A familiar trend in Cal Poly men’s basketball team’s final home game
When the Cal Poly men’s basketball team made an unexpected run to the NCAA Tournament two years ago, not a lot went right for the Mustangs during the regular season.
Cal Poly finished its Big West Conference schedule 6-10 and sat nine games under .500 entering the first round of the conference tournament in Anaheim.
What followed was a nearly unbelievable run to the Big West Conference Tournament championship and the school’s first and only berth into the Big Dance.
It would be unfair to put similar expectations on the 2016 version of the Mustangs, who lost their regular season home finale, 78-77, on Thursday night against Cal State Fullerton.
The latest chapter in a season full of heartbreaking losses came at the hands of the last-place Titans on a night when Cal Poly honored its four seniors: Reese Morgan, David Nwaba, Brian Bennett and Joel Awich.
“I know what team and family means,” head coach Joe Callero said. “It’s when you need somebody, that’s when family is there and that’s what we have right now. Guys that are there for each other when you need them the most.”
After going nearly seven minutes without a field goal late in the second half Thursday night, Morgan made the timely plays down the stretch that Mustang fans have become accustomed to.
His sixth 3-pointer of the game pulled Cal Poly within 76-74 with 10 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, true freshman Jaylen Shead made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with four seconds left.
Morgan took a charge on the following inbounds play, giving the Mustangs one more opportunity for a game-winner. Awich took two strong dribbles into the key and elevated for a shot, but the ball hit off the rim and bounced out as time expired.
Seven of Cal Poly’s 14 conference games have been decided by four points or less, and the Mustangs are 1-6 during those contests.
“We’ve been in the majority of the games,” said Nwaba, who scored 14 points and reached the 100-assist threshold for the season. “It’s just the minor mistakes that we have to fix.”
At 10-17 overall and 4-10 in the Big West, Cal Poly has two games remaining next week — at UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara — before traveling south to the Honda Center.
The Big West Conference Tournament venue is a familiar setting for many of the Mustang veterans.
Awich and Nwaba were both starters as sophomores on the 2014 team that won three games there. Four of the five starters from last year’s group that was eliminated in the first round have another season of experience to lean on as well.
“The pride that I had when we went to the NCAA Tournament was pretty phenomenal,” Callero said. “The town came alive, the support was phenomenal, the booster support was unreal.
“The pride I have when we’ve lost like this, to see the support there, is greater than when we won.”
Nearly 2,500 people showed up for Cal Poly’s home finale, marking the end of 5-7 campaign inside Mott Athletics Center. The fan support has been admirable throughout an uneven season.
A 15-point loss to conference-leading Hawaii was the only time the Mustangs were overpowered on their home court, and there were four overtime periods played in eight Big West games.
“Even when we struggled,” Morgan said, “just to know that there’s people that want to be out there to see us, people that are supporting us, is pretty awesome.”
The 6-foot-2 Morgan gave Cal Poly fans plenty to cheer about over the last week.
He scored 23 points in an overtime loss to CSUN last Saturday, making a career-high seven 3-pointers in the process. Morgan made six more 3-pointers on Thursday for a game-high 22 points. He ranks second in the Big West in 3-point shooting percentage (44.6) and 3-pointers made (70) this season.
As one of the Mustangs’ apparent vocal leaders, Morgan often is asked to speak with reporters postgame. He’s handled those duties with class each night, doing so after some defeats that were clearly hard to accept.
“At this point, it’s not about looking for one possession here and there,” Callero said. “It’s about picking up your teammate and constantly realizing what kind of guy you have next to you.
“You pick each other up when you feel crappy and that’s what’s great about this team and that’s why they keep on battling back like this.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 12:04 PM with the headline "A familiar trend in Cal Poly men’s basketball team’s final home game."