After starting Big West Conference play with eight straight losses, Cal Poly Men’s Basketball has a shot at climbing back into the Big West postseason tournament cutoff as they travel to Fullerton on Thursday, Feb. 13, to take on Cal State Fullerton.
The Mustangs (9-15, 3-9 Big West) most recently notched a 79-63 victory against Hawai’i in one of their most complete games of the season.
Though they sit at the bottom of the Big West standings, the Titans (6-19, 1-12 Big West) have defeated Cal Poly in their last five matchups.
Turning the corner
Since their streak-breaking victory against Long Beach State on Sunday, Jan. 5, Cal Poly has won three of its last four games and looks as if they have hit their stride.
In their most recent win against Hawai’i, the Mustangs put together a stellar performance on both ends of the floor as they held the Rainbow Warriors to 37% shooting in the second half on the way to the win.
Graduate guard Owen Koonce scored 18 of his team-leading 20 points in that second half, getting back on track after a four-point outing against UC Riverside the game before.
Graduate point guard Jarred Hyder also contributed 18 points in the win on 4-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Mustangs also shot a combined 51.7% from the field against Hawai’i and 35.5% from three.
With the victory and as CSU Bakersfield fell to UC Riverside, Cal Poly now sits one game behind the Roadrunners for the eighth seed in the Big West, the final spot in the postseason tournament.
The Mustangs are turning the corner at the right time as the regular season narrows to a close.
A look at Cal State Fullerton
Cal Poly hasn’t won in Titan Gym since 2016, but they will have a chance to change that on Thursday.
The Titans are currently last in the Big West standings and come into the contest on a five-game losing streak.
They are led by guard Donovan Oday, who paces the team with 13 points per game. Oday is the only Cal State Fullerton player averaging double digits in scoring, and the team as a whole has shot just 27% from distance this season.
If the Mustangs stick to their game, they can earn another victory and potentially climb the Big West rankings.
Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton will tip off on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. at Titan Gym.