconds remaining in the quarter, bringing the score to 18-16.
Fullerton began the second quarter with another scoring drive and successfully extended their lead back to six points. However, the Mustangs once again refused to let down. With just under two minutes remaining in the first half, Roufosse capitalized on a layup opportunity. Only 18 seconds later, Roufosse found space again, this time sinking a jump-shot from the field. Senior point guard Dye Stahley followed up with a jump-shot of her own, sending the game to halftime with a tied score of 31-31.
The third quarter was the deciding-factor, as the Titans outscored Cal Poly 25-15. While senior forward Katie Nunnelley was able to register six points on her own for the Mustangs, Fullerton’s Raina Perez went 5-6 from the field, scoring 10 points before the end of the quarter. Perez’s scoring was mirrored by preseason All-Conference center Daeja Smith, who scored seven points in the quarter as well. The scoring drive proved to be too much for the Mustangs, as a nine-point gap was sustained throughout the remainder of the match. Seven different Cal Poly players scored in the last quarter in an attempt to close the deficit, but the final score concluded at 64-78.
Roufosse’s team-high of 12 points included six rebounds in her 18 minutes off the bench. Vesela and Hallberg registered eight points each, while Nunnelley racked up a career-high six assists. Smith finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Titans, who have won 10 of their first 16 games for the first time since 1990-91.
The Mustangs will return to Mott Athletic Center on Thursday Jan. 24 to host Hawai’i at 7 p.m.