Kristina Santiago will have her number 12 retired on December 3rd. By Pascal Corbat

Cal Poly women’s basketball legend Kristina Santiago joins Owen on this episode. The all-time leader in program points and rebounds will have her jersey number 12 retired on December 3rd prior to the 4:00 pm game. She talks about what the last few seasons of professional basketball have been like, her continued connection with Cal Poly, and what it’s like rehabbing from her third ACL tear.

Molly Schlemer’s offensive game demands attention from opposing defenses. By Owen Main

One was a face-up big. The other loves to have her back to the basket.

One was a superstar from the beginning. The other took half her college career to blossom into a dominant force.

Their styles probably couldn’t be more different, but a pair of Righetti High School forwards have, over the course of the past six years, helped lead the Cal Poly women’s basketball program from a team that was perennially in the bottom half of the conference bracket into a four to five-year run of conference dominance.

The numbers bear it out. In the seven years leading up to Santiago’s freshman year (2000-01 year through 2006-07), Cal Poly had winning percentages of .445 (49-61) in conference and .438 (85-109) overall. In the six years since Santiago arrived, winning percentages have increased for the Mustangs to .684 (67-31) in Big West Conference play and .580 (109-79) overall. They have not won less than 11 games in conference since Santiago’s Freshman year.

It isn’t like these two have done it completely on their own. Building a winning atmosphere requires contributions from everyone from the assistant coaches to the last player off the bench.

Kristina Santiago enjoyed an MVP season in the Bulgarian League last year and is back in Ruse. Photo courtesy of Dunav 8806.

The year Santiago missed due to injury saw Rachel Clancy win Big West Player of the Year. Cal Poly players have won that award four straight years. Schlemer, the defending conference player of the year, has better numbers this year than last year. She has upped her activity rebounding and demands constant attention from opposing defenses as the conferences most dominant offensive player. Barring something completely unforseen or a collapse on the part of the team, Schlemer will raise that number to five this season.

There have been others. Point guard Jonae Ervin has led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Ariana Elegado is a constant outside threat who can create her own shot off the dribble — a valuable attribute at this level. Clancy, Kayla Griffin, and so many others have contributed to what has become a run of women’s basketball dominance that the Big West Conference hasn’t seen for some time.

Schlemer’s induction into the 1,000 point club is made even more remarkable by the fact that she averaged only nine minutes and 3.3 points per game during her first two seasons with Cal Poly.

Here’s a look at a few numbers from both Santiago and Schlemer:

* As of February 12, 2014

The two Righetti High School graduates have helped make the local school a perennial conference power. While coach Faith Mimnaugh loves great guard play, two post players with very different styles have helped the Mustangs establish a winning tradition at Mott Athletics Center.

If this March turns out the way San Luis Obispo fans hope, Schlemer could leave Cal Poly having won the program’s fifth consecutive Big West Conference Player of the Year award. Oh, and there’s also the matter of getting back to the NCAA Tournament.

*********

Post update – I just got back from the Cal Poly game against Cal State Northridge on Thursday night. That Matadors team looked REALLY good. They ran the Mustangs out of the gym. Like a buzz-saw. In a conference tournament it’s all about matchups and it looks like these two might be a good bet to meet in the conference final in March.

Photos by Owen Main

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

Kristina Santiago made an impact as a rookie for Dunav 8806 in the Bulgarian League, winning regular season and post-season MVP honors. Photo courtesy of Dunav 8806 Facebook page.

“Call me T.”

It was the first thing Kristina Santiago ever said to me when I introduced myself to her a few years ago following a Cal Poly women’s basketball game.

While I didn’t call her T throughout the podcast, the former two-time Big West Conference MVP sat down with Luke and I to discuss her first professional season, living in Bulgaria, and what the future holds. We definitely hope Kristina becomes a regular guest on our podcast and if you listen, I think you’ll see why.

At a recent Cal Poly men’s game, a familiar face was making the rounds. Two-time Big West Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, Kristina Santiago was hard to miss. The 6’2″ Santiago was back in San Luis Obispo during a break in her first professional season in Bulgaria. Much like I did with former Mustang Will Taylor, I emailed Santiago a series of questions that she was gracious enough to answer.

So far this season Santiago has played about 18 games, averaging a league-leading 22 points per game. She also pulls down nine rebounds per contest, good for second on the team and fifth in the league. She is also fifth in the league in steals and third in blocked shots. In four Eurocup games, she has averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds. Her team, Dunav8806, is currently in second place in their league. Dunav8806 is located in Ruse, a city on the Danube River on the border of Bulgaria and Romania.

