SAN LUIS OBISPO – Meagan Williams had a season-high 23 points, but it was points Nos. 24 and 25 that she’ll remember most from Thursday’s game vs. Cal Poly at Mott Gym.
With 18 seconds left and the Gauchos trailing by two points, Williams drove past Rachel Clancy and made it to the hoop, her layup good as she and Cal Poly’s Abby Bloetscher collided and each fell to the floor. An offensive foul was called, erasing Williams’ bucket and UCSB’s chance for a victory.
The Mustangs hit three free throws in the final 16 seconds and won, 67-62, snapping a six-game losing skid to the Gauchos. It was UCSB’s first loss at Mott Gym since Feb. 9 2001, a defeat that broke Santa Barbara’s conference-record 49-game Big West winning streak.
UCSB falls to 6-13 overall and 3-4 in the Big West. Cal Poly improves to 13-6, 6-2.
“I was trying to go in there and draw a foul,” said Williams. “By the refs’ call it was an offensive foul. I feel it shouldn’t have been.”
That was the coup de grace in a highly-questionably officiated game.
UCSB shot 55.6% from the floor and had 17 points from Emilie Johnson to go with Williams’ 23. Chris Spencer had six points off the bench as did Ariana Gnekow, who added a career-high tying nine rebounds.
The Gauchos held Cal Poly’s Kristina Santiago – who leads the Big West in points and rebounds per game – fairly in check. The junior from Santa Maria scored 15 points (five below her average) and had six boards (two below her average) on 5 of 12 shooting.
However, Brittany Lange scored a career-best 16 points, as she buried 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
