Mott Athletics Center Welcomes Hawai’i for an Exciting Saturday Showdown with the Mustangs!

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly will host its first home contest of 2025 on Saturday as they welcome the 2022 and 2023 Big West champions to Mott Athletics Center.

The Mustangs (6-7, 1-2 Big West) are set to take on Hawai’i on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. inside Mott Athletics Center. Supporters can watch the matchup on ESPN+ and track live statistics. The game against Hawai’i will also be broadcast on Spectrum TV. Links to both can be located on the schedule page.

Cal Poly enters the contest with an overall record of 6-7 and a 1-2 standing in Big West after splitting their first two conference games in early December. The five victories during non-conference play mark the highest for the program in a season since the 2017-18 campaign. They have achieved triumphs in two of their last three games, defeating Seattle and Southern Utah to conclude 2024.

Senior guard Annika Shah leads the scoring for Cal Poly this season. Having surpassed 20 points on three occasions this season, she has elevated her average to 14.9 points per game, which ranks second in the Big West. Shah demonstrates remarkable efficiency in her scoring, placing third in the Big West for field goal percentage and fourth for three-point percentage. Besides scoring, she also ranks first on the team in assists, three-pointers made, and free throw percentage. So far this season, Shah has recorded double-digit scores in 11 out of 13 games.

Sophomore forward Mary Carter, recognized as a Big West All-Freshman Team member last season, has made significant progress this season. Carter is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game. She leads the team and holds the second spot in the Big West for three-point percentage at 43.6 percent. Additionally, Carter leads in blocks and is second in rebounding. She has also amassed 10 double-digit scoring performances and boasts two double-doubles this season.

Coming off their finest season in a decade in 2023-24, the Mustangs are striving for another successful year. Last season, head coach Shanele Stires guided the team to a 17-14 overall record in her second year at the helm, achieving a tie for third in the Big West regular season rankings and participating in the program’s first WNIT postseason tournament since 2014.

Cal Poly brings back six letterwinners from that squad, including three starters. The group is led by senior guard Annika Shah, who received Honorable Mention All-Big West recognition last season after ranking second on the team in scoring and leading in three-pointers made and three-point percentage. She also established the program record last year for the highest free throw percentage, shooting 94.4 percent.

Returning as starters are redshirt sophomore forward Sierra Lichtie, who was fourth on the team in scoring last year, and senior guard Sydney Bourland, who ranked fifth in scoring and led the team in minutes played. They also have their top two scorers coming off the bench in sophomore forward Mary Carter, who made the Big West All-Freshman team last year and was second on the team in three-pointers made, as well as senior guard Sidney Richards, who averaged 6.2 points per game last year.

The Mustangs feature nine newcomers for the second consecutive year: eight freshmen and one graduate transfer. The transfer is Ashley Hiraki, who played four years at Santa Clara, averaging 6.1 points per game over 118 career games.