0-2
UCLA
1-1
Second-Half Cal Poly Rally Falls Short in 88-83 Loss at UCLA
11/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
POSTGAME QUOTES (pdf)
LOS ANGELES – Senior guard Reese Morgan scored a season high 20 points and sophomore forward Luke Meikle (top) finished with a career high 18, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program – after overcoming a 15-point deficit in the second half to take a one-point lead – was outdistanced at UCLA Sunday evening inside Pauley Pavilion, 88-83.
Sophomore guard Taylor Sutlive matched a career high with 14 points and senior forward Joel Awich finished with 10 for Cal Poly (0-2), which trailed UCLA (1-1) 59-44 four minutes into the second half before outscoring the Bruins 25-9 to take a 69-68 lead with six-and-a-half to play. A jumper from UCLA guard Isaac Hamilton 80 seconds later swung the lead back in UCLA's direction and the Mustangs were held to just a tip-in by senior forward Brian Bennett during the ensuing five minutes in falling back behind UCLA down the stretch.
Visiting Pauley Pavilion for the first time since producing a 70-68 upset of the then-11th-ranked Bruins on Nov. 25, 2012, Cal Poly shot 48.1 (13-for-27) percent from three-point range. UCLA, however, shot 50 (32-for-64) percent from the floor.
Cal Poly, which saw Morgan hit six three-pointers, returns to action and opens its 12-game home stretch inside Mott Athletics Center when hosting Cal State Monterey Bay on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
In scoring on its first four possessions and opening the game 7-for-10 from the floor, UCLA led 16-9 after five minutes. A transition layup by Mustang freshman guard Jaylen Shead helped cut Cal Poly's deficit to 19-15 two minutes later, but UCLA responded with a 6-0 run to grab the game's first double-digit lead at 25-15 12 minutes before the break.
Cal Poly cut UCLA's advantage to four point three more times during the remainder of the half. However, with Cal Poly trailing 37-33 following two free throws by senior guard David Nwaba, the Bruins closed the half with a 10-4 run to lead 47-37 at the break.
The Mustangs sank six three-pointers during the first half, but the Bruins shot 52.8 (19-for-36) percent during game's opening 20 minutes.
The Bruins scored six of the second half's opening eight points toward building their largest lead of the matchup at 57-42.
Still trailing 59-44 with 16 minutes remaining, the Mustangs – keyed by Nwaba and Shead layups and a Morgan three-pointer – ripped off a 9-0 run to close the gap to 59-53.
Twice more Cal Poly climbed within six points of UCLA before the second of Meikle's two three-pointers, a Shead free throw and Morgan three-pointer finalized a 23-8 run that tied the matchup at 67-67.
A free throw by UCLA forward Tony Parker on the following possession merely kept the Mustangs at bay as a Meikle jumper with six-and-a-half minutes to play provided Cal Poly it's first and only lead of the night at 69-68.
Nwaba produced a career high six assists for Cal Poly.
