Cal Poly women’s basketball shows fight early before falling to No. 1 South Carolina

The Cal Poly women’s basketball team tested South Carolina in the first half, but the Mustangs were eventually overwhelmed by the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, falling 79-36 on Tuesday night.

The matchup was the latest in a tough opening schedule for the Mustangs and generated a good crowd of 2,384 fans, the second-largest in the history of Mott Athletics Center for a women’s basketball game.

In head coach Shanele Stires’ first season, the team recently lost to No. 2 Stanford and No. 20-ranked UCLA, but picked up a road win against Fresno State on a buzzer-beating layup from guard Annika Shah.

The Mustangs’ defense stood out against the Gamecocks from the jump.

In the first quarter, the Mustangs forced seven South Carolina turnovers, three of which were drawn charges. By the end of the game, the Gamecocks committed 17 turnovers to the Mustangs’ 14.

However, the team couldn’t find a rhythm offensively against the much bigger South Carolina team.

The Gamecocks’ starting lineup includes three players at 6 feet and above, including 6-foot-5 Aliyah Boston. The Gamecocks used their length to smother the Mustangs at the rim with 13 blocks. They also corralled 54 rebounds, 17 of which were offensive boards.

The Mustangs struggled to score in the first quarter, coming out with only two points to South Carolina’s 14. Shah made a dropoff pass to center Natalia Ackerman who laid it in for the team’s sole basket.

The offense picked up in the second quarter with the Mustangs scoring 14 points compared to the Gamecocks’ 19. Guard Maddie Willett converted on two three-pointers. Forward Sierra Lichtie added a three. Shah had four points of her own.

But the South Carolina offense found its rhythm in the second half.

The Gamecocks scored 46 points on 20 of 29 shooting shooting. They also pressured the Mustangs’ ball handlers into eight turnovers and turned that into 12 transition points. The Gamecocks continuously worked the ball inside to their interior players, who finished around the basket.

What stood out throughout the game was the Mustangs’ defense. Despite being undersized, the team fronted South Carolina’s post players and made it difficult them for to catch the ball on the low block.

“They pressured us. They got under our skin. They never stopped,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after the game.

“They were everything the film showed they would be and (Coach Stires) is doing a great job with them.”

Shah finished with eight points and two assists. Guard Nikola Kovacikova finished with five points and five rebounds. Guard Jazzy Anousinh and forward Oumou Toure also contributed five points and two rebounds each.

The Mustangs are now 2-3 on the season and will take on Sacramento State at home on Friday at 5 p.m.

This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 8:18 PM.