SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — UC San Diego used a dominant second and third quarter to defeat Cal Poly 75-54 in a Big West Conference women’s basketball game Thursday at RIMAC Arena. The Tritons, now 7-5, outscored the Mustangs 43-26 across the middle periods to pull away. Rosa Smith led all scorers with 21 points and added eight assists for UC San Diego. Erin Condron contributed 14 points and six rebounds. Cal Poly, which fell to 2-11, shot just 35.1% from the floor and committed 16 turnovers. Vanessa McManus paced the Mustangs with 17 points. UC San Diego held a 410-72 advantage in possessions, translating to a more efficient offensive rating of 103.9 compared to Cal Poly’s 75.3. Attendance was 410.

Preview: Cal Poly Looks to Reverse Fortunes Against UC San Diego in Big West Opener SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The UC San Diego Tritons will look to capitalize on home court advantage to open Big West Conference play when they host the struggling Cal Poly Mustangs in a women’s basketball matchup on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at RIMAC Arena. The game marks the conference opener for both teams and presents a stark contrast in early-season trajectories. UC San Diego (6-5) enters with a winning record, seeking to rebound from a narrow 71-68 home loss to Northern Arizona on Dec. 20. The Tritons have shown resilience, including a decisive 75-45 victory over Long Beach State on Dec. 6. Cal Poly (2-10) aims to halt a seven-game losing streak, its most recent a 91-50 defeat at California on Dec. 28. The Mustangs’ challenging non-conference schedule featured losses to power conference opponents Stanford, UCLA and Southern California. A key matchup will feature the teams’ top guards. UC San Diego is led by Dymonique Maxie, who orchestrates the offense. She logged 40 minutes and dished six assists in the loss to Northern Arizona. For Cal Poly, scoring burden often falls on Vanessa McManus. She leads the team coming off a 15-point performance at California and has averaged 14 points over her last four games. The Tritons have defended their home court well this season, posting a 4-2 record at RIMAC. Cal Poly, conversely, has yet to win a true road game (0-7). UC San Diego’s balanced attack, which saw Erin Condron (16 points) and Makayla Rose (14 points) join Maxie in double figures last outing, will test a Cal Poly defense allowing an average of 78.2 points during its losing skid. History will be made as this marks the first meeting between the programs as Big West opponents since UC San Diego completed its transition to Division I. The Tritons will look to start their conference tenure with a win, while the Mustangs are desperate to find a positive turning point as league play begins. Following this contest, UC San Diego travels to face Hawaii on Saturday, Jan. 3. Cal Poly continues its Southern California road trip at Long Beach State on the same day.