Kristina Santiago has made an impact as a rookie for Dunav 8806 in the Bulgarian League. Photo courtesy of Dunav 8806 Facebook page.

Fansmanship: Why Bulgaria?

Kristina Santiago: When trying to decide where I wanted to play my first season of basketball as a professional, there were so many different aspects to look at. The Country, team, coach, money, and league were just a few of the things I had to analyze and sort out. For me, it was about making myself better, and choosing a team that could help me get noticed and get my name out there. My agent contacted me (this being my third offer from a European team) and told me that this Bulgarian team was accepted into Eurocup league. This means not only do they play in the Bulgarian league, but also the best teams from other countries in a separate league. I found this offer intriguing, and also a way for me to get the exposure and experience I wanted in my first year. This offer is extremely rare for a first year player, and after sorting out my contract, everything just fell into place and I knew this was the right place for me to be.

Fansmanship: How is the game of women’s basketball perceived differently here than in the United States?

KS: The first thing I noticed when I came to Ruse was that the whole city is invested in our team, Dunav8806. Playing this game of basketball means so much more here than it does anywhere I have played. We play for the pride of Ruse and all the people in it. In the US, women’s basketball is unrecognized and underappreciated. I have even had a lady in the States ask me if there is a professional league for girls. Here in Bulgaria, and every country we have traveled to play, basketball is everything. Sponsors and fans devote anything from time, money, food, and housing. fans have also supported us in every game including away.

Santiago is averaging 22 points and 8 rebounds per game in the Bulgarian League. Photo courtesy of Dunav 8806 Facebook page.

Fansmanship: Describe the differences between playing in college and professionally.

KS: The biggest difference by far is that in college I always thought of my team as a family. We had each others’ backs and played as one on the court, and were still always together off the court. We were always doing team bonding activities and things to build chemistry. Being a professional now, it is much more cut-throat and individually based. We are still close as a team, don’t get me wrong, but here we are not all under the same scholarship as we were in college. We are battling everyday to keep our position, earn more money, not get cut, and still form a chemistry to win games. It is an interesting concept to balance.

Fansmanship: Have you learned to speak Bulgarian?

KS: Malko! This means a little. My roommate and I picked up the basics rather quickly. We can wander off without our Bulgarian friends and get by. It also helps that most people are willing, or at least try, to speak English to us. I am pleased with what I know so far, but do hope that by the time I leave I will be able to communicate even better in Bulgarian. It is such a unique, fun language to learn.

Fansmanship: What is the hardest part about living and playing in Europe?

KS: By far the hardest part is being away from my family and my pup. When I was living back home during my limbo stage after college, I got so used to seeing my family everyday and having our bbq’s and gatherings all the time. Not to mention my dog Teyga does everything with me, so it is sad not coming home to her getting excited to see me everyday.

Other than that I miss the beach, Starbucks, Papa Napolis, my dad’s baby back ribs, elevators, toilet seats/toilet paper in public restrooms, candy, beef, and a dryer for my clothes.

Fansmanship: What do you miss most about college?

KS: Being able to utilize my coaches, the court, my athletic trainer, and ice bath, the weight room, and other facilities whenever I wanted to. We don’t have access to these things here, which is hard because I utilized those resources so much in College. I also miss being around athletes all day, and hanging out in the office with my team and coaches playing games, talking, or studying. It was quality time and nice to be around all day.

Fansmanship: What is the best part of experience so far?

KS: I honestly can’t pick out just one part. This experience as a whole is something I could have only dreamed of. Experiencing the Bulgarian culture, learning their language and history, has truly been an honor to me. The people in this town are so friendly and helpful, and made my time here really special so far.

Fansmanship: What are some staple Bulgarian foods and what is your favorite so far?

KS: The first thing I noticed about the food was that they are big on yogurt and cheese, whether its in soup form, on the food, or in the food. Almost every meal is served with Shopska salad, usually containing cucumbers tomatoes pepper and olives. For meat they eat pork and chicken, no beef. My favorite meals so far are stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls, which my grandpa also makes back home!

Fansmanship: I noticed the uniforms are a little different than the uniforms we’re used to seeing for women’s basketball in the US.

KS: My uniform, as you can see, is a lot smaller than it was in college. This was very hard at first to get used to, and even made me a little uncomfortable on the court at first. But like anything, I got used to the tight uniform and no longer have a problem wearing it. The purpose of them was to look more feminine, and exploit our figure more, possibly drawing more fans? I’m not exactly sure, but our games sell out.

