Chaos was the only word that could describe Mott Athletics Center on Thursday night as Cal Poly Men’s Basketball took on the Seattle University Redhawks.
In an up-and-down game that featured 18 lead changes, the Mustangs (2-2) found themselves down 70-69 to Seattle (0-3) with less than a minute in the game after giving up three straight three-pointers earlier in the period.
With time winding down in what would be one of their last offensive possessions of the game, graduate guard Owen Koonce drove down the lane and attempted a fierce dunk over a Redhawk defender but was blocked at the rim.
However, just as hope was drained from the home crowd, graduate guard Mac Riniker, still under the basket from attempting to gain the offensive rebound, poked the ball away from a Seattle player and scored the go-ahead layup that would propel the Mustangs to a 75-71 victory.
Cal Poly showed resilience in their first win against a Division I opponent this season.
While making multiple key plays on offense down the stretch to earn the victory, the Mustangs also played scrappy defense, notching nine steals and holding Seattle to 38.5% shooting from the field.
“Coach always preaches ‘if you’re in the gap early, you can kind of reach and then get back to your man, so just quick hands and the recovery is kind of the key,’” Riniker said. “We have a long way to go at that to sustain it, but it worked pretty well tonight.”
Along with the defensive performance, Cal Poly continued its offensive jump under head coach Mike DeGeorge.
Four players finished in double figures in scoring, with Riniker and senior guard Isaac Jessup sharing the team lead with 14 points each.
Jessup shot four of seven from three-point range and provided a consistent outlet for the team in a tumultuous game.
“Just gotta stay locked in, you know?” Jessup said. “The ball is flying around in our offense, and it can find you at any moment. So you just gotta be ready to shoot it, and shoot with confidence.”
With back-to-back victories in the team’s first home games, Cal Poly is steadily acclimating to DeGeorge’s system. The head coach says the success will help the Mustangs gain confidence and poise for when they play in other close games in the future.
“As we continue to build a confidence and figuring out a formula for winning these close games, it just only grows our confidence and makes it more and more comfortable for us to be in those circumstances,” DeGeorge said.
Cal Poly will begin its longest road trip of the year on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m., when it travels to Reese Court to play against Eastern Washington.