SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Interstat) — Dessirae Ulmer scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Cal Poly pulled away from UC Merced for a 79-38 women’s NCAA Division I basketball victory Monday at Robert Mott Gym on the California Polytechnic State University campus. The Mustangs improved to 1-0 in their season opener against a non-divisional opponent. Attendance was 513.

Ulmer, a 6-foot forward from Fountain, Colo., who previously played at Fountain-Fort Carson, led Cal Poly while playing 24 minutes. Sumer Lee added 17 points, four rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes. Gabby Robinson finished with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes. Ysabella Von Seipler contributed six points, six rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes, while Madison Butcher had eight points, five rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes.

Maddy Tauro added seven points, five rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes. Mecca Alexander had five points, one rebound and one assist in 14 minutes. Ella Skrzyniarz scored five points with two rebounds in 18 minutes, and Jordan Billing had two points and one rebound in seven minutes. Lee is a 5-8 guard who previously played at King’s Christian, while Robinson is a 5-10 guard who previously played at Centennial HS.

Cal Poly scored 79 points from 72 possessions, an offensive rating of 110.3. The Mustangs finished with 10 offensive rebounds, 11 assists and nine turnovers. UC Merced, the visiting non-divisional opponent, scored 38 points. The Mustangs’ advantage on the glass and their ability to convert turnovers into points helped turn the game after an early back-and-forth stretch.

The key stretch came as Cal Poly turned a tight opening into a commanding lead with Ulmer and Lee leading the way. Ulmer opened the scoring with a layup at 9:17 of the first quarter, and Lee followed with a driving layup and a free throw. Tauro added a driving layup as Cal Poly built an early advantage. UC Merced stayed within range early behind free throws from Jazzy Beltran and Olivia Gill, but the Mustangs’ offense began to click when Lee made consecutive layups and Robinson added a jump shot.

UC Merced got a second-quarter lift from Nicole Lukito, who made a layup and a 3-point jump shot, and Olivia Smith, who hit jumpers and free throws to keep the visiting team competitive. But Cal Poly answered each time. Tauro made a 3-point jump shot and a layup, Billing added a layup, and Ulmer converted a 3-point field goal, a jump shot and a layup during a stretch that helped the Mustangs separate. Beltran made a 3-point jump shot for UC Merced before halftime, but Cal Poly had established the tempo and never surrendered it.

The decisive portion of the game came in the middle periods, when Cal Poly’s defense limited UC Merced’s clean looks and the Mustangs’ transition offense produced easy baskets. Robinson made a 3-point jump shot early in the third quarter, Ulmer followed with a layup, and Von Seipler scored on a layup. After Olivia Gill made a jump shot for UC Merced, Cal Poly responded with a run that included a Robinson layup, a Lee layup, a Skrzyniarz layup and a Skrzyniarz 3-point jump shot. Alexander then made a 3-point field goal, and Von Seipler made free throws as the Mustangs’ lead grew.

Cal Poly kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter. Ulmer made a free throw and a layup, Robinson added a layup and a 3-point field goal, and Von Seipler made a layup. UC Merced got a layup from Sydney Boyd, a turnaround jumper from Lukito and free throws from Gill, but the Mustangs answered with a jumper off a turnover from Butcher and a 3-point field goal from Butcher. Later, Ulmer made another layup, Lee made free throws and a layup, and Olivia Smith scored on a layup for UC Merced. Lukito made two free throws and a layup, Boyd made a free throw and a layup, and Singley made a free throw for UC Merced in the closing minutes, but Cal Poly closed the scoring on two free throws from Alexander.

Ulmer’s 14 rebounds and 17 points made her the top performer for Cal Poly, while Lee matched her scoring output and Robinson provided another double-figure effort. The Mustangs’ 11 assists and 10 offensive rebounds accompanied a nine-turnover performance. UC Merced’s best moments came from Lukito and Smith, but the visiting team could not match Cal Poly’s depth or scoring runs.

Cal Poly’s upcoming schedule includes a home game against Whittier, a road game at Idaho State, a home contest against Seattle, road games at UCLA and Washington, home games against Cal State Northridge, UC Santa Barbara and Eastern Washington, and road games at Utah Tech and Stanford.

No point spread, betting line, over-under, projection or game-simulation information was available for the game or Cal Poly’s upcoming schedule.