2-4
Pacific
5-1
Mustangs Drop Tightly-Contested 73-71 Matchup versus Pacific
11/30/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. – Senior forward Chris Eversley (right) recorded his ninth career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds Saturday afternoon, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program saw a potential game-tying jumper from senior guard Kyle Odister fall short at the buzzer and dropped a 73-71 decision against Pacific at the Oregon-hosted Global Sports Hardwood Challenge inside Matthew Knight Arena.
During a matchup that featured 12 lead changes and one where neither side led by more than four points during the final 10-and-a-half minutes, Cal Poly (2-4) went up 71-70 with 44 seconds remaining on the third of Eversley's three three-pointers. On the ensuing possession, Pacific senior forward Tony Gill was fouled going in for a layup and, following a Mustang timeout, converted a three-point play to place the Tigers in front, 73-71, with 29.4 seconds to play.
On the final sequence, Odister first missed a potential game-winning three-pointer from the left wing. Cal Poly sophomore wing David Nwaba – who finished with 11 points – snatched the rebound and kicked a pass out to Odister, who bounced a jumper from inside the top of the arc off the front of the rim as time expired.
In the first meeting between the two programs since Pacific eliminated Cal Poly from the 2013 Big West Conference Tournament and first non-conference meeting between the sides since Nov. 30, 1988, Odister finished with 14 points while Nwaba snatched five rebounds.
Cal Poly completes Global Sports Hardwood Challenge action when squaring off against No. 14 Oregon on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. The Ducks hosted North Dakota in Saturday's second matchup at 3:30 p.m.
Five early points from senior forward Khalil Kelley propelled Pacific to an 11-5 lead after three-and-a-half minutes, but the Mustangs – fueled by a three-pointer from sophomore forward Joel Awich and two layups by senior guard Maliik Love – quickly squared the scoreline at 13-13.
Held scoreless, however, for an ensuing five-minute span and trailing 25-13 10 minutes before the break, Cal Poly recovered with a 7-0 run over a five-minute stretch to pull to within five points of the Pacific advantage.
The Mustangs though, converted just two additional field goal attempts during the final five minutes of the half – an Eversley three-pointer with 55 seconds to play and a putback at the buzzer by the senior – and trailed 36-28 at the break.
Nwaba scored Cal Poly's first five points of the second half and a lay-in from Odister brought the Mustang deficit to 41-35 five minutes in. A dunk from Awich a minute later kept the gap at six points before Love sank two free throws to bring Cal Poly to within four.
The Mustangs finally closed to within a single possession of the Pacific lead at 49-47 following two Brian Bennett free throws before one of junior forward Anthony Silvestri's two three-pointers provided Cal Poly a 50-49 advantage – the program's first since the opening minute – with nine-and-a-half to play.
The game lead then switched hands on the ensuing six possessions with neither side leading by more than three until Pacific went up 64-60 with four minutes to play. With Pacific still up four a minute later, Odister brought the Mustangs to within one with a three-pointer before Cal Poly claimed a momentary 68-67 lead with two-and-a-half to play after an Eversley tip-in.
That Cal Poly lead held until Tigers senior forward Trevin Harris hit a three-pointer for a 70-68 advantage. Eversley then answered with his own three-pointer to put Cal Poly up 71-70.
