Cal Poly Men’s Basketball looks to get back in the win column as they host the University of Hawai’i on Thursday, Feb. 6, inside Mott Athletics Center.
The Mustangs (8-15, 2-9 Big West) were denied their first three-game conference win streak since 2017 last time out, losing on the road to UC Riverside 80-62.
The Rainbow Warriors (13-9, 5-6 Big West) are playing their first of two games on the Central Coast, playing UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Hawai’i is currently on a nine-game winning streak against Cal Poly, with their last win being a 79-75 home victory in 2020.
Stifling defense shuts down Mustang attack
Against UC Riverside, Cal Poly shot a frigid 34% from the field and could never get enough momentum to put pressure on the Highlanders.
Graduate guard Owen Koonce scored single digits for just the fourth time this season, with just four points.
Freshman guard Peter Bandelj led the way with 12 points, while senior guard Isaac Jessup regained his shooting touch after a rough stretch, scoring 10 points.
On top of the poor shooting night, the Mustangs were dominated on the glass.
UC Riverside also heavily outrebounded Cal Poly, ripping down 47 rebounds compared to the Mustangs’ 32. Almost half of the rebounds for UC Riverside were offensive rebounds as well, allowing for numerous second-chance opportunities.
Last time against Hawai’i
The last time these two teams met, the Mustangs were coming off a grueling 97-90 loss in overtime to UC Irvine at home on a Thursday.
Making the turnaround to get to Hawai’i for a Saturday night game is a tough ask for any team, especially one far away from a major airport.
That turned into one of the worst offensive nights, as the jet-lagged and exhausted Mustangs shot 33% from the field and under 25% from three. Also, they could not effectively attack the rim, as they finished with their lowest free throw total to date with six.
Despite all that, Hawai’i only won by 13 points. With the Mustangs enjoying the comfort of their own bed it is easy to imagine the team shooting better than their first matchup.
Cal Poly gets a second crack at the Rainbow Warriors on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. inside Mott Athletics Center.
