Cal Poly erases 18-point second half deficit but lose in overtime to Idaho
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - Guard Hamad Mousa scored a game high 33 points – including sinking three successive free throws with three seconds to play to force overtime – but the Cal Poly men’s basketball program, after overturning an 18-point deficit with seven minutes remaining in regulation, dropped an 83-80 overtime home decision against Idaho Sunday evening to close the 2025 calendar year.
Fellow sophomore Cayden Ward finished with 22 points for Cal Poly (5-9), which trailed Idaho (8-4), 67-49, before closing regulation with a 24-6 run. With Cal Poly still facing a 71-65 deficit and 81 seconds to play, Ward converted a three-point play before Mousa cut the gap to one after knocking down a jumper with 11 seconds on the clock.
With Cal Poly forced to foul, Vandals guard Kolton Mitchell – who scored 31 points – sank two free throws to keep Idaho in front with nine seconds left, 73-70. Mousa though was fouled attempting a three-pointer with three seconds and sank all three attempts to deadlock the matchup at the buzzer, 73-73 (left).
Playing its first overtime game of the season, Cal Poly took its first lead of the game after sophomore guard Peter Bandelj opened the extra period with a pair of free throws. Cal Poly then scratched out a 78-75 advantage with two minutes left after Ward hit a three-pointer.
Idaho, however, answered with a jumper from guard Biko Johnson to close to within a point before Mitchell converted a four-point play to hand the Vandals an 81-78 lead with seven seconds to go.
Cal Poly trailed at the Sunday’s break, 29-26, despite a 25.0 (7-for-28) percent first-half shooting mark before Idaho opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers. The Vandals led by as much as 19 points and were up 67-49 before the Mustangs produced a 14-0 run to shave their deficit to four points with two-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Cal Poly Noteworthy (versus Idaho Jan. 21)
Up Next:After an 11-day holiday break, Cal Poly plays its first New Year’s Day game since 1966 and resumes Big West action when welcoming defending conference champion UC San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 7 p.m.
A double-digit scorer in all 13 appearances, Hamad Mousa maintained the Big West scoring lead at 20.6 points per game.
Mousa enjoyed his second collegiate double-double after co-leading Cal Poly with 10 rebounds.
Cal Poly now features three of the Big West’s top seven scorers with Peter Bandelj (16.2) ranking sixth and Cayden Ward (16.1) seventh.
Junior Kieran Elliott grabbed a Cal Poly best 10 rebounds against Idaho.
Sunday’s matchup was Cal Poly’s first overtime game since a 112-100 home victory against UC Riverside (Feb. 22, 2025).
(Article courtesy Cal Poly Athletics).
