Junior Shawn Lewis scored 26 points and added 10 rebounds in a 91-84 loss to UC Irvine last Saturday. Lewis has scored double digits in the Mustangs’ past eight games and has averaged 18 points per game in those contests. Photo by Ryan Sidarto- Mustang Daily

“UC Irvine is the sweep we should have had,” senior forward Ryan Darling said. “It’s time to finish the house cleaning.”

In the Mustangs’ first game of the Big West Tournament today, Cal Poly will square off against UC Irvine, a team that defeated them 91-84 in overtime less than a week ago.

In last Saturday’s game, the Anteaters sank four three-pointers in the final 38 seconds of the game, including the game-tying three with less than a second to go. Sophomore forward David Hanson feels that the tough loss will provide motivation for their rematch on Wednesday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“They got us here at our place and made a comeback in a game that we kind of held the lead the whole time, now we get to play them again and we’re probably going to be more hungry,” Hanson said.

In last weekend’s game both Cal Poly and UC Irvine had four players each score in double figures. Shawn Lewis led all scorers with 26 and added 10 rebounds. First team all-conference guard, Lorenzo Keeler, scored 21 points in his last game at Mott Gym.

Callero hopes his team can repeat that type of effort because he felt like his team was in control for a majority of the game.

“We feel confident as a team that we can play with anybody in the Big West,” he said. “We’re playing our best basketball of the year.”

He said not much would change in terms of preparation from last weekend as he pointed out that the Mustangs were either ahead or tied for all of but 50 seconds of regulation. It wasn’t until overtime that the Anteaters took the lead for good. He also added that facing the same opponent back-to-back gives the team an advantage because they don’t have to spend as much time scouting their first round opponent as they normally would.

If anything is going to change in the strategy from last week, Callero said the Mustangs might not focus so much of their defensive attention on Michael Hunter and Eric Wise. Those players were held to 19 and 17 points respectively, while two other Irvine players were able to score in the twenties.

Callero said he feels confident because, with the exception of Pacific, every team they could face before the finals they have beaten at least once this season.

This season the Mustangs have exceeded expectations. In multiple pre-season polls, Cal Poly was projected to finish last in the Big West. At the end of the regular season, the Mustangs have four more wins than last season’s win total.

Standing at No. 6, Cal Poly will have the longest road of any team to the tournament championship. Hanson knows that this team can compete with anyone in the conference but it will take a special effort to win four games in a row.

“The games are so mentally, emotionally and physically draining, that it’s going to take every single guy on this team to win all four games,” Hanson said. “Those are four games we know we can win. We obviously have to play well and shoot the ball well. We’re very close, we are right there and we know we can take any of these teams.”

The lowest seed that advances from the first round will take on No. 3 seed Long Beach State Thursday. The higher advancing seed will take on No. 4 seed UC Davis. Cal Poly split the season series with both potential opponents, winning at Long Beach State and at home against Davis.

If the Mustangs make it past the second round they will face one of the top two teams in conference, Pacific or Santa Barbara in the semifinals. Pacific swept the season series against the Mustangs winning both games by a combined total of 16 points. Cal Poly split with rival Santa Barbara as the home team won both games.

If Cal Poly can piece together four wins, the Mustangs will find themselves at the stoop of the NCAA tournament. For seniors Keeler, Darling and Charles Anderson, it would be the culmination of a long journey and an experience that would be tough to put into words.

“It’d be a dream come true,” Darling said. “Words can’t explain how important that would be to me. It would be amazing and that’s all that I’m focused on.”

Junior Peter Kline, junior Matt Waggoner and freshman Angie Haven are three Mustangs participating in the conference championship this week. Photo by Ryan Sidarto- Mustang Daily

The Mustangs may be young, but that doesn’t mean they can’t strive for championships. Cal Poly’s swimming and diving team, who holds just two seniors, will send three record-breaking swimmers to the Big West Conference Championship this week.

The competition started this Wednesday and will run through Saturday at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach

With the women’s team finishing fourth last year and the men’s team finishing fifth, the Mustangs are looking to improve their standing this season. Head coach Tim Milich said he feels his team is peaking right in time for the conference championships.

“We’ve done a very good job of getting up and racing. We’re young, we’re inexperienced, but we’re racing faster than we’ve ever swum before,” he said.

The Mustangs have had three swimmers surpass the B qualifying standard for the NCAA Division I National Championships.

This year, junior Matt Waggoner qualified provisionally in the 1650 freestyle, an event in which he won the Big West title for in 2008, with a time of 15:31.28. He is also responsible for three best conference times this season in 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle and 1650 freestyle.

