7-3
Menlo College
2-10
Taylor's Double-Double Leads Men's Basketball Past Menlo College, 91-58
12/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
POSTGAME REACTION: JOE CALLERO | WILL TAYLOR | AMAURYS FERMIN
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Senior forward Will Taylor's career-high 19 points and career-high tying 13 rebounds, his second double-double of the season, powered Cal Poly to a 91-58 non-conference men's basketball victory over visiting Menlo College on Wednesday night in Mott Gym.
Taylor, who made eight of his 12 floor shots and all of his three free throws, led a season-high five Mustangs in double figures as Cal Poly (7-3), which has won five of its last six games, has matched its best 10-game start in its 18-year Division I history. Fermin's 19 points is the most by a Mustang this season.
Senior forward David Hanson added 16 points, junior guard Dylan Royer 12 and senior point guard Amaurys Fermin and junior guard Drake U'u 10 apiece for Cal Poly, which tallied season highs for scoring in both the first half (44 points) and second half (47).
Menlo, which fell to 2-10, was paced by junior guard ChaRunn Jones' 17 points and 10 by senior forward Tim Tatum.
Cal Poly outrebounded the NAIA Oaks 45-24. In addition to Taylor's 13 boards, Hanson and Fermin each grabbed six rebounds. Fermin, the Big West leader in assists, recorded a season-high seven assists, one shy of his career high, and also contributed four steals. U'U added six assists.
Sophomore guard John Smith corraled four boards for Menlo.
Cal Poly's six turnovers is a season low and the Mustang defense forced 15 Menlo miscues.
The Mustangs connected on 34 of 71 floor shots (48 percent), including seven of 22 from three-point range. The Oaks made 22 of their 52 field goal attempts (42 percent), including eight of 21 from long range.
Ahead 29-25 with seven minutes left in the first half, Cal Poly went on a 10-0 run capped by Royer's conventional three-point play to extend its lead to 39-25 with 4:29 to go. The Mustangs settled for a 44-31 advantage at the break, sinking 55 percent of their floor shots.
Menlo could get no closer than 13 points in the second half. Cal Poly put the game away with an 18-2 run, building an 80-51 cushion with five minutes to play and leading by as many as 35 points down the stretch.
Cal Poly's 91-point total is its largest in two years (102 vs. Hawaii in 2009-10 season) and the 33-point margin of victory is the largest in Joe Callero's three-year tenure as head coach.
The Mustangs, who have held seven of their 10 opponents to fewer than 60 points so far this season, are now 4-0 all-time against Menlo.
Cal Poly plays its next two games on the road -- at Fresno State on Saturday and at DePaul on Dec. 21 -- before returning home to host Hope International on Dec. 29 and UC Santa Barbara for its Big West opener Jan. 2.