Anything for fans…

If anyone would like to keep updated on stats, games, pictures and more, there is a Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/dunav8806. Or a website that can be translated to English from Google Chrome, dunav8806.com

Upset last season by UC-Davis in the Big West Tournament, the Cal Poly women’s basketball team got a taste of revenge. Dominating from the beginning, the Mustangs shot 58 percent from the field in the first half and rolled to an 87-65 victory.

Ashlee Burns scored a game-high 20 points on Saturday vs. UC Davis. Photo by Owen Main

Senior guard Ashlee Burns made consecutive 3-point shots to give the Mustangs a 6-0 lead within the first minute of the game and Cal Poly never looked back. Burns led the Mustangs with 20 points on 6-10 from 3-point range. Senior Kristina Santiago scored 17 points and pulled down 6 rebounds for the Mustangs. A total of 13 players saw time in the game for Cal Poly, and 11 players scored.

Point guard Jonae Ervin paced Cal Poly with 10 assists and Kayla Griffin grabbed 9 rebounds. Coming into the game, Ervin was 2nd in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9).

Cal Poly (7-12 overall, 5-3 Big West) ties UC Davis (13-6 overall, 5-3 Big West) in the standings with the victory. After winning their first three conference games, the Mustangs lost their next three and have now won two straight.

_________________

Men’s Basketball – Cal Poly 67 – UC Davis 65

The men overcame a 17-point deficit to nip the Aggies in Davis. Will Taylor scored 18 points to pace the Mustangs, who improve their record to 4-5 in the Big West Conference.

_________________

Cal Poly Head Coach Faith Mimnaugh discusses the team’s development and all that went right during the UC Davis game.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SbX8tZ9Ve0

Guard Ashlee Burns said the team is at its best when they are getting contributions from everyone.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAnQWeaKxek

Forward Kristina Santiago discusses the game, the Cal Poly scoring record, and momentum.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsglJA-SFo0

Photos by Owen Main

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Go hand in hand. Nice rhyme scheme, no?

I am sitting at Mott Gym beneath a gray dome and ambient lights— Kanye West blaring from a quadrant of amplified speakers.

Out from opposing corners, a reef of coaches— wide-eyed, serious, walk from their humble fighter’s corners amidst a chorus of rat a tat jibber jabbering drum beats.

Players peel out like ping pong balls high on a heavy dose of the oldest drug in the book — adrenaline.

It is paralyzing.

This is College basketball. Call it what you will, but this is College hoops, mates — and it’s temperamental as always.

November is shall I say, kinky? A time when coaches work through their early rotational woes, so that by January when Conference play begins they might be set and ready for a possible run into March.

In a matter of a few minutes, a tip-off followed by a blurry mess of fandom swallows the stadium whole.

Fresno state comes out drilling three point bombs left and right.

A fan yells from afar, “Is this Hiroshima?”

Kristina Santiago grabs back the run with a dose of drop step crab dribble layups. “Girl’s got game,” says a gruff man behind a Moses beard in a large winter trench coat and baggy green slacks.

Cal Poly's Kristina Santiago drives past a Fresno State defender on Sunday, November 20, 2011. Santiago scored 27 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in the game. Photo by Jamie Pereira

A turnover follows on the next play down. Fresno state 15, Poly 12.

I am taken by Coach Mimnaugh’s three out guard set. She is centered. Her demeanor quiet and calm, defiant in her team’s up-tempo pace.

I am less taken with her team’s scattered haze of defense. Fresno is having their way with an inside-outside guard attack. Stop, pop, lean back, cross over, attack, rebound, and Fresno is drilling Poly 30-21.

Yet that never stops the bands “Hoorahs!” They’re situated Westward side behind the visitor’s basket—a lilting left-right montage of Fansmanship wildly displaying faithfulness to their beloved classmates.

Years from now I’m sure they’ll remember these moments: hand in hand, brass piece in brass piece under one united hedge way: Cal Poly. A school long known for cow patties and long rows of farm tractors, now an upturning sport school with a basketball program worth rooting for.

And it works.

Poly’s inspired play is recognizable; Each Lady Mustang swelling in her belief that an early deficit is as I said a kink in the long strand of a forty-minute chain.

Two uncharacteristic defensive stops, two more Santiago lay-ins and the score is equalizing. Fresno state 32, Poly 31.

I tweet @SLOcollegebeat (local Tribune beat writer Josh Scroggin) “Watching this game is like a speedy welter weight classic.” He returns, “It’s sure a shock to the system after covering yesterday’s men’s game.”

And boy is it. These girls are speedier than Gonzalez himself. They hip hop dribble around a court faster than the ball they carry. Halftime: Poly 41, Fresno state 40.

Then a raucous celebration, Poly band lets loose a charming diatribe of the Macarena and Smooth Operator. A small child enveloped in a Poly sweatshirt bobs her braid to the tight tunes of the Mustang band.