Joining Waggoner is junior Peter Kline who has also met the provisional qualifying standard in the 200 backstroke, 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley.

Kline broke school records, and holds best conference times, in both the 200 backstroke and 400 individual medley (IM).

On the women’s side, freshman Angie Haven has provisionally qualified in the 100 meter and 200 meter breaststroke. Haven has broken four school records this season in the 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 IM. She also owns the conference record for the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 IM. She is responsible for the conference best times in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 IM.

Coach Milich is happy with the progress that his team has made this season and believes his team will be ready to give it their all this week.

“It’s been a great year for us … We’ve already had (three) kids make NCAA B standards; two of them are ranked in the top 15 of the country,” Milich said. “We’re pretty solid right now where we are, we haven’t really rested for our meets so now we’re at the time of the year where we get to rest … we’re moving in the right direction (and) the program is moving in the right direction.”

Last year’s Big West freshman of the year Lacey Buck won both the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle at conference championships. This year she owns the conference best times in the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle and 1650 freestyle.

Coach Milich feels that his swimmers have come together as a group, and that has led to a different type of team.

“That’s the thing that has changed most dramatically with this group is that they are a team, everything they do is as a team. When I first got here, we didn’t have team sweats, we didn’t have team caps, we didn’t have a lot of stuff. Now they’re always as a team,” Coach Milich said.

Kylie France broke the school record in the 400 IM, and Katrina Anderson owns the conference best time in the 200 backstroke.

In the women’s 800 freestyle relay, the group of Anderson, Karin Schleicher, Chrissy Thomas and Camille Duckett nabbed the best time in the conference.

Last year, Cal Poly produced three Big West champions. Lacey Buck won both the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle on her way to Big West female freshman of the year honors while Gloria Benefield, who is currently redshirting this season, won the 200 freestyle.

Despite breaking 19 school records during the Big West meet in 2009, Cal Poly placed fourth on the women’s side while the men’s team finished fifth.

Cal Poly has not had a swimmer qualify for nationals since elevating the program to Division 1 in 1994.

—Zach Lantz contributed to this article

Head coach Jenny Condon (right) is entering her sixth season as head coach of the Mustangs. In her tenure, she has accumulated a 166-90 overall record. Condon has yet to post a losing record with the Mustangs. Photo by Kristin Hays- Mustang Daily

The Cal Poly’s softball team is no stranger to winning. In six seasons under the three-time Big  West coach of the year Jenny Condon, the Mustangs have yet to record a losing season.

With two consecutive Big West titles in their back pocket, the expectations aren’t dissipating for 2010. The Mustangs have been projected by the 2010 preseason coaches’ poll to capture their third Big West title in four seasons.

While the team is honored to receive the title, Condon said the team will not be blinded by success and will still return this season to give it their all.

“It’s nice to know you are respected by other coaches and for us there is no added pressure because we know what needs to be executed,” Condon said.

She admits that this season will be difficult but also said that she looks forward to battling for the title against some tough competition. Their schedule features 48 games, 19 of which will be against programs that earned a spot in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“As we prepare for Big West we don’t really have a rival and we (CSU Fullerton and CSU Long Beach) are all battling to be the top three spots. This season is going to be less about rivalry and more about just good competition,” Condon said.

This season Condon said Cal Poly will stick to the same practice routine that has been successful in the past. She will wait untill the first games to see players showcase their talent to really get an idea for the months ahead.

“I think we prepare the same every year and not till the first weekend out do we really get a feel for competition and know where certain players should be positioned to showcase their strong points,” Condon said.

After losing five senior players, the softball team returns four starters from last season’s squad. With a majority of newcomers finding their way onto the diamond, questions have arose on whether the team will have the experience needed to win another championship.

“We haven’t really done anything different. Our preparation hasn’t changed,” said senior first baseman Krysten Cary. “We do have some younger girls, but bringing them in we know they know the game just was well as we do.”

Heading into this year, junior pitcher Anna Cahn does not see inexperience as an obstacle.

“Last year I felt a lot of pressure because we just lost a senior pitcher and there were only a few of us left. Everything went by so fast last year and this year and now I just want to keep building on what was happening last year,” Cahn said.

Last month, Cahn was added to the Watch List for the 9th-Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award and was named Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year. She attributed her success to her team and coaches who have been practicing intently to uphold their title.

“We have been trying to get as many repetitions in as we can and practice almost any situation we can possibly think of that we have seen in the past and that could come up,” Cahn said. “It’s a tough schedule but I think coming off of what happened last year, we are just going to take it one game at a time.”

The Mustangs will open their 16th season against Portland State in the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Invitational held on Feb. 19 in Los Angeles.

