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Cal State San Bernardino
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Cal Poly Tops Cal State San Bernardino in Exhibition, 73-60
11/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Senior guard David Nwaba (top) scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds Thursday evening as the Cal Poly men's basketball program completed preparations for the 2015-16 regular season with a 73-60 victory versus Division II Cal State San Bernardino inside Mott Athletics Center.
Senior forward Joel Awich added 14 points and junior guard Ridge Shipley chipped in 11 for Cal Poly, which blocked eight shots and forced Cal State San Bernardino into 16 turnovers. Playing its first exhibition game in five seasons, the Mustangs limited the Coyotes to a 40.0 (24-for-60) percent mark from the floor and a 31.8 (7-for-22) percent figure from three-point range.
Cal Poly opens its 29-game regular season schedule when visiting UNLV on Friday, Nov. 13 inside Thomas & Mack Center. Cal Poly's season opening round trip concludes versus UCLA inside Pauley Pavilion on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Welcoming back 78.5 percent of its point production from a season ago, Cal Poly led the Coyotes wire-to-wire on Thursday. After jumping out to a 15-7 lead, Cal Poly was held scoreless for a five-minute stretch midway through the first half as Cal State San Bernardino drew to a 15-14 deficit.
Cal Poly then cobbled together a 16-5 run that was strengthened by three-pointers from Shipley and sophomore guard Taylor Sutlive and two layups from sophomore forward Luke Meikle. With Cal Poly leading 31-19 and five-and-a-half minutes remaining in the half, however, Cal State San Bernardino clawed back once more – this time with an 8-0 run – to cut the Mustang advantage to two points three minutes before the break.
The Mustangs, who shot 50.0 (16-for-32) percent from the floor in the first half, were able to extend their lead to eight points by halftime and, through back-to-back layups and a dunk by Nwaba to open the second half, stretched the lead into double digits for the remainder of the evening.
Cal Poly, which received nine points from senior guard Reese Morgan, committed just four second-half turnovers. The Mustangs also enjoyed three blocks by sophomore forward Aleks Abrams and five assists by Shipley.
