Big West season is upon us! Owen and Nick give their first-half All-Big West players and talk through the tiers of teams as it stands at the moment. Cal Poly plays UCSB and Cal State Fullerton in Mott Athletics Center this week. 

Over 2,000 fans showed-up to Mott Athletics Center on Saturday afternoon. By Owen Main

They didn’t break the attendance record, but Faith Mimnaugh’s Cal Poly women’s basketball team won the prize they valued most on Saturday, beating defending conference champion Cal State Northridge 63-54 in front of 2,047 fans. The crowd was the second-largest showing in the history of the program.

Ariana Elegado led Cal Poly, tallying 22 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four steals, while playing 39 minutes.

Cal Poly got out to a 30-17 lead in the first half before CSUN cut the deficit to six at halftime. The Matadors continued their charge with a 21-4 run that straddled both halves to take a four point lead.

The lead didn’t last long though. Beth Balbierz answered with a three-pointer, Elegado a jumper, and Mary Kate Evans a three-pointer of her own to spur a 15-0 Mustang run, as Cal Poly once again built-up a double digit lead.

Cal Poly lost to the Matadors all three times they faced off a year ago, including in the Big West Tournament final. As Elegado detailed in the video below, revenge was definitely a motivating factor in this game.

Kristen Ale was the only other Mustang in double figures with 10 points to go along with six rebounds. Hannah Gilbert led the team in rebounds with seven while playing the game with strep throat.

Cal Poly is now 8-8 overall and 3-1 in Big West play, where they sit tied for second place behind Long Beach State. CSUN, the preseason conference favorite, drops to 2-2 in conference play.

Photos by Owen Main. To view on an iPhone or iPad, click here.

A strong social media campaign is at the center of Cal Poly women’s basketball’s effort to #BreakTheRecord on Saturday afternoon.

The attendance record for a Cal Poly women’s game at Mott Athletics Center is 2,552 and was set on March 5, 2011. Basketball players have been seen around campus all week and various groups have posted Twitter photos of themselves with white shirts with the #BreakTheRecord slogan.

I even got in on the act.

#BreakTheRecord @CalPolyWBB1 game. 4pm on Saturday. I think Mott can get filled up. 3000 is attainable. @BigWestWBB pic.twitter.com/7AB35Mqn4M

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) January 13, 2015

The Football coaches showed their support.

Cal Poly Football wants YOU at the Women's Basketball game on Saturday! @CalPolyWBB1 @calpolyfootball #BreakTheRecord pic.twitter.com/V78L66hTFJ

— Cal Poly Athletics (@CPMustangs) January 14, 2015

Here’s Joi Sullivan, the ASI President at Cal Poly.

ASI President Joi Sullivan is ready to #BreakTheRecord Are YOU? @CalPolyWBB1 vs CSUN tomorrow at 4 pm! pic.twitter.com/QXPhVUPOUX

— Cal Poly Athletics (@CPMustangs) January 16, 2015

Strength and Conditioning got into the act.

Cal Poly Strength & Conditioning want YOU at Mott Jan 17th! Be apart of the movement! #BreakTheRecord @CalPolyWBB1 pic.twitter.com/NhZsBqy6Mi

— Cal Poly Athletics (@CPMustangs) January 14, 2015

So did men’s player, David Nwaba.

Come help fill up Mott gym to support @CalPolyWBB1 in their game vs. CSUN this Saturday! #Breaktherecord pic.twitter.com/u983HtDpT7

— David Nwaba (@D_H00Plv) January 12, 2015

The Cal Poly Alumni Association showed off their shirts on Instagram.

The @calpolywbb team needs our help! They want to #breaktherecord for single game attendance THIS SATURDAY the 17th at their game against Northridge. Spread the word and help them out! We need more than 2,552 proud Mustangs in those seats! #calpolyproud @cpathletics

A photo posted by Cal Poly Alumni (@calpolyalumni) on Jan 12, 2015 at 2:55pm PST

And finally, some random students. I actually think some of them are volleyball players.

These Cal Poly students are ready to #BreakTheRecord ARE YOU? @CalPolyWBB1 @BigWestWBB pic.twitter.com/Yhj3YzaWLg

— Cal Poly Athletics (@CPMustangs) January 16, 2015

The question will be, can they get to the magic number of 2,553. I think so.

