“It’s the Green-Blue rivalry now that we’ve won,” Cal Poly Men’s Basketball head coach Mike DeGeorge said after his first win against Big West rival UC Santa Barbara.
The Mustangs (10-16, 7-8 Big West) stormed past the Gauchos (17-8, 10-5 Big West) to claim an 89-79 victory and first win against their rival in just under eight years. Coming into the matchup, UC Santa Barbara had won 17 consecutive games against Cal Poly, including a win earlier this year when they beat Cal Poly by 40 points.
From the tip-off, it was clear that the rivalry matchup was going to be a dogfight. Cal Poly jumped out to an early lead thanks to early points from sophomore guards Guzman Vasilic and Peter Bandelj, with guard Cayden Ward sinking multiple free throws off of an early flagrant foul from UC Santa Barbara forward Zion Sensley.
Vasilic continued to power the Mustangs through the first half, shooting a perfect game through the first 20 minutes, going four-four onfield goals and sinking two threes. Finishing with 11 points, this is the Uruguay native’s second consecutive game scoring in double-digits.
“Just like every game, we have got to compete, and I will try to win. I may have shot almost a perfect game, but that’s not what I am focused on. I am focused on getting better every day,” said Vasilic.
A steal from freshman guard Jess Esso Essis and threes from Bandelj and Esso Essis helped Cal Poly maintain their lead, but with nine minutes left in the first half, the Gauchos found their momentum and were picking up steam against the Mustangs.
Two quick three-pointers and a fast break found Cal Poly with their first deficit of this Blue-Green rivalry game. UC Santa Barbara began to create a gap between the teams as they extended their lead to nine before halftime.
Sensley, who had been a huge threat for the Gauchos during the first Blue-Green game of the season, where he went three-five from beyond the arc and scored 20 points in the Thunderdome, was rivaling that performance in Mott Athletic Center. He’d scored 13 points while shooting two-four from the three-point line by halftime.
The Mustangs have struggled with losing momentum before halftime all season, taking them out of games. At the end of the first half, sophomore guard and the Big West’s top scorer Hamad Mousa was quiet, going into halftime with just two points and three rebounds.
“We’re young, and we have stretches when we get emotional, things go poorly,” said DeGeorge. “But in both second halves this week, we were able to sustain our approach and show what we can do.”
Like they did against UC Irvine earlier in the week, the Mustangs quickly turned the page and had one of their best second halves of the season, outscoring the Gauchos by 19.
“We kind of started off slow in the first half.” said Mousa, “I feel like we came into the second half, same thing as Irvine two days ago and kind of punched them in the face.”
Bandelj and Mousa fueled the second half. Mousa, who had only scored two points in the first, came out firing from all areas of court, quickly becoming one of the top scorers for Cal Poly with 15 points and seven rebounds.
The only time Cal Poly’s lead appeared uncertain was when freshman forward Austin Goode committed for his fifth foul with 1:12 left to play, shrinking their lead to just five points. Sensley had continued his stellar performance, reaching 21 points and nine rebounds, but Bandelj became the picture of calm, cool, and collected under pressure.
In the final 90 seconds of the game, Bandelj was sent to the line three times where he scored all six free throws to snap UCSB’s 17 game winning streak and secure the victory for Cal Poly. Bandelj finished the game with 18 points, four rebounds, and a steal.
“Peter’s been great in late game situations, handling pressure and making free throws both years,” said DeGeorge. “He’s got a lot of self confidence, and he’s working hard to win.”
The energy in Mott Athletics Center came alive as Cal Poly got their second straight home victory, with the marching band, dance team, plenty of fans and former Cal Poly player and current LA Clipper Kobe Sanders spotted in the stands.
“One good thing out here is that you really feel the community and just seeing the support we get in today’s game and every game is amazing, and it felt like, as a player, we were giving back to them,” said Vasilic.
Cal Poly’s next challenge will be on the road against the current Big West table leading University of Hawai’i. After losing to Hawai’i by 20 earlier this season, the Mustangs will take on the Rainbow Warriors again at the Bankoh Arena in Honolulu, Hawai’i on Feb. 19.