IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Thursday night when the Big West-leading UC Irvine Anteaters host the struggling Cal Poly Mustangs in a women’s basketball matchup at Bren Events Center. The Anteaters (19-4 overall) enter the contest as one of the conference’s dominant forces, having won 10 of their last 12 games. Their most recent outing was a commanding 63-41 victory over UC Santa Barbara, where the defense held an opponent under 45 points for the sixth time this season. Guard Shirel Nahum, a key facilitator, posted 12 points and three assists in that win and averages 8.8 points over her last six contests. Conversely, Cal Poly (3-20) seeks to snap a seven-game losing skid. The Mustangs have shown fight in recent narrow defeats, falling by four points to UC Davis and by four to UC Riverside last week. Their hopes largely rest on the shoulders of guard Charish Thompson, who has been a bright spot during the difficult stretch. Thompson is averaging 15.0 points per game over her last seven contests, including a 20-point performance in the 55-59 loss to UC Davis on Feb. 7. UC Irvine’s defense, allowing just 54.2 points per game, will present a formidable challenge for Thompson and a Cal Poly offense averaging only 56.7 points. The Anteaters have already secured a 73-42 win over UC Davis, a team that recently edged Cal Poly. The teams’ first meeting of the season is scheduled for March 5 in San Luis Obispo. Thursday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. PST.