Junbior guard Desiray Johnston was the second leading scorer for the Mustangs with eight points against UC Riverside. Photo by Ryan Sidarto- Mustang Daily

Cal Poly’s second-lowest point total of the season proved to be enough to earn them sole possession of the number one spot in the Big West as the Mustangs (16-8, 9-3 Big West) defeated UC Riverside (11-14, 8-4) 58-51 Saturday night in Mott Gym.

“While it was kind of ugly basketball, it proved to be effective today,” Cal Poly head coach Faith Mimnaugh said.

After the Mustangs became top dog in the conference with a win against UC Davis earlier this month, a loss at Long Beach State forced them into a tie for the top spot in the Big West with only four games remaining in the regular season.

Mimnaugh said after reviewing game tape of the first meeting between the two teams, the Mustangs would look to exploit UC Riverside’s aggressiveness. Trying to get some of the Highlanders’ effective scorers into foul trouble became the Mustangs’ game plan.

The Mustangs’ strategy resulted in a slow start. It took six minutes for either team to score double figures.

“I’m a really fast-paced person. I love running and the fast break,” said Big West leading scorer Kristina Santiago who put up 21 points against the Highlanders. “So when the game is slowed down, I’m like ‘Let’s go, pump it up, let’s run.’ It affects the momentum more than anything.”

UC Riverside committed six fouls in the first four minutes of the game, giving the Mustangs more opportunities to get points from the foul stripe.

“In the first half, almost every possession we were walking to the free-throw line and that was our game plan, to just get to the free-throw line as early as possible,” said junior guard Rachel Clancy.

Cal Poly struggled in the middle of the first half when Santiago was out of the game, but after she re-entered in the last five minutes of the half, the Mustangs never trailed again.

Cal Poly led 31-26 at the end of the first half with three UC Riverside starters at three fouls each.

Santiago said the Mustang coaches were targeting specific Highlanders to attack.

“We were definitely trying to attack the players in foul trouble,” she said.

The pace of the game increased right from the start of the second half with 11 points between the two teams in the first two and a half minutes.

Santiago made up for her lack of scoring in the first half by scoring on the team’s first three attempts out of the break, including a three-pointer as time expired on the shot clock. The three was the first of Santiago’s career.

“My mindset was a little different this game because I wasn’t getting those crazy double teams, those crazy triple teams,” said Santiago, who recorded her seventh double-double of the season. “If I’m open I’m going to be confident and shoot it.”

Highlander starting forward Rhaya Neabors fouled out after two back-to-back fouls with 14 minutes left to play.

“You rarely see anyone foul out that early in a game, and she is a big player for them,” Clancy said.

Coach Mimnaugh said she was proud of the defensive effort her team put forth, getting a win despite a shooting percentage of only 32 percent.

The Mustangs took a seven-point lead into the last two and a half minutes to play and were able to keep the ball away from the Highlanders with two important offensive rebounds, which ate up more than a minute at the end of regulation.

Even after the first offensive rebound, UC Riverside chose not to intentionally foul to give themselves a chance to win and keep the first place spot away from the Mustangs.

Mimnaugh said the last four games, including three road games, will be difficult ones for the Mustangs, but next week, they will be able to slow down a little.

“Next week will be good for us, we only have the one game. It will be good for us to get a little bit more of us in, because this time of season you are preparing for the opponent all the time, and sometimes you lose a little bit about your crispness about what you’re doing,” she said.

UC Riverside will have three home games to try and regain the top spot in the conference.

Sophomore forward Jordan Lewis scored 16 points off the bench in the Mustang match up against Long Beach state earlier this season. Photo by Ryan Sidarto- Mustang Daily

For the Mustangs, it’s time to get down to the basics.

“Our message is really trying to get (the team) back to that point of stop playing the score, stop playing the records, stop looking at the standings, play the game in front of you,” head coach Joe Callero said.

More than halfway into their conference schedule, the Mustangs (8-14, 5-5 Big West) have rolled off four consecutive losses heading into tonight’s match-up against Long Beach State (11-12, 5-5). With five games left in the season, Callero is emphasizing fundamentals.

“What we are looking for is energy; what we are looking for is enthusiasm,” Callero said. “We are going to do whatever we need to try and jolt some energy into the team.”

In their previous contest against Pacific, Callero refined the Mustangs starting lineup to try and add a spark to the team. Senior guard Lorenzo Keeler was moved to point guard, sophomore forward David Hanson saw playing time at center and senior guard Charles Anderson started. Although the Mustangs suffered a 67-61 loss with a new set of starters, Callero saw the game as a step in the right direction.

