13-16, 6-10
UC Santa Barbara
19-12, 11-5
Cal Poly Edged in Big West Tournament Quarterfinals, 54-50
3/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
POSTGAME REACTION: JOE CALLERO, MALIIK LOVE, BRIAN BENNETT
ANAHEIM – Junior forward Brian Bennett (right) scored a game-leading 20 points, but the seventh-seeded Cal Poly men's basketball program – looking to make a fourth successive Big West Conference Tournament semifinal appearance – was edged late by Blue-Green rival and No. 2 UC Santa Barbara on Thursday evening inside the Honda Center, 54-50.
In his last collegiate appearance, senior guard Maliik Love added 10 points, five rebounds and a game-high four assists for the Mustangs (13-16), who trailed for the final 22 minutes, but cut their deficit to two points four times inside the final 11 minutes. Down 52-50 with 52 seconds to play, however, Cal Poly saw Love miss a jumper. UC Santa Barbara grabbed the rebound, but at the other end of the court, Gaucho guard Zalmico Harmon passed the ball out of bounds.
Still trailing by two, Mustang sophomore guard Ridge Shipley drove the lane with 11 seconds to play, but saw a potential game-tying layup blocked by Gaucho guard Michael Bryson. Gaucho center Alan Williams grabbed the rebound and, following a Cal Poly foul, Bryson knocked down two free throws to cement UC Santa Barbara's victory.
Cal Poly, which eliminated UC Santa Barbara from last year's Big West Tournament as a No. 7 seed en route to the program's first conference tournament title, committed just eight turnovers Thursday, but shot only 37.7 (20-for-53) percent from the floor.
The Mustangs also received 10 points and a team-high six rebounds from junior forward Joel Awich.
In the 100th all-time meeting between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, the Gauchos shot 46.3 (19-for-41) percent.
With the victory, UC Santa Barbara advanced to face third-seeded UC Irvine in Friday's second 9 p.m. semifinal matchup. Top-seeded UC Davis will square off against No. 5 Hawai'i at 6:30 p.m. in Friday's remaining semifinal.
Facing UC Santa Barbara for the third time in the last four Big West Tournaments, Cal Poly kept the Gauchos to just one field goal during the first five minutes. Cal Poly, however, was limited to a 2-for-12 start from the floor and trailed 9-5 after the opening nine minutes.
Kept scoreless for a five-minute midway through the opening half, Cal Poly broke an 8-0 Gaucho run with three-pointers from sophomore guard Ridge Shipley and junior guard Reese Morgan to draw even at 11-11 eight minutes before the break.
Cal Poly, which forced UC Santa Barbara into seven first-half turnovers, eventually regained the lead at 17-16 following a Bennett layup. Still leading 20-19 with three minutes left in the half, however, the Mustangs received just a Bennett layup down the stretch and trailed at the break, 27-22.
A three-pointer from junior forward Joel Awich brought the Mustangs within two points of UC Santa Barbara to open the second half. The Gauchos, however, immediately stretched their advantage to an eight-point gap with two layups by Williams and a dunk from guard John Green.
Facing their largest deficit of the night, the Mustangs responded with a 10-4 run to cut the gap to 37-35 with 12 minutes to play.
Cal Poly then trimmed its deficit to two points four more times before the game's final sequence.
Photo courtesy of Matt Brown
ANAHEIM – Junior forward Brian Bennett scored a game-leading 20 points, but the seventh-seeded Cal Poly men's basketball program – looking to make a fourth successive Big West Conference Tournament semifinal appearance – was edged late by Blue-Green rival and No. 2 UC Santa Barbara on Thursday evening inside the Honda Center, 54-50.
In his last collegiate appearance, senior guard Maliik Love added 10 points, five rebounds and a game-high four assists for the Mustangs (13-16), who trailed for the final 22 minutes, but cut their deficit to two points four times inside the final 11 minutes. Down 52-50 with 52 seconds to play, however, Cal Poly saw Love miss a jumper. UC Santa Barbara grabbed the rebound, but at the other end of the court, Gaucho guard Zalmico Harmon passed the ball out of bounds.
Still trailing by two, Mustang sophomore guard Ridge Shipley drove the lane with 11 seconds to play, but saw a potential game-tying layup blocked by Gaucho guard Michael Bryson. Gaucho center Alan Williams grabbed the rebound and, following a Cal Poly foul, Bryson knocked down two free throws to cement UC Santa Barbara's victory.
Cal Poly, which eliminated UC Santa Barbara from last year's Big West Tournament as a No. 7 seed en route to the program's first conference tournament title, committed just eight turnovers Thursday, but shot only 37.7 (20-for-53) percent from the floor.
The Mustangs also received 10 points and a team-high six rebounds from junior forward Joel Awich.
In the 100th all-time meeting between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, the Gauchos shot 46.3 (19-for-41) percent.
With the victory, UC Santa Barbara advanced to face third-seeded UC Irvine in Friday's second 9 p.m. semifinal matchup. Top-seeded UC Davis will square off against No. 5 Hawai'i at 6:30 p.m. in Friday's remaining semifinal.
Facing UC Santa Barbara for the third time in the last four Big West Tournaments, Cal Poly kept the Gauchos to just one field goal during the first five minutes. Cal Poly, however, was limited to a 2-for-12 start from the floor and trailed 9-5 after the opening nine minutes.
Kept scoreless for a five-minute midway through the opening half, Cal Poly broke an 8-0 Gaucho run with three-pointers from sophomore guard Ridge Shipley and junior guard Reese Morgan to draw even at 11-11 eight minutes before the break.
Cal Poly, which forced UC Santa Barbara into seven first-half turnovers, eventually regained the lead at 17-16 following a Bennett layup. Still leading 20-19 with three minutes left in the half, however, the Mustangs received just a Bennett layup down the stretch and trailed at the break, 27-22.
A three-pointer from junior forward Joel Awich brought the Mustangs within two points of UC Santa Barbara to open the second half. The Gauchos, however, immediately stretched their advantage to an eight-point gap with two layups by Williams and a dunk from guard John Green.
Facing their largest deficit of the night, the Mustangs responded with a 10-4 run to cut the gap to 37-35 with 12 minutes to play.
Cal Poly then trimmed its deficit to two points four more times before the game's final sequence.
