Cal Poly Men’s Basketball looks to make it three conference victories in a row since 2017 as they take on UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb 1 on the road.
The Mustangs (8-14, 2-8 Big West) have rattled off their first back-to-back wins since the 2021-22 season, downing Long Beach State at home and, most recently, CSU Bakersfield on the road.
The Highlanders (14-8, 7-3 Big West) sit in third place after beating UC Davis on a last-second three-pointer. UC Riverside has won the last ten matchups against Cal Poly.
Offense stays in sync
The Mustangs continuously got to the line against the Roadrunners, taking a season-high 30 shots from the charity stripe. Freshman guard Peter Bandelj went 9-for-12 from the free-throw line.
After taking just their lowest total of three-point shots this season (16) against Long Beach, the Mustangs took 21 against Bakersfield, which is their second-lowest total this season.
Five Mustangs scored in double figures, led by graduate swingman Owen Koonce with 28 points.
Koonce was a very efficient 10-for-14 from the field and 4-for-5 from beyond the three-point line while also taking on a team-high six rebounds.
The Mustangs will look for Koonce to lead the offensive charge once against the Highlanders.
Defensively, Cal Poly held Jemel Jones and Corey Stephenson in check throughout the night with both shooting a combined 9-for-23 from the field.
Scouting the Highlanders
2024 Big West Freshman of the Year Barrington Hargress is the second leading scorer at 20 points a game in the Big West. Against UC San Diego, he dropped 40 points and took down the second-place team in the conference.
Center Joel Armotrading was a Mustang last season, where he was third in the Big West in blocks per game. He has continued to be a force protecting the paint and on the glass, averaging seven rebounds and just over a block per game.
Isaiah Moses provides a spark off the bench, scoring double digits and running the second-unit offense.
Cal Poly looks to make it three in a row against UC Riverside on Saturday, Jan. 31, inside the SRC Arena at 5 p.m.
