STOCKTON, Calif. – Pacific women's basketball takes on Cal Poly in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Alex G. Spanos Center.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Don Gubbins and Celeste Gehring on the call.
Pacific (18-14) makes its sixth appearance in the WNIT and first since 2019. The furthest the Tigers have advanced in the tournament was the Super 16 in 2013.
In addition, Pacific will host a WNIT game at the Spanos Center for the first time since 2015. The Tigers hosted Sacramento State that year, coming up short by a score of 87-79.
Five players are currently averaging double figures in scoring. Junior Elizabeth Elliott is Pacific's leader with 13.2 points per game. The Inglewood, Calif. native is second in the West Coast Conference and 12th nationally in field goal percentage (.600). Elliott is also averaging a team-leading 5.6 rebounds per game. She was named to the WCC All-Conference Second Team this season.
Junior Anaya James is second behind Elliott in scoring with 12.3 points per game while leading the Tigers with 5.9 assists per game. The Inglewood, Calif. native is tied for first in assists per game (13th nationally) in the WCC while her total dish outs are second (11th nationally). This year's performance on the court earned James a spot on WCC All-Conference First Team and All-Tournament Team.
Senior Liz Smith and graduate student Cecilia Holmberg are registering 12.2 and 12.1 points per game, respectively. Holmberg was selected to WCC Honorable Mention after finishing as the second leading scorer in conference games with 13.3 per game.
Senior Kadie Deaton is notching 10.9 points per game and leads the Tigers with 1.9 steals per game. The Wausau, Wis. native is currently in third in the WCC in steals.
Pacific faces Cal Poly (17-13) for the first time since 2013. Both teams are former Big West rivals. The Tigers will look for their first win against the Mustangs since 2008. That year, Pacific swept the regular season series with two overtime victories, winning 89-88 in Stockton and 75-69 in San Luis Obispo.
The two teams last played each other in the Big West championship game in 2013. Pacific dropped the contest against Cal Poly, 63-49. However, the Tigers also won their first conference regular season title that year.
Cal Poly finished fifth in the Big West standings with a 13-7 record. The Mustangs came up short in the second round of the conference tournament against UC Davis, 56-48.
Natalia Ackerman leads Cal Poly in scoring with 12.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
Tickets can be purchased here or by calling the ticket office at (209) 946-2474.
NOTES
-This is the 52
nd meeting between Pacific and Cal Poly. The Tigers have a 26-25 edge in the all-time series and will look for their first win against the Mustangs since 2008.
-Pacific is 15-2 when leading at the half and 14-7 when scoring 70 or more points.
-The Tigers are ranked in the top 100 in five statistical categories in the nation with its highest being 26
th in assists per game (16.9).
-Three Tigers are nationally ranked statistically. Elliott is 12
th in field goal percentage (.600). James' total assists (189) are 11
th and her average (5.9) is 13
th while her assist/turnover ratio (2.10) is 52
nd. Smith is ranked 53
th in free throw percentage (.848).
-Head coach
Bradley Davis was a part of Pacific's five WNIT appearances since joining the coaching staff. His first one as head coach was in 2019. That year, the Tigers defeated Fresno State (77-72) to advance to the second round at Arizona. Pacific came up short 64-48 against the Wildcats.
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