1-0
Seattle
0-3
Mustangs Triumph in Season Opener at Seattle, 76-60
11/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SEATTLE, Wash. – Junior forward David Hanson notched a team-high 22 points and senior guard Shawn Lewis added 21 as the Cal Poly men's basketball program opened the 2010-11 campaign with a 76-60 triumph against Seattle on Sunday evening at Key Arena.
Junior center Will Donahue added 16 points and a game-best 10 rebounds to record his sixth-career double-double for Cal Poly (1-0), which triumphed in its first season-opening contest in five seasons. Cal Poly, which held Seattle (0-3) to 27.1 percent shooting performance from the floor and forced the Redhawks into 24 turnovers, led for all but 17 seconds in posting the program's first season-opening road victory since edging California on Nov. 12, 2003, 63-62.
Layups by Hanson (above) and freshman guard Jamal Johnson and a three-pointer from Hanson provided the Mustangs a 7-0 lead two-and-a-half minutes into action. Seattle senior forward Alex Jones sunk one of two free throws the next time down the court for the Redhawks, but a three-pointer and layup by Lewis on consecutive possessions sent Cal Poly into a 12-1 advantage after only three minutes.
Hustled into 10 turnovers and held to a 1-for-14 shooting performance during the initial 11 minutes, Seattle stayed in the matchup by shooting 10-for-14 from the free throw line during the opening half. The Redhawks, who outscored Cal Poly, 22-13, during the final 13 minutes of the first half, trimmed Cal Poly's lead to four down the stretch before ultimately trailing at halftime, 30-26.
Four-successive field goals by Donahue during a four-and-a-half minute span early during the second half couldn't stop Seattle from taking its only lead of the game at 41-40, following the second of junior guard Cervante' Burrell's two free throws.
Donahue, however, countered with two free throws of his own, Lewis rolled in a lay-up and Hanson sunk a pair of free throws to reaffirm Cal Poly's advantage at 46-41. Seattle converted on consecutive possessions to cut the lead to 46-45, but three-pointers from Hanson and Johnson and a Donahue free throw furthered Cal Poly's advantage to 53-46 with six minutes, 19 seconds to play.
Freshman guard Maliik Love followed with a three-point play moments later to push Cal Poly's lead to nine with four minutes remaining and Seattle failed to close to within eight the remainder of the night.
Donahue, who finished with just one field goal during the first half, was a perfect five-for-five from the floor during the final 20 minutes.
During their first collegiate outings, Love finished with nine points and Johnson added eight.
Lewis totaled a game-high five assists.
The Mustangs return to Mott Gym on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. to open the home portion of their 2010-11 campaign against Cal State Monterrey Bay.
