Cal Poly men’s basketball comeback falls short in 75-71 overtime loss to CSUN
Cal Poly filed another chapter in a season full of difficult losses Saturday night.
After rallying from a 14-point second-half deficit to force overtime, the Mustangs came up short down the stretch and fell, 75-71, to CSUN in a Big West Conference men’s basketball game inside Mott Athletics Center.
The loss dropped Cal Poly to 10-15 overall and 4-8 in the Big West heading into next week’s home finale against last-place Cal State Fullerton. The Matadors, who announced a self-imposed postseason ban in January for NCAA violations, improved to 10-17 overall and 5-8 in the Big West.
Of the Mustangs’ eight conference losses this season, six have been decided by six points or less. Head coach Joe Callero said that trend doesn’t make Saturday’s loss any more frustrating; in fact it may be the opposite.
“I’ve coached a long time and I know when kids are hitting the gas pedal and they’re giving it their all,” Callero said. “When we’re doing that, I’m proud of them. I’m not happy about losing, but I’m proud of who I get to coach.”
How it happened:
Senior guard Reese Morgan, who leads the Mustangs with 64 made 3-pointers this season, came out red-hot in the opening minutes. He knocked down his first three attempts from behind the 3-point line and went into halftime as Cal Poly’s leading scorer.
Morgan finished the game with a season-high 23 points on 7-for-8 shooting from behind the 3-point line and helped the Mustangs put together a furious rally in the second half.
Trailing 55-41 with 11:13 left in regulation, Cal Poly closed the second half on a 20-6 run to force the extra period. Morgan made three 3-pointers during the surge, the last one tying the score at 61-61 with 31 seconds remaining.
“Playing better defense was a big part of it,” Morgan said. “Like I said before, a lot of these games we’ve had opportunities to win, we just can’t keep putting ourselves down 14 and expect to be able to come back.”
Fifth-year senior Joel Awich provided a timely spark off the bench as well. He scored all eight of his points in the second half and overtime, to go with six rebounds and a career-high five blocked shots in 32 minutes.
“Those runs happen when everybody on the floor is on the same page,” Awich said. “There’s no lull or anything. We’re just straight to the point.”
Visiting the stripe:
Free throw shooting proved to be the difference in overtime.
CSUN went 4-for-4 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to put the game away. Meanwhile, Cal Poly made only one of its seven shots from the field and posted a 7-for-10 mark at the free-throw line.
For the game, Cal Poly made 12 of its 25 free throws and shot 37.9 percent from the floor.
“What I like is their aggressiveness,” Callero said. “We’ve got to move on and keep working on it and work for the notion of playing on a Saturday night three weeks from now.”
Redshirt freshman Josh Martin turned in his second consecutive double-double, recording 15 points and 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive end. He also blocked Kendall Small’s layup attempt at the end of regulation to help extend the game.
“That’s just an aggressive, tall, athletic guy that’s just going and making plays,” Morgan said. “I think the future is really bright for him if he keeps his motor up.”
Fellow freshman Jaylen Shead contributed five points, seven assists and a career-high 10 rebounds while playing a team-high 33 minutes.
Up next:
Cal Poly is scheduled to play its final home game of the regular season at 7 p.m. Thursday when the Mustangs host Cal State Fullerton. That will be the last home game for Cal Poly’s four seniors: Morgan, Awich, David Nwaba and Brian Bennett.
“It’s gonna be bittersweet next Thursday,” Morgan said.
This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 11:12 PM with the headline "Cal Poly men’s basketball comeback falls short in 75-71 overtime loss to CSUN."