ANAHEIM, Calif. — For the third time in five seasons, the Cal Poly women’s basketball team found itself on the brink of history. Finally, they made it, as the No. 2-seeded Mustangs knocked off top-seeded Pacific, 63-49, Saturday afternoon at the Honda Center in the Big West Conference tournament final, earning their first-ever trip to the NCAA tournament.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” said Cal Poly (21-10) head coach Faith Mimnaugh. “Sometimes you think it isn’t going to happen but your hard work pays off, it does.”
Molly Schlemer, the Big West Player of the Year, was held to just seven points but pulled down 13 boards and was named the tournament MVP. Cal Poly guard Ariana Elegado led the game with 22 points and was also named to the all-tournament team.
“She’s a large woman, you can probably tell that. She’s no shrinking violet,” Mimnaugh said about Schlemer. “Everyone targets here she got double abd triple teamed all night… She did a terrific job we count on her a lot for not only scoring and rebounding but defense.”
“I thought our kids did a nice job on Schlemer,” said Pacific head coach Lynne Roberts. “She is kind of an X factor for them. She attracts a lot of attention.
Schlemer’s seven points were well under her 13.2 per game average, but her rebounding and defense was key for the Mustangs.
Pacific (25-7) was held to just 32.8 percent shooting from the field and was out-rebounded, 46-28.
“Obviously, you could look at the box score and say, ‘Wow, they didn’t shoot well and got out-rebounded.’ But I think there’s more to it than that,” Roberts said. "It was a lot closer than the score."
Pacific’s Gena Johnson led the Tigers with 14 points and three assists. Johnson, as well as Erica McKenzie (11 points), were also named to the all-tournament team.
The two teams played close and were tied at 10 midway through the first half. But a Caroline Reeves jumper from the wing sparked a 13-3 run that saw Cal Poly pull away for a 10-point lead with 5:23 left to play in the frame.
A jumper by McKenzie finally cut the lead and a defensive stop at the other end gave the Tigers another chance. Kendall Rodriguez then hit a jumper to make the score 23-17 but that would be the closest Pacific would come in the half. Cal Poly took a 33-21 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
The Mustangs controlled the game for much of the second half but Pacific did not go down without a fight. McKenzie scored eight-straight to bring the Tigers back to within three with 3:54 left.
But Cal Poly quickly worked the lead back to 10 and would never look back.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Schlemer, who played sparsely in Cal Poly’s championship game loss to UC Davis in 2011. “Watching UC Davis cut down the nets was terrible I don’t think I’ve ever been so disappointed about a game in my life. … Hopefully we’re paving a road for teams in this program to come.
In their first appearance in the finals since 2003, the Tigers were also looking for their first-ever trip the NCAA tournament. But a banner year may go for naught as they will be forced to await the NCAA tournament selection committee’s decision to see whether or not they will get in or be relegated to the WNIT.
Pacific owns an RPI of 43.
“I strongly believe that we deserve to go,” Roberts said. “After 31 games to have that high of an RPI that’s a whole body of work. I’ve talked to a lot of people involved and all I’ve heard is, ‘Yeah, you’ve got a great shot.’”
The Big West RPI is currently ranked 11th and Pacific may have a good shot but ultimately the decision is out of Roberts’ hands.
“This year the Big West has shown that they deserve two teams,” Roberts said. “Cal Poly clearly deserves to go but I think we do too.”
