Mustangs take Riverside to overtime before losing 5th straight Big West men’s basketball game
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Senior guard Trevon Taylor (above) led the Cal Poly men's basketball program with a season best 21 points Monday evening, but the Mustangs saw a second-half lead at second-place UC Riverside slip down the stretch of regulation before falling in overtime inside SRC Arena, 83-78.
Junior guard Kobe Sanders added 15 points for Cal Poly (7-11, 1-5), which trailed UC Riverside (13-6, 6-1) by six at the break before utilizing a 22-7 run midway through the second half to lead 56-48 with seven minutes to play.
The Mustangs, who shot 65.2 (15-for-23) percent from the floor during the second half, still led, 64-60, with 90 seconds to go before UC Riverside scored on three successive possessions – first receiving a layup from guard Flynn Cameron before reigning Big West Player of the Week Jamal Hartwell II hit two jumpers – to go up by two points with 16 seconds to play.
During the final sequence of regulation, Mustang senior forward Alimamy Koroma was fouled going to the rim and knocked down two free throws with five seconds on the clock to force Cal Poly's first overtime game of the season.
During overtime, however, UC Riverside was perfect from the floor, connecting on all four field goal attempts and all eight free throw opportunities. The Mustangs tied the scoreline just once in the extra period with graduate guard Nick Fleming's jumper evening matters at 72-72 with two minutes left. The Highlanders though scored during eight of nine possessions to keep the lead out of reach.
Cal Poly sank a season best 11 three-pointers and finished 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Sanders produced a career best six assists for the Mustangs.
Playing three of its next four games at home inside Mott Athletics Center, Cal Poly resumes action on Thursday, Jan. 19 against UC San Diego. Tip time is 7 p.m.
During Monday's first half, neither side led by more than three points until UC Riverside opened up a 24-19 advantage with six-and-a-half minutes to go after forwards Lachlan Olbrich and Wil Tattersall knocked down back-to-back three-pointers for the Highlanders.
Cal Poly responded with buckets from junior guard Camren Pierce and graduate forward Chance Hunter to cut its gap to one, but the Highlanders closed the final three minutes of the half by keeping the Mustangs to just one field goal – a Hunter three-pointer approaching the buzzer that shortened UC Riverside's lead at the break to 32-26.
Taylor opened the second half scoring with one of his four three-pointers, but the Mustangs still faced a 41-34 deficit with 13-and-a-half minutes remaining before producing their 22-7 run.
(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).