Students generally come out when there’s a big event like this. Recent soccer crowds have shown that there’s some enthusiasm there. That enthusiasm has also been shared with the men’s basketball team, which sold-out their game (3,032) against UCSB.

Dynn Leaupepe had her best individual game of the season. By Owen Main

There weren’t a ton of people at last night’s game, but the Mustangs played a frantic, exciting game in their loss to Long Beach State, who has only lost one game this year.

As the Mustangs started to cut into a big deficit, both Dynn and Lynn Leaupepe played key roles with aggressive defense and drives to the basket. The two are both getting better at going into the lane with more controlled drives, but there are still some that remind a fan that they are freshmen.

For her part, Dynn had an especially notable game. She scored a career-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three steals. Her 27 points were the most a Mustang had scored in a game this season.

The top six teams in the Big West are all pretty darn good, and Cal State Northridge was picked as the preseason number-one. Adding to the intrigue, the Matadors beat Cal Poly in last year’s tournament final.

The game sets-up really nicely. Now all they need are people to show up. They’ve had a great campaign. For their sake, here’s hoping it pays off.

Photos by Owen Main

This Sara Lancaster effort made it to goal, but was saved by the Long Beach State keeper. by Owen Main

By virtue of their regular season conference title a year ago, Cal Poly is hosting the women’s soccer tournament this year. On Thursday night, top-seeded Cal State Fullerton beat Cal State Northridge 1-0. CSUN had the possession advantage and seemed to even have more chances, but soccer isn’t always a fair game that way and Titan Christina Burkenroad cleaned up a bouncing ball in front of the goal for the game-winner.

The semifinal nightcap wasn’t exactly what the home team was looking for. Second-seeded Cal Poly played third-seeded Long Beach State.

Both teams played a similar style, and neither team gave up a goal through 90 minutes of regulation or a 20 minute overtime. A shootout ended when a CSUN player scored in the seventh round, ending Cal Poly’s season and sending the 49ers to the tournament championship on Sunday.

Sunday’s Championship Game at Spanos Stadium between Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State starts shortly after 1:00PM.

Home crowd?

Much of the home crowd throughout the season comes from students, who get into the game for free with their student ID. When the Big West Tournament comes to town, student tickets go for $5. Whether it was because of the cost or lack of awareness on-campus, the Cal Poly match’s attendance was a disappointment. Up to about 100 students did show up at some point during the match — most were fellow student-athletes who came to root the soccer team on.

I asked someone how many student tickets the Athletic Department at Cal Poly was going to buy to create a real home field advantage if the Mustangs made the final. My suggestion was met with a little bit of an eye roll. Cal Poly doesn’t get to show itself off very often, so they need to take advantage of these opportunities like hosting a conference tournament.

I think student tickets were $5 each, so paying for 500 tickets would have cost the university $2,500. I don’t know whether it would have made a difference, but the Cal Poly students who did show up made for a much more festive atmosphere in the second half.

Cal Poly seniors play last game

For four Cal Poly seniors, Thursday night marked the end of college careers. The senior group included Sara Lancaster, Tracy Hong, Megan Heddinger, and Christina Eichinger.

Hong’s knee injury was especially of note, as Cal Poly’s back line seemed pretty tired at the end of the double-overtime game.

A champion will be crowned

The final will be at Spanos on Sunday at about 1:00 on Fox Sports Prime Ticket.

Photos by Owen Main

Long Beach State 0-0 Cal Poly (Long Beach State wins on penalties)

To view on an iPhone or iPad, click here

Cal State Fullerton 1-0 Cal State Northridge

To view on an iPhone or iPad, click here

 

Chris Eversley earned tournament MVP honors. By Will Parris

For the first time in program history, the Cal Poly men’s basketball team is going to play in the NCAA Tournament.

With the Mustangs down by two and just 14 seconds remaining, Ridge Shipley drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key. On the ensuing possession, Zach Gordon took a charge to get possession back for Cal Poly with just four seconds left.

After losing in the semifinals of last year’s tournament on a last-minute tip-in, Cal Poly turned the tables this year in dramatic fashion. After Kyle Odister missed the second of two free-throws, Northridge dribbled the ball up the court. As time ran out, a sea of green and gold-clad fans stormed the court.

