California Polytechnic State University Athletics issued the following announcement on Dec. 7
Cal Poly has returned home to Mott Athletics Center, as the Mustang women's basketball team is preparing to host a trio of games in the week ahead.
Up first, Cal Poly takes on New Mexico State on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. The Mustangs will then face Santa Clara on back-to-back days, Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 14-15, with each of the latter two non-conference clashes set to tip off at 3 p.m. Fans are not permitted to attend at this time due to state regulations; however, BigWest.TV will live-stream video broadcasts of all three of the games, in addition to Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer of the Mustang Sports Network calling the action.
Links to all streaming can be found on the GoPoly.com schedule page. Click Here
The Mustangs have idled during final exams week following Thanksgiving, looking to return to the floor for the first time since the season-opening 108-40 loss at No. 2-ranked Stanford in the Bay Area on Nov. 25.
A LOOK AT NMSU: Cal Poly and New Mexico State (formerly colleagues in the Big West Conference before moving to the WAC) have met 10 times historically, splitting 5-5. The two squads haven't encountered in six years, however.
The Aggies head out west at 1-2, with each of the losses coming in overtime to nearby rival UTEP in close fashion, 80-76 and 81-73. Their victory came over Park University (NAIA), 92-38.
Aaliyah Prince leads NMSU with 14.3 points per game on 52.8-percent shooting, along with 2.0 steals a game. Soufia Inoussa, a Sweden U-20 National Team member, has made 7 of her 10 shots from 3-point range this season, averaging 13.0 points to go with 5.7 boards per game.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS: Cal Poly and Santa Clara haven't faced since November of 2015, with SCU leading the all-time series 12-4. This will be the Broncos' first game of the season.
Santa Clara, whose bench includes former Cal Poly assistant coach Kristin Iwanaga, is led by a 2020 All-WCC honorable mention in Ashlyn Herlihy.
Herlihy, a 6-foot-1 forward who also was a 2019 WCC honorable mention as well, averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds as a junior. Also leading Santa Clara is Merle Wiehl, who sank a team-best 45 3-pointers a year ago.
Heading into the matchups, check out the latest Mustangs Hoops Weekly, including a new Q&A with Cal Poly's Abbey Ellis, key players to watch, statistics along with Mustang season and career highs, and more! Click Here
CAMPISANO, ELLIS MAKE PRESEASON ALL-BWC TEAMS: Cal Poly senior forward Sierra Campisano and sophomore point guard Abbey Ellis both earned Preseason All-Conference Team accolades, while the Mustangs were voted fourth and fifth, respectively, in the league office's Big West Preseason Coach and Media Polls.
Defending Big West champion UC Davis, which has finished atop the conference standings for four years in a row, was selected first in both polls. Cal Poly received three first-place votes out of 20 in the media poll (along with 126 voting points) and two first-place ballots out of 11 in the coaches poll (totaling 83 points).
FOUR STARTERS RETURN AMONG 12 LETTERWINNERS, JOINED BY 7 NEWCOMERS: Last season, Cal Poly opened the conference tournament with back-to-back wins, advancing to the semifinals at the Honda Center prior to the cancellation of the remainder of play.
During the pair of victories, the Mustangs (11-18) saw Ellis average 25 points, while Campisano, a 2020 all-conference first-team honoree, added 22 per game en route to Cal Poly's second trip to Anaheim in the past three years.
Ellis ranked 13th around the country in scoring among all freshmen nationally (averaging 15.6 points), while Campisano moved to No. 7 in school history for single-season scoring (via 17.2 per game). Also back for the Mustangs after starting at last year's tournament are senior guards Chantel Govan and Malia Holt. The duo combined for 1.9 steals, 4.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game out of the backcourt in 2019-20, as Cal Poly won four of its last five games.
Original source can be found here.
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