'Dogs set to play the Mustangs in San Luis Obispo

FRESNO STATE (6-4) VS CAL POLY (2-5)
Sat. Dec. 9 | ESPN+ | Mott Athletic Center | San Luis Obispo

MEDIA COVERAGE
Watch: ESPN+
Stats: StatBroadcast
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network
Play-by-play: Matt Norville
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateWBB

FRESNO, Calif.- Fresno State women's basketball team will head down south again, this time to face the Cal Poly Mustangs at Mott Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon streaming on ESPN+.

BULLDOG BONES

Fresno State sits 6-4 and is 2-1 when playing on Saturdays
Fresno State is 2-2 against Big West teams this season
Bulldogs are coming off a loss at home to CSU Fullerton, 71-52
Fresno State is facing their fifth and final Big West opponent of the season this Saturday
Through ten games Fresno State has shot 41% (251-599) from the field and 74% (121-163) from the foul line
*Freshman Taija Sta. Maria is ranked No. 23 nationally (No. 2 MW) in assists with 50, Sta. Maria is also ranked No. 38 nationally (No. 3 MW) in assists/turnovers with a 2.63 ratio
Fresno State is ranked No. 19 nationally (No. 2 MW) in steals with 12.0 avg
Fresno State enters Saturday's match up with a +9.80 scoring margin and +2.70 rebounding margin

*145 ranked in assists, 250 ranked in Ass/TO ratio

FRESHMAN SHINE BRIGHT
Freshman duo Taija Sta. Maria and Kylee Fox had another stellar week of play. Fox earned her first MW Honor after recording a career-high 19 points and five 3-pointers. Sta. Maria is back in the double-digit scoring after recording 18 points against CSU Fullerton, this is Sta. Maria's third game scoring in double figures. Both freshmen have been tabbed as Mountain West Freshman of the Week this season.

MOUNTAIN WEST RANKINGS
With only a few weeks left until conference play begins, Fresno State is staying at the top of the leader board in the Mountain West. Mia Jacobs, Kylee Fox and Taija Sta. Maria continue to see time in the top ten rankings for individual statistics in the Mountain West.

Mia Jacobs is tied for No. 8 in rebounds with 59 (6.5 avg) through nine games
Kylee Fox is tied for No. 8 on 3PFGM with 19 3FG (1.9 avg) through ten games played
Taija Sta. Maria is ranked No. 3 in assists with 50 (5.0 avg) and No. 3 in assists/turnover ratio (2.63 avg) through ten games. Sta. Maria also is ranked nationally (No. 21) in assists, with Iowa's Caitlin Clark as the leader. five 3-pointers.
Sta. Maria is back in the double-digit scoring after recording 18 points against CSU Fullerton, this is Sta. Maria's third game scoring in double figures.

Fresno State is ranked...

No. 2 in the Mountain West for steals with 120
No. 3 in MW scoring offense with 687 points (68.7 avg)
No. 4 in conference at 6-4
No. 4 in 3PFHM with 64 (6.4 avg)

ABOUT THE MATCH UP

This weeks match up will be the first home game for the Mustangs after a seven game road trip
Mustangs are coming off their fourth loss to a Pac-12 team against No. 6 USC, 44-85
Fresno State is 1-2 on the road this season
Both teams are coming off a loss; Fresno State to CSU Fullerton and Cal Poly to USC
Fresno State and Cal Poly will meet for the fourth time on Saturday afternoon. Fresno State leads the all-time meetings 2-1.
The two programs will meet for the second time at Mott Athletic Center, since their first meeting in 2019.
The last time out, Cal Poly got the last point to take the win at the Save Mart Center, 48-47

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

Mustangs are 2-5 going into Saturday's match in San Luis Obispo
Head coach Shanele Stires enters her second season leading the Mustangs
Last season Stires led the Mustangs to a (10-18, 7-12 BW) season and a short appearance in the Big West Championship losing to UC Riverside, 54-63
Cal Poly has faced three Top 25 teams and four Pac-12 teams to start the season, falling to No. 6 Stanford (32-86), No. 6 USC (44-85), No. 24 Washington State (61-78) and Cal (60-74)
Cal Poly currently sits 10th in the Big West Standings with a -13.8 scoring margin (11th in BW)
Through seven games the Mustangs shot 38% from the field (146-of-383), 20% from the field per game and 51 PPG
Cal Poly has recorded a game high of 68 points (vs. SeattleU), 48 rebounds (vs. Idaho), 27 FGM (vs. Seattle U) and 33 turnovers (vs. Cal)

ROSTER DIVE

The roster features 10 new additions this season; four D1 transfers, five freshman and one red shirt returner.
Transfers joining the Mustangs this season are; Ania McNicholas (Cornell), Amanda Olinger (University of San Diego), Sidney Richards (San Jose State University) and Diamond Richards (Pacific)
Core starters for the Mustangs are Annika Shah, Natalia Ackerman, Sydney Bourland and transfer Sidney Richards.
Shah leads the Mustangs in points (70, 10.0 avg) and shoots in the 30% range from the field (36%) and from the three (38%)
Ackerman follows second in suit with 67 points, team leader in rebounds with 50 and shoots 49% from the field (27-55.)

"Fresno State Athletics - Elevate: Imagine the Possibilities" - The Elevate Campaign provides a visionary roadmap to enhance and construct a series of athletic facilities to help further position Fresno State Athletics for sustained competitive success nationally, while also further serving as a source of pride and economic growth throughout California's Central Valley. For more information, visit GoBulldogs.com/elevate

Fresno State Athletics

'Dogs set to play the Mustangs in San Luis Obispo

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