Slow start dooms Cal Poly at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -Junior guard Kobe Sanders finished with a team leading 14 points Thursday evening, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program trailed CSU Bakersfield wire-to-wire and fell inside the Icardo Center, 61-51.

Graduate guard Chance Hunter led Cal Poly (7-8, 1-2) with eight rebounds as the Mustangs closed CSU Bakersfield's lead to 49-40 with two-and-a-half minutes to play. Sanders then sank one of his three three-pointers and followed with a jumper to help cut CSU Bakersfield's lead to 51-45.

With Cal Poly forced to foul to regain possession, however, CSU Bakersfield (5-9, 1-2) sank five of its next six free throw attempt to preserve the lead and secure victory.

The Big West Conference leader with a 75.4 percent team free throw mark, Cal Poly finished 13-for-16 (81.3 percent) from the line Thursday. Committing only 12 turnovers and outrebounding CSU Bakersfield, 37-33, the Mustangs shot just 30.8 (16-for-52) percent from the floor.

Cal Poly returns home to resume action on Saturday, Jan. 7, hosting UC Santa Barbara at 1 p.m. Action will be televised on Spectrum SportsNet and streamed via ESPN+.

During Thursday's matchup, CSU Bakersfield edged out to an initial 5-0 lead and stayed in front the remainder of the evening. The Roadrunners twice claimed 10-point leads before forward Antavion Collum sank a layup and free throw in the penultimate minute of the first half to hand CSU Bakersfield – which kept Cal Poly to a 23.8 (5-for-21) percent first-half field goal mark – a 29-16 lead at the break.

Into the second half, Cal Poly closed within eight points of CSU Bakersfield after Sanders hit a three-pointer with 18 minutes remaining.

The Mustangs, however, slipped to a 14-point deficit within seven minutes.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly).