Cal Poly rallies for upset win over UC Irvine

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - Sophomore Guzman Vasilic scored a career high 18 points and freshman Austin Goode enjoyed a collegiate best 17 Thursday evening as the Cal Poly men’s basketball program overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to hand previous Big West leader UC Irvine a 79-73 defeat inside Mott Athletics Center.

Sophomore Cayden Ward produced his second career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Cal Poly (10-16, 6-8), which utilized a 19-5 run out of halftime to overtake UC Irvine (16-9, 9-4) seven minutes into the second half.

The Mustangs trailed just twice down the stretch – by a single point each occasion – with three-pointers on four successive from possessions (Goode and sophomore Peter Bandelj alternating) establishing a 74-65 edge with two minutes to play.

Limiting UC Irvine to a 33.3 (10-for-30) percent second-half shooting mark, Cal Poly drained 14 three-pointers while outrebounding the anteaters, 51-40.

Bandelj, who sank four three-pointers alongside Vasilic, finished with 14 points for Cal Poly.

Facing just a 10-5 deficit after the initial six minutes and a 1-for-10 shooting start, Cal Poly received back-to-back three-pointers from Bandelj before Goode, sophomore Hamad Mousa and Vasilic all connected from the arc for a 20-12 advantage.

UC Irvine guard Derin Saran broke Cal Poly’s streak with a layup before freshman Troy Plumtree hit another three-pointer to place Cal Poly up 23-14 eight-and-a-half minutes before the break.

The Mustangs, however, were kept to just two field goals the remainder of the half as UC Irvine closed the period with a 28-6 run to lead heading into the locker room, 42-29.

Cal Poly Noteworthy (versus UC Irvine)

Up Next: Playing two its next three matchups at home, Cal Poly hosts rival UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 4 p.m.

With Thursday’s win, Cal Poly knocked UC Irvine out of a tie for first place in the Big West standings, handing Hawai’i (18-5, 10-3) top spot – by a half-game – over UC Santa Barbara (17-8, 10-4).

Cal Poly, meanwhile, moved one-and-a-half games clear of Long Beach State for the eighth and final spot in the March 11-14 Big West Championship.

With his first bucket of the evening nine minutes into action, Hamad Mousa surpassed 500 points for the season. The effort marks the 13th 500-point season in program history and the third in as many years after current Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Sanders (568, 2023-24) and former guard Owen Koonce (593, 2024-25).

Cal Poly’s 51 rebounds marked a season high.