Cal Poly men’s basketball defense strong in win over UTSA

Senior guard Kyle Toth scored 18 points as Cal Poly defeated University of Texas San Antionio 59-47 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Thursday night at the Mott Athletics Center.

The Mustangs held an opponent under 50 points for the first time in 43 games.

Victor Joseph came off the bench to add 16 points, while Donovan Fields contributed 11 points as Cal Poly coach Joe Callero’s Mustangs evened their record at 4-4.

UTSA, led by Jeff Beverly’s 17 points, fell to 2-5.

A jumper by Joseph snapped a 12-12 tie with 10:01 to play in the first half and ignited a 10-0 Cal Poly run for a 22-12 advantage with 5:38 to play before halftime. Joseph scored seven of the 10 points and Toth hit a 3-pointer.

UTSA did not get any closer than six points the rest of the way.

The Mustangs made 36 percent of their floor shots (20 of 56), including nine of 27 from 3-point range, while holding UTSA to just 28 percent shooting from the floor (14 of 51). The Roadrunners connected on just one of their 14 shots from long range.

Toth and Joseph both made six of 13 floor shots and both were three of six in three-point shooting. Fields, who contributed five steals, was four of nine from the floor, three of five from long range.

Cal Poly hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (5-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Mott Athletics Center, the Mustangs’ final home game before embarking on a five-week road trip.

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 9:12 AM with the headline "Cal Poly men’s basketball defense strong in win over UTSA."