LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to escape the Big West cellar will meet Thursday when the Long Beach State 49ers host the Cal Poly Mustangs in a women’s basketball matchup at Walter Pyramid. Both teams enter with identical 3-23 overall records, making this a critical contest for momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season. The 49ers (3-23) and Mustangs (3-23) have each endured lengthy losing skids, with Long Beach State dropping eight of its last nine and Cal Poly mired in a 10-game losing streak. The Mustangs will rely on the hot hand of guard Charish Thompson, who has averaged 16.7 points over her last seven games. She is coming off a 22-point performance in a 71-54 loss to Hawaii on Feb. 19 and scored 20 or more points in three of her last five outings. Long Beach State counters with its own offensive leader in guard Khylee Pepe. She poured in a season-high 24 points in a 85-75 loss at Cal State Northridge on Feb. 21 and has been a consistent scorer, reaching double figures in six consecutive games. Cal Poly won the first meeting this season, 63-49, at home on Jan. 3. In that game, the Mustangs’ defense held the 49ers to 29.7% shooting from the field. Since that victory, however, Cal Poly has found wins elusive. Their last victory was that Jan. 3 game against Long Beach State. The 49ers’ only win in their last 11 contests was a 75-72 home victory over UC Riverside on Jan. 29. With both teams statistically eliminated from contention for a top conference tournament seed, Thursday’s game represents a battle for pride and a chance to build confidence before the Big West tournament next month. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at Walter Pyramid.