The Cal Poly women’s basketball team watched a nine-point lead dwindle to nothing when UC Irvine’s Tayler Champion nailed a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired. The shot put the Anteaters up 17-16 with seven minutes remaining in the first half.
Yet, the Mustangs went on to outscore UC Irvine 20-10 the rest of the half and the Mustangs never looked back as they moved to 14-8 overall and 10-1 in the Big West, two games ahead of UC Riverside with its 80-70 victory on Saturday night.
In the first half, the Mustangs’ lead fluctuated, but by collecting offensive rebounds, Cal Poly was able to score second-chance points and create an early cushion.
Then, the Anteaters rallied with an 8-0 run with the help of Jacquelyn Marshall, who put nine points on the board in just three possessions. The Mustangs left her open on the perimeter and she took advantage, hitting two shots then driving through the lane for a layup and a foul.
The Anteaters took a brief lead following an inbounds play with a second left on the shot clock. The ball was given to Champion about five feet behind the 3-point line and she put it up as the scoreboard flashed red. The ball found its way through the net in a perfect swoosh, giving UC Irvine a 17-16 advantage with 7:08 to go.
Gaining a sense of urgency, the Mustangs rallied back with a 7-0 run in just two minutes, capped by a Rachel Clancy 3-pointer.
“Even when they were cutting the gap, I felt really confident that we were gonna extend the lead,” Clancy said. “We were able to get stops when we needed to and we were able to score when we needed to.”
Guard Kayla Griffin racked up 11 points in the first half as the Mustangs were looking for a leader to put points on the board.
The Mustangs were able to fend off the Anteaters in part due to a tenacious style of defense that allowed UC Irvine to take only 18 shots in the first half. Guard Tamara Wells epitomized the tough style, diving to the floor for any loose ball and getting tie ups when her defender exposed the ball.
“I’m a senior, so I look at it like I have nothing to lose,” Wells said. “I leave it all on the floor, so I have no regrets … That’s how I’ve been playing and practicing. Why not give 100 percent?”
Head coach Faith Mimnaugh said after the game Wells was sick this week and missed some practice time, but her play against UC Irvine showed what she’s capable of even under adverse conditions.
“She’s sucking air, but she’s giving everything she’s got,” Wells said. “I think she epitomizes what this team is doing this year … Finding a way to win whatever obstacles are put in front of them. They just battle.”
Clancy took over much of the scoring in the second half, putting 12 points on the board in the final 20 minutes. She hit five of six free throws in the final 50 seconds to guarantee the victory.
Cal Poly finished the game with five scorers in double-figures, led by Clancy’s 19. Center Abby Bloetscher — who scored 11 points — also earned a double-double with 10 rebounds, including seven on offense.
“It’s a whole team game and I think that’s really helping us win, because other teams can’t focus on one or two players,” Bloetscher said. “They have to focus on five players which is hard to do.”
The team shot 46 percent from the floor, while UC Irvine shot 51 percent.
Cal Poly also ended the night with an equal number of rebounds on offense and defense (17), helping the Mustangs to 12 second-chance points. They also scored 29 points off turnovers. Wells led the team with five steals.
The victory was the team’s second in a row, after a 21-point loss to UC Davis. The Mustangs go on the road next week to face Cal State Northridge on Thursday and UC Riverside on Saturday.