Northern Illinois
Cal Poly Men's Basketball Team Secures 68-64 Win at Northern Illinois
11/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
POSTGAME REACTION: JOE CALLERO AND VICTOR JOSEPH
DeKALB, Ill. – Junior guard Victor Joseph (above) recorded a career high 19 points to lead four Mustangs in double figures as the Cal Poly men's basketball program – which sank 11 three-pointers – opened the Northern Illinois Thanksgiving Classic Wednesday evening by producing a 68-64 victory against the host Huskies.
Junior guard Ridge Shipley added 15 points for Cal Poly (3-2), which handed Northern Illinois (3-2) just its second home loss in the program's last 22 games inside the NIU Convocation Center. Senior guard Kyle Toth chipped in 12 points after finishing 4-for-6 from three-point range for Cal Poly while junior guard josh Mishler scored a career high 10.
During just the second meeting between the two programs in the last 45 seasons and in a matchup that featured 11 lead changes and eight tied scorelines, Cal Poly surged ahead 64-60 with a minute to play following a Mishler three-pointer. The Huskies cut that gap to two in just 13 seconds after center Marin Maric rolled in a layup.
After the Mustangs missed a three-pointer with 18 seconds left, senior forward Zach Gordon forced a turnover from Huskies guard Laytwan Porter, who was attempting a game-tying drive to the basket. Fouled twice in the final five seconds with Northern Illinois pursuing possession, Cal Poly saw Joseph and sophomore guard Jaylen Shead both knock down a pair of free throws to preserve victory.
Cal Poly continues play at the NIU Thanksgiving Classic on Friday, Nov. 25 versus Illinois-Chicago at 1:30 p.m. PT.
Despite holding Northern Illinois to a 1-for-6 start from the floor and forcing the Huskies into five early turnovers, Cal Poly found itself trailing 12-8 11 minutes before the break.
Cal Poly, however, limited the Huskies to just one basket during an ensuing seven-minute stretch and, cobbling together a 12-3 run that included three-pointers by Mishler, Joseph and Toth, the Mustangs carved out a 20-15 lead four minutes prior to halftime.
Keyed by Joseph – who hit three jumpers during the final three minutes of the first half – Cal Poly closed the opening period with an 11-2 run to go up 31-21 at the break. Cal Poly kept Northern Illinois to just two field goals during the last 10 minutes of the first half.
Northern Illinois opened the second half with an 8-0 run to climb within two points of Cal Poly's lead. The Mustangs briefly stemmed the Huskie tide with a jumper from junior forward Luke Meikle and Toth's fourth three-pointer in as many attempts, but Northern Illinois kept Cal Poly scoreless for a four-minute stretch and, with a 9-0 run, overtook the lead at 38-36 with 11-and-a-half minutes to play.
The two squads traded the lead twice more with the Huskies twice grabbing six-point leads and Cal Poly twice tying the scoreline.
It was Cal Poly though that grabbed the game's 11th and final lead change at 56-53 with four-and-a-half minutes to play through a Joseph three-pointer.