Now back to the game: Tempo is stilling.

It is amazing how turnovers can distill an up-tempo basketball game. Lady Mustangs and Bulldogs look tired and disoriented.

Until a streak in the name of point guard Jonae Ervin fire cracks in a huff. A drop pass to role-playing spark Ashlee Burns for a layup ignites a much needed mini run pushing Poly back in the game.

Coach Mimnaugh lets loose a smile. Her team is elevating again. Fresno state 49, Poly 47.

This welterweight is becoming a slogged bash between two tiring squads. Shooting percentages are decreasing. How could one imagine they wouldn’t, after this sort of up and down haggle?

Ashlee Burns is doing her spark plug deal again. She just hit a corner three, pulling Poly back into a deadlock.

Cal Poly's Ashlee Burns (00) takes a three point shot from the corner on November 20, 2011. Burns scored 18 points including four three-pointers. Photo by Jamie Pereira

Cal Poly 57, Fresno state 57.

Then we spar. Both teams make a run and the other responds. Santiago goes coast to coast on a stunning steal and layup,
but her counterparts answer with a three point field goal.

“No let up! No let up!” Coach Mimnaugh yells from her sideline.

And both sides for a moment must have heard the coach in her grace. Fresno’s unrelenting press disturbs Poly’s inbound possessions, leading to various turnovers.

Now in the final two-minutes Poly answers with a similar turnover. A poor inbound pass by the Lady Bulldogs leads to a two-shot foul. With the score tied pressure is mounting. Christine Martin steps to the line and drills one of two free throws to tie the game.

42.6 seconds, crowd a riled pack of hungry dogs.

Lady Bulldogs answer with a quick layup and confuse the Poly inbound pass. As it dribbles to the sideline out of bounds, Ashlee Burns the effective Mustang guard, loses her cool. “Calm down,” Mimnaugh says, patting the wet back of her energizing guard.

Again the Bulldogs answer. Quick foul results in two-more free throws and the Mustangs are forced to heave a dramatic half-court shot.

It clangs. The chain breaks. Fresno State 79, Cal Poly 76.

It took forty minutes to officially change my perception of things.  I’m more of a believer now in the women’s game, watching as my cynical ego shyly suspends into the rafters and out into a cold starry world.

And boy would it have been. San Luis Obispo is better known for its Thursday Farmer’s Market than it is for its strong collegiate programs. This year has been an exciting experience for the city, watching both the men’s and women’s basketball teams not only compete, but sit atop the Big West conference for most of the year.

March’s unforgiving playoff format has already eliminated one of our town favorites. Coach Callero’s men’s basketball team lost their chance at dancing with a tough 70-66 loss to UC Riverside in the first round of the Big West tournament. Main made something very clear when it comes to the programs success– the ramifications of the Mustangs’ turn around into a real Big West threat (15-15, 10-6) could ultimately lead to them to a more substantial recruiting classes in the coming seasons. This will insure greater success in the future and hopefully bids into March more frequently.

We will miss the uber-athletic Shawn Lewis next year, that is for sure…

Despite the Men turning things around, Coach Mimnaugh’s Lady Mustangs (18-12, 12-4)  have been most impressive. Beginning the season without reigning Big West Player of the Year Kristina Santiago was like having your heart removed and then being asked to stay alive.  And they did. Starting the season just 2-5, forward Rachel Clancy assumed the role as the teams captain and leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per contest. The Mustangs went on an eight game winning streak, and took control of the Big West Conference. Clancy was named Big West Player of the Year, giving Mustangs back-to- back players of the year. Mimnaugh was awarded the Big West Coach of the Year, her first-such award.

This season felt like the year we would see at least one of our two teams dancing. The Lady Mustangs were a poised, defensive-minded bunch, that had the coach and the leader to help them get there. But it just didn’t happen. There will be no celebrations at Firestone Grill or the Shack. Fansmanship’s what-if dreams, like so many in the area, were popped when the Mustangs were taken down in the Big West title game 66-49 against UC Davis.  Despite splitting the regular season with the Aggies (24-8, 10-6), Cal Poly looked sluggish on its biggest stage. With 4:42 to play in the 1st half, the Aggies were dominant, leading the game 30-14.

Clancy did all she could. Trailing 35-22 at the half, she hit two three pointers to open the 2nd half that cut the Aggies lead to seven. But that would be closest things would get. The Aggies returned the favor going on a 18-4 run to open the game back up and the Mustangs never recovered.

