5-12 (0-3)
UC Santa Barbara
3-12 (1-2)
Cal Poly Men's Basketball Team Drops 58-53 Decision at UC Santa Barbara
1/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SANTA BARBARA – Sophomore guard Donovan Fields scored a game high 15 points, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program – after leading by 15 points with 16-and-a-half minutes to play Saturday evening – conceded a 17-0 run to Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara during the second half and fell inside The Thunderdome, 58-53.
Junior forward Luke Meikle added nine points for Cal Poly (5-12, 0-3), which led UC Santa Barbara (3-12, 1-2) 46-35 with nine minutes to play before the Gauchos compiled their 17-0 run. With UC Santa Barbara having transformed its deficit into a 52-46 lead, Cal Poly snapped a seven-and-a-half minute scoring drought with a Fields three-pointer. However, Gaucho guard Clifton Powell, Jr. sank a three-pointer with a minute to play to reaffirm UC Santa Barbara's two-possession lead en route to victory.
The Mustangs shot 52.2 (12-for-23) percent during the first half, but were held to a 26.7 (8-for-30) percent mark during the second. UC Santa Barbara, meanwhile, shot 42.9 (12-for-28) percent from the floor in the second half and, after missing their first 11 three-point attempts of the night, the Gauchos knocked down their final two to help complete the comeback.
Cal Poly returns to Mott Athletics Center and opens a two-game home stand on Wednesday, Jan. 18 versus UC Irvine. Tip time is 7 p.m.
Held to one basket during the opening five minutes, Cal Poly overturned an early deficit with a 14-2 run as the Mustangs grabbed a 17-10 lead 10 minutes prior to halftime.
Cal Poly then limited the Gauchos to just one basket during a seven-and-a-half stretch midway through the first half. The Mustangs led 35-24 at the break after junior guard Josh Mishler sank Cal Poly's sixth three-pointer of the half with three seconds remaining.
The Mustangs chalked up the first two baskets of the second half to build their 15-point cushion. The Gauchos responded with a 6-0 run to cut their deficit to single digits, but UC Santa Barbara failed to break the nine-point barrier until a Powell layup brought the hosts to a 46-39 disadvantage with eight minutes remaining.
Gaucho guard Eric Childress then followed with a layup and guard Max Heidegger knocked down two free throws before Powell hit a three-pointer – UC Santa Barbara's first of the night – to tie the game at 46-46 with six minutes to go.
Two Childress free throws eventually completed the 17-0 run that gave UC Santa Barbara the 52-46 lead with three minutes to play.
