Cal Poly men’s basketball was defeated by CSU Fullerton 61-50 on Thursday, Feb. 4 at Titan Gym.
The Mustangs (5-14, 2-6 Big West) controlled the game early, but the Titans (13-6, 7-1 Big West) were able to make a second-half comeback and win the game.
Sophomore guard Brantly Stevenson and junior guard Trevon Taylor ignited a run early in the first half by hitting three consecutive threes, two from Stevenson and one from Taylor. Sophomore guard Kobe Sanders also hit a three in Cal Poly’s 20-8 run to open the game.
CSU Fullerton responded with a 9-0 run to bring the game within three. However, the Mustangs kept their advantage and went into halftime with a seven-point lead.
While Cal Poly only shot 37% from the field in the first half, they kept their advantage by holding the Titans to 5-31 shooting.
However, CSU Fullerton found their groove offensively in the second half.
Junior big man Alimamy Koroma had a dunk and a three-pointer to get the lead up to 10 early, but the Titans tied the game at 38-38 after a 15-5 run.
The Titans began to pull away by getting in transition and keeping the Mustangs off the offensive glass. CSU Fullerton built a double-digit lead with 3:27 left in the game.
Cal Poly’s 12 turnovers in the second half fueled the Titans’ run. By the end of the game, the Mustangs had 22 turnovers total ,and Fullerton converted those errors into 29 fastbreak points. 24 of those points came in the second half as they cruised to a 61-50 victory.
Stevenson led Cal Poly with 14 points and six rebounds while Taylor added 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Sophomore point guard Camren Pierce was in double-figures as well, with 10 points of his own.
The Mustangs will look to turn things around as they hit the season’s midpoint against Long Beach State on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. inside Walter Pyramid.