Senior forward and tournament MVP, Chris Eversley, was raised onto the shoulders of fans. Students, alumni, and even former players were amongst the mass of humanity sharing hugs and celebrating with the first-time conference champs.

“It was surreal, it felt like a Disney movie,” said Eversley, who finished with a game-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds. “These guys never quit. People that drove down and supported us, this isn’t for us, this is for them. They stuck with us and we played our hearts out for them.”

Eversley is the embodiment of school spirit. His love for the band and everything Cal Poly has been well-documented over the past few years. During the postgame celebration, he made sure to bring the band out on the floor for pictures and celebration.

Cal Poly almost let the game get away in the second half. They established a four-point advantage on a Brian Bennett and-1 with 13:11 left in the second half. But Reggie Theus’ Matadors weren’t going down without a fight.

Tre Hale-Edmerson and Stephen Maxwell clawed and fought down low to keep Northridge in the game. With 1:32 left, Maxwell pushed Northridge’s lead back to four points (59-55) with a left-handed post move. His two points were Northridge’s last of the season.

It’s likely Cal Poly will earn a 16-seed and play in a first-round game in Dayton, Ohio this week. The winner of that game would play a one-seed in the “second round” of the tournament on Thursday or Friday. With a 13-19 record, it’s unlikely Cal Poly would earn anything better than a 16-seed.

Callero, who is one of 16 children in his family, said he wants a 16-seed.

“I’ll be pissed if they make us a 15-seed,” said Callero after the game, with a smile on his face.

After the nets were cut-down, the team huddled one last time before heading to the press conferences and catching the bus back to San Luis Obispo. Joining them was the band, the cheerleaders, and dance team. The chant: “Family!”

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

The machine that has been the Cal State Northridge Matadors women’s basketball team beat defending tournament champion Cal Poly in the Big West Tournament final on Saturday.

Jonae Ervin drives in the 2014 Big West Tournament championship game. By Owen Main

The Mustangs, playing in their second consecutive final, got down by double-digits early in the first half and never really recovered. The Matadors held Mustangs center, Molly Schlemer, to just nine points on 3-16 shooting. Ariana Elegado got hot in the second half as the Mustangs went on an 11-0 run to get within six points with 4:23 remaining. Elegado reeled-off eight straight points to end the run.

“Ariana was carying us on her back,” said Schlemer. “No one else’s shots were falling really but she was just hitting everything… . It was exciting, but we didn’t capitalize on the defense, we didn’t get stops when we needed to, I didn’t get rebounds when I needed to, so you can’t really celebrate when you’re still down six.”

CSUN’s Camille Malknecht hit a jumper to stave off the Mustang charge and push the Matador lead back to eight points. Cal Poly would never be as close.

“It sucks,” said Elegado. I thought, like coach said, we came up with a good game plan. We felt really good before the game. We thought we had that. But then this feeling brings back memories to the first or second year…. just… that should have been us.”

Schlemer concurred.

“Credit Northridge for coming out and doing a lot of things right, but it’s just not a good feeling at all,” said Schlemer

Photos by Owen Main

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

Joel Awich and Jamal Johnson enjoy the final minutes of Cal Poly’s victory on Thursday night.

Cal Poly beat Cal State Northridge on Thursday night to match their best start in Big West Conference History. Here are some photos from Thursday night’s game.

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

In the 2013 Big West Tournament, the Pacific Tigers and coach Bob Thomason went out with a bang, winning the conference tournament in the program’s final season in the conference and Thomason’s 25th and final season coaching at Pacific.

The 2013-14 year promises to be an exciting one with new faces seeking to make an impact and several stars returning on teams that will compete.

Last season, four Big West teams went undefeated in conference play at home (Cal Poly, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, and Pacific). It’s no surprise that the media picked the three remaining teams of this group to finish in the top-four this season.

As has been the case for the past few years, many teams will be contenders for the conference tournament title at the end of the year. Here is a team by team breakdown, in the order I believe the teams will finish the regular season.

Mike Caffey will be the catalyst for the defending regular season champs. By Will Parris

1. Long Beach State

Despite winning an astounding 43 Big West regular season games over the past three years, Long Beach State has won the Big West Tournament only once during that time. Junior guard Mike Caffey returns to lead a group that lost last season’s conference player of the year, James Ennis.

