5-5
Fresno State
6-3
Second-Half Fresno State Run Sends Cal Poly to Saturday Defeat
12/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO – Sophomore guard Donovan Fields (above) scored a career high 17 points, but Fresno State knocked down nine of its first 11 shots to open the second half on Saturday afternoon en route to outdistancing the Mustangs inside the Save Mart Center, 73-59.
Guards Ridge Shipley and Victor Joseph each finished with seven points for Cal Poly (5-5), which trailed 30-23 at halftime before Fresno State (6-3) opened the second half with a 26-13 run. Cal Poly committed just nine turnovers and only three in the second half, but the Bulldogs shot 58.8 (30-for-51) percent from the floor.
Sophomore guard Jaylen Shead grabbed a team high six rebounds for Cal Poly while Shipley finished with five assists against zero turnovers.
Cal Poly continues its six-game road trip at California on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tip time from Haas Pavilion is 5 p.m. with action televised nationally on Pac-12 Network.
During a first half that featured four changes, Fresno State broke an 18-18 deadlock with baskets from guards Jahmel Taylor and Jaron Hopkins.
A Shipley layup cut Cal Poly's disadvantage to two points five minutes before the half and Joseph followed with his second three-pointer of the day to help the Mustangs draw to a 24-23 deficit. Fresno State, however, kept the Mustangs scoreless for the remaining four minutes of the half and took a 30-23 lead into the break.
Keyed by three Fields layups to begin the second half, Cal Poly closed to a 37-32 deficit with 16 minutes remaining. However, the Bulldogs – who shot 81.8 percent to begin the second half – reeled off a 7-0, 60-second run capped by Taylor's third three-pointer and opened up the game's first double-digit lead.
Fresno State followed by holding Cal Poly to two baskets in a six-minute stretch and led by as much as 23 points with 10-and-a-half minutes to play.