We were outnumbered, outplayed, and out hustled. The Aggies lassoed our Mustangs, beating us up in the post and outscoring our bench 25-4. Falling in the title game is without a doubt the largest disappointment for Mustang fans. We were like a chubby kid in a candy shop, sniffing the madness. Now, we’ve been put on an all veggie diet.

In retrospect, a better what-if would have been, what-if Cal Poly had Kristina Santiago? Teaming Santiago with Clancy would have been a dangerous threat. But as we all know, what-ifs are what-ifs because they never get resolved. Questions like that never get answered. Central Coasters will have to return to Farmer’s Market, the Palm Theater, and roller derby for another year, before we imagine living in the big boy and girl worlds of March. Maturation will be key as Cal Poly continues to build solid programs. It seems both squads are, finally, headed in that direction.

On Thursday night, Fansmanship.com was in attendance at the Honda Center as the men lost an overtime thriller to UC Riverside. While they had got the better of the Highlanders twice during the regular season, Riverside started the game hot, while the Mustangs didn’t seem to get any easy first-half shots. Cal Poly overcame the deficit and led the game at the end before two free throws sent the game into overtime.

“There was no crying in the locker room because these guys played their butts off,” said Callero after the game.

While there is nothing anyone would have liked more than to advance in the tournament, the team didn’t leave anything on the court and doesn’t seem to have any regrets about the game. It’s what a coach should hope for from student-athletes and for that, they should all be proud.

The women’s team was in attendance, enthusiastically cheering for the men on Thursday.  On Friday, the women won their semifinal game before being beaten by UC Davis in the Big West Final on Saturday.

Like the men’s team, the women’s loss came largely due to a sub-par first half. Despite a late-run, Cal Poly couldn’t overcome a 13-point halftime deficit to beat the Aggies.  Though they probably won’t be an at-large invitee to the NCAA Tournament, they automatically qualify for the Women’s NIT tournament.

While neither team accomplished everything they wanted to this week, the future is bright. Kristina Santiago will return to a women’s team with postseason experience who will lose only two players, though one of those is Big West Player of the Year Rachel Clancy.

The men’s team will return next season with a lot of experience. All-Big West First Team player Shawn Lewis is a sizable loss in both scoring and general explosiveness, but next year’s team will feature seniors Will Donahue, David Hanson and Jordan Lewis. Along with senior leadership, the Mustangs’ roster will include six guards with experience, which could prove vital in late-season conference and tournament play. The Mustangs should also see the return of Will Taylor, who red-shirted this season.

Next November is far away still, but signs point to both programs being on the upswing. There were many “firsts” this year for the men’s and women’s teams, and there will an additional dynamic leading up to the 2011-12 season – something Mustangs teams have not experienced in some time – excitement building up before the season and higher expectations.

The women’s team, which is the number one seed in the Big West Tournament, received the most awards. Senior Rachel Clancy, who is a great student too, was the second Lady Mustang in two years to garner the Conference Player of the Year Award. In 2009-10, Kristina Santiago was the conference’s best player. In Santiago’s absence, Clancy has paced Cal Poly with 16.3 points per game and was also third on the team in rebounding.

Also receiving postseason awards were Clancy’s teammates Abby Bloetscher (2nd Team) and Jonae Ervin (Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team).

Women’s Head Coach Faith Mimnaugh, in her 14th season at cal Poly, earned the Big West Coach of the Year honor by leading the Lady Mustangs to a share of the Big West regular season title despite losing the reigning conference player of the year during the first game of the season.

The Lady Mustangs start the conference tournament at home on Tuesday night. As the number one seed, they earned the right to host eighth-seeded Cal State Fullerton at Mott Gym. The game starts at 7:00 pm.

The men’s team also collected some hardware on Monday. Senior Shawn Lewis, who averaged 15.1 points per game to lead the Mustangs, earned First Team All-Conference honors.  Minnesota native, junior David Hanson, (15.1 points per game), earned All-Conference Second Team recognition and guard Maliik Love was the second Mustang guard in a row to be named to the All-Freshman team. Last season, Kyle Odister was named to the All-Freshman team. Odister has sat out this season due to injury. Love shared Fresman of the Year honors with Josh Ritchart from UC- Davis.

Coach Joe Callero’s team finished the regular season with a 15-14 record (10-6 in the Big West Conference) after finishing 12-19 (7-9 in the Big West Conference) in 2009-10. After being picked by many to finish the season near the bottom of the conference, Callero may have been deserving of coach of the year. The award, however, went to Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson. The 49ers, with Big West Player of the Year Casper Ware, finished in first place in the regular season.

The Mustang men start the Big West Tournament as the two-seed. They face 7th seeded UC Riverside on Thursday night at 6:00 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.