This year’s 49ers team only has two seniors, but they aren’t young — eight juniors are featured on this year’s roster. With Caffey at guard and with the addition of UCLA transfer Tyler Lamb on the wing, coach Monson will have his team at or near the top of the conference going into the Big West Tournament at the Honda Center in March.

Why? Because, it seems, he always does.

2. UC Santa Barbara

UCSB had a down season last year, as is apt to happen when a conference Player of the Year candidate goes down with injuries during conference play. Junior Alan Williams is a beast for UCSB. Williams averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds last season, becoming the first Gaucho in 23 years to average a double-double. If he can stay healthy, UCSB can never be counted out.

If you thought they were young last year, the Gauchos sport 11 players on their roster who are listed as freshmen or sophomores. Seven are sophomores, including Michael Bryson, whose production and efficiency may determine whether Williams is consistently double-teamed. Kyle Boswell, one of only two seniors on the roster, will also have to make teams pay for double-teaming Williams. UCSB is a young team with a coach who knows how to get the most out of his players and parts that make sense. They will be a contender.

Cal Poly’s Chris Eversley is a returning All-Big West first team selection. By Owen Main

3. Cal Poly

Cal Poly head coach Joe Callero has a thing about consistency and defense. Last season, the Mustangs beat UCLA in the Bruins’ first game at the new Pauley Pavilion on the way to a third-place finish in the Big West’s regular season with a 12-6 conference record.

Senior Chris Eversley was an All-Big West first team selection last year, averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds per game. Other returners include two senior guards — sharpshooter Kyle Odister and point guard Jamal Johnson, Junior guard Maliik Love comes back from an injury that caused him to miss all of last season and sophomore center Brian Bennett (6′ 9″) will try to build on a solid freshman campaign during which he was one of only two Mustangs who started all 32 games.

Cal Poly also got much more athletic on the wing with junior college transfers. Sophomore David Nwaba and junior Michael Bolden provide length and athleticism to guard a variety of players and assist Eversley and Bennett on the glass. In his fifth season at Cal Poly, this might be Callero’s most athletic and physically talented group. Whether they can maintain their signature defense and make long shots late in the shot clock will determine whether they stay knocking on the door of a conference championship or break it down.

UC Irvine’s Will Davis II might be the most explosive finisher in the Big West this season. By Will Parris

4. UC Irvine

The media’s choice to finish first in the conference, UC Irvine might be the most interesting team in the Big West. Head coach Russell Turner, who came into the job with NBA experience, is now in his fourth year. The Anteaters were last year’s conference tournament runner-up and are poised to make another run..

Irvine’s size will be the first thing you notice — seven players on the roster are listed at 6′ 7” or greater, including freshman Mamadou Ndiaye, who is 7′ 6″. Junior forward Will Davis II is one of my favorite players to watch in the Big West. He had the best dunk I saw all of last season in the Anteaters’ semifinal win over Long Beach State in the Big West Tournament.

This team only has one senior and five upper-classmen, losing notable seniors Adam Folker, Michael Wilder and Daman Starring last year. They won’t have any problem defending in the paint, but how well guards and wing players perform will be the difference between a very good team and a potentially dominant one. However they finish in the regular season, this will be a dangerous team in the tournament, when the pace of play can slow down and half-court defense can have more of an impact.

5. Hawai’i

The Hawai’i trip is one that Big West coaches probably circle on their calendar — and not because they are thinking about snorkeling. The trip to Hawai’i can be a tough travel assignment, especailly if there is only a one-day break between another game either before or after the plane ride. This season, Cal Poly drew the long straw in conference scheduling, with the game at Hawai’i the only one of that particular week.

Christian Standhardinger and Isaac Fotu are active, skilled 6′ 8″ forwards who will patrol the paint at the Stan Sheriff Center. With seven players over 6′ 7″, coach Gib Arnold may be the only coach who can try to match UC Irvine’s height. Brandon Spearman and Brandon Jawato are the returning guards who scored the most last season.

While all other programs in the Big West have to go to Hawai’i once, the Rainbow Warriors have to make the trip at least four times during conference play and again for the conference tournament. Because of the travel, I’m picking them fifth in the regular season. In their second year in the conference, though, they aren’t a bad preseason dark horse pick in the conference tournament.

