Cal Poly ends 17-game losing streak to rival UCSB
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - Peter Bandelj enjoyed a team high 18 points and Hamad Mousa finished with 17 Saturday evening as the Cal Poly men’s basketball program – for the second time in three days – defeated a top-three opponent in the Big West standings, dealing Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara a 89-79 defeat inside Mott Athletics Center.
Sophomore Cayden Ward added 14 points for Cal Poly (11-16, 7-8), which trailed UC Santa Barbara (17-9, 10-5) by nine points at the break before outscoring the Gauchos by 19 in the second half. Two days after toppling previous Big West leader UC Irvine (79-73), Cal Poly shot 62.5 (15-for-24) percent in the second half while holding UC Santa Barbara to a 34.4 (11-for-32) percent mark.
Sophomore Guzman Vasilic added 11 points for Cal Poly while Ward led all players with eight rebounds.
Neither side led by more than four points during Saturday’s opening 10 minutes before UC Santa Barbara broke a 19-19 deadlock with a 7-0 run. The Gauchos – shooting 55.6 (15-for-27) percent in the first half – twice led by 10 points before taking a 46-37 advantage into the locker room.
Gauchos forward Zion Sensley opened the second half with a three-pointer to place UC Santa Barbara up 12 before the Mustangs – sinking six of their initial 10 shots – produced an 18-4 run out of the break to take a 55-50 lead with 14 minutes remaining.
UC Santa Barbara scored the next seven points, but a three-pointer from Cal Poly junior guard Jake Davis handed the Mustangs the lead for certain at 58-57 with 12-and-a-half to play.
The Gauchos closed their deficit to 73-70 with four-and-a-half minutes to go before Mousa connected on a three-point play, hit a jumper and drained two free throws on successive possessions to place Cal Poly in front, 80-72.
Cal Poly Noteworthy (versus UC Santa Barbara)
Up Next: Cal Poly plays three of its final five regular season games on the road, starting Thursday, Feb. 19 at Hawai’i. Tip time from O’ahu is 9 p.m. PT.
Saturday’s victory snapped a 17-game series slide against UC Santa Barbara dating to an 80-79 home victory on Jan. 4, 2018.
Mousa’s Saturday tally brought his season total to 521 points – the 10th highest single season total in program history.
All 10 Mustangs who appeared in Saturday’s game scored.
After dropping this year’s season series opener at UC Santa Barbara, 107-67, Saturday’s win marked a 50-point turnaround for the Mustangs.
(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)
