7-15 (2-6BWC)
UC Riverside
5-17 (0-8BWC)
Cal Poly Scores Last Six Points to Edge UC Riverside, 71-68
1/31/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly scored the final six points, including the go-ahead jumper by Donovan Fields with 12 seconds to go and two clinching free throws by Victor Joseph with 0.6 seconds left, to defeat UC Riverside 71-68 in a Big West Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night inside Mott Athletics Center.
Fields hit the short jumper from the right side of the key and, after Joseph stole a pass from Chance Murray and was fouled by Koh Flippen, tallied his 21st and 22nd points as the Mustangs snapped a six-game losing streak and improved to 7-15 overall and 2-6 in the Big West, completing the first round of conference play.
UC Riverside, despite outrebounding Cal Poly 35-32 and making 10 percent more of its floor shots than the Mustangs, fell to 5-17 and 0-9 with its 10th straight loss. Cal Poly won for just the second time when outrebounded by the opposition.
With his 22 points, Joseph (pictured above) produced his 18th double-digit scoring game for the Mustangs and his fourth game of 20 or more points. He made three of his five shots from three-point range and nine of 11 free throws. His nine free throws tied a career high.
Josh Martin came off the bench to add 10 points for Cal Poly.
UC Riverside was led by Idy Diallo with 17 points. DJ Sylvester and Flippin each added 11 points for the Highlanders.
Neither team led by more than seven points in the first half. Cal Poly led 38-34 at the break, leading at halftime for the first time in eight Big West games this season.
Kuba Niziol hit a three-pointer to open the second half and give Cal Poly a 41-34 advantage. UC Riverside battled back to tie the game at 46-46 with14:10 to go with a 12-5 run and neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way.
The Highlanders led 65-61 with 6:10 to play as Sylvester hit a pair of free throws, but scored just three points the rest of the way while Cal Poly answered with 10, including seven of eight free throws by Joseph and the go-ahead bucket by Fields, who finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Mustangs won by committing just five turnovers, second-lowest figure this season, and sinking 11 of 21 three-pointers.
While UC Riverside made 26 of its 54 floor shots for 48 percent, the Highlanders were just nine of 23 from three-point range. Cal Poly connected on 20 of 52 field goals (39 percent).
Diallo led the Highlanders on the boards with eight. Hank Hollingsworth, who blocked four UC Riverside shots, grabbed seven caroms for Cal Poly.
The Mustangs host Hawai'i on Saturday night at 7. The Rainbow Warriors take a 13-6 overall mark and for Big West record into Thursday night's game at UC Santa Barbara.
Photo above of Victor Joseph courtesy of Alexander Bohlen
