Following their longest road trip of the season, Cal Poly Men’s Basketball will return home against 2023-24 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament champions Grambling State for the first time in program history.
The match will be Cal Poly’s first game against a SWAC opponent since 2018.
The Mustangs (3-4) look to snap a two-game skid after taking losses on the road to Arizona State and Saint Mary’s.
Falling Short
Cal Poly put up a fight against an undefeated Saint Mary’s team that received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll but ultimately fell 80-66.
The Mustangs were down by 17 going into the half but came out with a surge of offense to cut the lead down to five halfway through the second period. Graduate guard Owen Koonce put in 12 second-half points to help the comeback.
However, Saint Mary’s pulled away with a 12-0 run afterward to put Cal Poly away.
During the game, the Mustangs were dominated on the glass. Cal Poly gave up 11 offensive rebounds to Saint Mary’s center Mitchell Saxen alone.
Rebounding has been a concern for the Mustangs lately. They have given up 33 offensive rebounds in their last two games, leading to avoidable second-chance points for their opponents.
Cal Poly’s turnover woes also resurfaced with 17 in the game. The Mustangs have had 16 or more turnovers in six of their seven games.
Though the faster style of play they’ve adopted under head coach Mike DeGeorge will likely increase turnovers, they have to reduce them to prevent teams from getting out of transition.
A Look at Grambling State
After a season in which they captured the 2023-24 SWAC tournament championship and earned a berth to the Division I NCAA Tournament, the Tigers have started the year slow with a 1-4 record.
However, they’re not a team to be taken lightly. The Tigers have played close games against tough competition, falling 66-64 to No. 23 Ole Miss and coming within four points of USC before the Trojans pulled away to win 80-69.
All four of Grambling State’s losses have come against Power Four opponents.
The Tigers’ strength lies in their backcourt, with three of their guards averaging double digits in scoring.
Leading scorer Kintavious Dozier is coming off a 17-point outing against USC and scored 19 against No. 18 Florida on Nov. 11. The guard has been a threat from all scoring levels, getting to the basket and shooting 50% from three-point range.
Cal Poly will need to limit Grambling State on the perimeter, as the team has shot 38% from beyond the arc.
Once again, the Mustangs will also be at a size disadvantage. Though the Tigers haven’t rebounded exceptionally well this year, they have the height to outdo Cal Poly on the glass with multiple players at 6 feet 9 inches or above.
Cal Poly will take on Grambling State on Tuesday, November 26, at 7 p.m. at Mott Athletics Center.