RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — Two Big West women’s basketball teams seeking a turnaround will meet Saturday when the Cal Poly Mustangs visit the UC Riverside Highlanders at the UCR Rec Center. Both squads enter the 6 p.m. PST contest on losing streaks and looking to build momentum before conference play intensifies in the new year. Cal Poly (2-5) has dropped five of its last six, while UC Riverside (1-6) has lost six of seven. The Mustangs are coming off a 96-64 home loss to Cal State Fullerton on Thursday. Charish Thompson led Cal Poly with 18 points in that game, continuing a strong offensive stretch. The guard is averaging 16.7 points over her last five contests, including a 29-point, 7-rebound performance in a narrow loss at Seattle on Nov. 15. Vanessa McManus added 19 points against Fullerton. UC Riverside is looking to rebound from a 77-40 defeat to UC Irvine, also on Thursday. The Highlanders’ offense has struggled, failing to reach 60 points in four of their losses. A bright spot has been the play of Hannah Wickstrom, who scored 30 points in a win over Cal Lutheran on Nov. 29 and leads the team in scoring. She had 14 points against Irvine. Historically, the Mustangs have dominated the series, winning 12 of the last 13 matchups. Last season, Cal Poly swept the two-game series. Saturday’s game represents a critical opportunity for both teams to halt their slides and gain confidence. For Cal Poly, establishing an inside presence and improving on defense after allowing 96 points will be key. For UC Riverside, generating consistent offense outside of Wickstrom and protecting the home court will be the focus. The game will be the final non-conference tune-up for the Highlanders before a road trip to San Diego. Cal Poly will return home to face Idaho State on Dec. 13 before a challenging stretch against UCLA, Southern California and California.