“I told the players, ‘Your playing time is earned every day on the practice floor,’” Callero said. “You are not going to be rewarded for 90-percent effort.”

Two weeks ago, the Mustangs were second place in conference but have since lost ground in the standings. Last week, they lost to UC Davis and Pacific by a combined 26 points.

Anderson has been on Cal Poly teams that have struggled through losing streaks before, but he said this team is capable of returning its winning ways this week.

“This team is a little different than past teams. We know from our first five victories that we can compete in this conference,” he said. “We just need to find our competitive edge … and get back to that winning. We have become a little complacent, and you can’t do that in this conference. Teams are hungry and they definitely want to take the games from you, (but) we can definitely get back to the winning edge we’ve had.”

On Thursday, the Mustangs lost by 20 points to Davis, a team they had previously beat this season. The team committed 19 turnovers while Keeler, the second leading scorer in the Big West, was the only player to score in double digits with 30 points.

Anderson said it was their mindset that let the Mustangs down.

“The opponents that we’ve faced these last three, four games have wanted it more than us,” he said. “In order for us to get back on the winning side of things, we definitely have to come out, compete harder and fight for the game and fight for the victory.”

Against Pacific, the Mustangs had a much more balanced scoring effort with three players scoring in double figures and with freshman guard Kyle Odister adding nine. Despite having more assists than turnovers, Cal Poly was not able to spring the upset trap on the conference leaders.

“We were happy with how we played against Pacific. Definitely would have liked to come out with a victory of course, but we learned a lot from that game. We learned that we can still compete with the top team of the conference,” Anderson said. “Hopefully we can take what we learned from that game and carry it over to the upcoming six games in conference, first and foremost Long Beach on Thursday night.”

Long Beach State is led by a trio of sophomores in forward T.J. Robinson and guards Casper Ware and Larry Anderson. All three sophomores average more than 30 minutes and 11 points a game. The Mustangs have already beat Long Beach State once this year 90-79 on Jan. 16. Hanson contributed 22 points coming off the bench.

Callero said it will take an all-out team effort to come out on top of Long Beach State again.

“We played with such great intensity down there that we had a 20 plus rebound advantage and got extra possessions on it. I think that was the major key down there,” he said. “It’s a rubber match for them and an opportunity for them to come back and redeem themselves and for us; it’s an opportunity to stay in the top half of the conference.”

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

—Brian De Los Santos and Zach Lantz contributed to this article.

In a battle for the number one spot in the conference, junior guard Rachel Clancy scored 14 points against UC Davis last Thursday. Against Pacific on Saturday, Clancy scored a game-high 23 points. Photo by Nick Camacho- Mustang Daily

Junior guard Rachel Clancy earned her first Big West Conference Player of the Week honor Monday afternoon.

Clancy averaged 19 points per game in two Cal Poly victories against UC Davis and Pacific last week.

“I was very happy with my individual performance, but more so definitely with my team’s performance,” Clancy said.

At the start of last week, the second-seeded Mustangs were looking up at the top team in the conference. With a 69-48 victory against conference leader UC Davis, Cal Poly took sole possession of the number one spot in the Big West.

“It was the first time we have ever had first place in our sights,” Clancy said. “We did a really good job of grasping it.”

Clancy hit four of seven three-point attempts against UC Davis and finished with 14 points against the Aggies. Clancy, who has started all 22 games for Cal Poly (15-7, 8-2) this season, also recorded five assists against UC Davis.

“Knocking off Davis in such a big way really gave me confidence as an individual for the next game,” Clancy said. “To come on top the way we did was definitely a good way to grab first place.”

Two days later during a 99-66 pummeling of Pacific, Clancy converted all five of her three-point attempts and seven of nine shots, totaling a game-high 23 points. She added five rebounds and five assists.

“I think our up-tempo style really caught Pacific off-guard,” Clancy said. “We ran so hard that I found myself open a lot—a majority off my shots were uncontested.”

Clancy enters Cal Poly’s match-up at Long Beach State on Thursday, leading all Big West players with a 51 percent three-point mark. She is ranked second in field goal percentage with a 51 percent average. She also ranks 12th among conference performers with 12 points per contest.

Monday’s honor was the conference-leading fourth Player of the Week award for Cal Poly this year.

“It could have been a shared award for a couple of players on the team—it was definitely a group performance,” Clancy said. “Everybody stepped up in all the games.”

Clancy’s uncontested looks can be attributed to Santiago’s dominance. Nonetheless, it’s hard to pin the team’s success on one player.

“It could have been anyone on the team. I’m flattered,” Clancy said. “I definitely did not expect it.”