6. Cal State Northridge

The Cal State Northridge program has had its share of controversy since they won the conference tournament in 2009. Last year, the school named alumnus and former basketball player Dr. Brandon Martin the new athletic director. Martin fired Bobby Braswell, his former coach, and made a splash hiring former New Mexico State and Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus. Theus has a lot of work to do with a team that went 14-17 overall (5-13 in Big West Conference play) a year ago.

Despite the disappointing finish to last season, Theus’ talent cupboard isn’t totally dry. Stephen Maxwell, a 6′ 7″ forward, averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds per game last season.  Josh Greene and Stephan Hicks also proved they can score, averaging 15 and 16 points per game respectively in 2012-13.

Theus will absolutely have an instant effect, but there will be ups and downs while the team adjusts to a new coach and a new style. Look for the Matadors to improve as conference play progresses and finish strong.

7. UC Davis

Jim Les seems like a coach who knows what he wants. In his third season, Les (a former NBA sharpshooter) brings back an experienced and talented team. Last season, they finished 9-9 in conference and earned the 6-seed in the conference tournament.

Corey Hawkins (20.3 ppg and 40% 3-point shooting in 2012-13) and Ryan Sypkens (14.1 ppg and 46% 3-point shooting in 2012-13) will be the most offensively potent pair of wings in the conference. Sypkens shot better last season from three-point range than two-point range and is probably the most dangerous shooter in the conference. J.T. Adenrele, the team’s best post player, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason and will be lost for the year.

This is a team with lots of very good individual players and in his third season, look for coach Les’ team to start to gel into something closer and closer to Les’ vision. The team is set on the wing, but their point guard play and ability to play consistent defense will be the difference between UC Davis taking the step into the realm of contender in the conference.

8. Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton is a team that is rebuilding. Dedrique Taylor is in his first season at the helm for the Titans and he will have some work to do.

Fullerton’s guard play can be good at times, which will be well-suited to an uptempo style that Taylor wants to play.  This team has nine players who are either freshmen or seniors. Look for Fullerton to knock-off a few of the teams above them during conference play, but they are my pick to finish eighth.

9. UC Riverside

UC Riverside finished last in the conference last season and were once again picked to finish in last place by the media in 2013-14. Two seasons ago, the program was suspended from postseason play because of failure to meet the Academic Progress Rate (APR) requirements set-forth by the NCAA.

The Highlanders start the season led by Interim Head Coach Dennis Cutts. Cutts took over for former head coach Jim Woolridge, who moved into the position of Athletic Director in the offseason. While they’ll win at least some conference games, the loss of a head coach with Woolridge’s pedigree will not help this season.

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Until someone other than UCSB or Long Beach State wins the regular season title, I’ll continue to pick them at the top. Admittedly, college basketball is cyclical, so there are always opportunities for other teams. I think any of the top five or six teams on my list are great candidates to be the conference tournament winners in March and I could even see Corey Hawkins and Ryan Sypkens of UC Davis doing something really special in the tournament.

The Big West is a conference will be competitive this season. I don’t think anyone will “run away and hide” like Long Beach State has managed to do over the past few years.

There are three first-year head coaches and only Bob Williams (UCSB, 16th season), Dan Monson (Long Beach State, 7th season) and Joe Callero (Cal Poly, 5th season) have been at their current schools for more than four years. What that means — I’m not sure.

What do you think? Which team is your  favorite to win the Big West this season?

Cal Poly lost a tough match vs. Cal State Northridge on Friday night. Photo by David Livingston

Cal Poly men’s soccer coach Paul Holocher is working on implementing a new style. He has been talking about it since a preseason trip to Barcelona. His players have been energized by the new style and Cal Poly soccer fans are seeing more goals. While the transition process to the new style is firmly in-place, the results aren’t always there.

On Friday night, Cal State Northridge used a first-minute goal, packed defenders back, and held on for a 1-0 win. Cal Poly had numerous scoring opportunities. Most noteably, Chris Gaschen saw a shot ricochet off the right post during the second half.

In an interesting interview, Holocher was quiet after the game, but also seemed determined to not let a loss in a single game change the type of style he wants the Mustangs to play. Again, definitely worthwhile to take a listen. (Sorry for the slightly blurry video).

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEcHIuTY3-g

Photos by David Livinston

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