Schlemer earns Big West Player of the Week, Mustangs move to 3-1 in the Big West

Jonae Ervin and the Mustangs seem headed in the right direction, but the player whose numbers may matter the most is not a guard. By Owen Main

Cal Poly’s Molly Schlemer has earned Big West Player of the Week honors for her performances in Cal Poly’s Big West home sweep last weekend. Schlemer, a Santa Maria native, led the Mustangs to a pair of wins by a total of three points and the Mustangs improved to 3-1 in conference play. In sweeping UC Davis and Pacific over the weekend, Schlemer scored 40 points and pulled down 15 rebounds.

Faith Mimnaugh’s two-time defending regular season championship team continues to be nothing if not interesting. Their run-and-gun style of play features two point guards on the floor at any time, usually four players who can shoot 3-pointers, and Schlemer who, at 6’5″, is one of the tallest and strongest players in the conference. No lead or deficit seems safe with this bunch.

On Thursday night, Cal Poly gave up a nine-point first half lead before holding on to win the game by two points behind Brittany Woodard’s career-high 21 points. On Saturday, Cal Poly eeked out a triple-overtime thriller at Mott Gym that saw four players foul-out, including Schlemer. Three players, Cal Poly’s Kayla Griffin and Pacific’s Kendall Rodriguez and Erica McKenzie played at least 50 minutes in the game. Cal Poly’s Jonae Ervin, last year’s national leader in assist to turnover ratio, sank two free throws with 8 seconds left in the third overtime to seal the victory.

What remains interesting is Mimnaugh’s tinkering with the Mustangs’ lineup. After a hot start to the season, Schlemer didn’t even start the game on Thursday, instead being used as a substitute. Schlemer has played limited minutes in conference despite being dominant at times. She has played 13, 14, 15, and 28 minutes. The only game the Mustangs lost was the only game Schlemer didn’t score in double-figures. As much as Mimnaugh loves guard play, the Mustangs’ bellwether in conference play this year may be Schlemer.

For last weekend, at least, that was fine for the home fans and home team at Mott Gym.

Photos by Owen Main

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