In a back-and-forth battle, Cal Poly Men’s Basketball fell short 80-66 to Saint Mary’s on Saturday at the University Credit Union Pavilion.
Graduate swingman Owen Koonce and guard Mac Riniker led the Mustangs (3-4) in points with 16 and 15, respectively.
It was a tough shooting night against the Gaels (6-0) as Cal Poly shot only 39.7% from the field and 32% from three.
Riniker also led the team in assists with five, while Koonce went 7-of-11 from the field.
Undefeated Saint Mary’s, who ranked No. 30 in the Top 25 Coaches Poll, dominated the offensive glass in the matchup.
Gael center Mitchell Saxen logged 11 offensive rebounds on his way to one of two Saint Mary’s double-doubles on the night.
Cal Poly has also seen a trend of being outrebounded by formidable opponents in Cal and Arizona State earlier in the season.
Coming off a close loss against Arizona State, Cal Poly has given up 33 offensive rebounds in the last two games, leading to second opportunities and often putback points for opponents.
Defensive rebounding will be a focus to take hold of games throughout the 2024-25 season.
In both games, the Mustangs have the advantage, either in momentum or with a lead in the second half.
Cal Poly came out of halftime firing for the second game straight, cutting down a 17-point lead to just five points halfway through the second half.
But the Mustang momentum stalled, and 17 turnovers throughout the game stopped many Cal Poly scoring chances.
A bright spot of the loss was life from the Mustang bench, as Cal Poly outscored Saint Mary’s bench 20-14.
Junior power forward Aaron Price, Jr. led the bench scorers with six points and sank both attempts from three-point range.
The Mustangs also outshot Saint Mary’s from the three-point range and in free throws, making 12-of-13 opportunities from the foul line.
The Mustangs will return to Mott Athletics Center, where they have yet to lose this season, to face Grambling State on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.