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Cal Poly Rally Comes Up Short versus Tennessee State in Las Vegas
11/28/2019 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – Sophomore guard Junior Ballard scored a game high 19 points and the Cal Poly men's basketball program reduced a 20-point, second-half deficit against Tennessee State to just five, but the Tigers knocked down 11 three-pointers Thursday afternoon as the Mustangs dropped their Continental Tires Las Vegas Invitational bracket opener inside the Orleans Arena, 82-72.
Freshman guard Colby Rogers matched a career scoring high with 14 points for Cal Poly (1-6), which trailed first-time opponent Tennessee State (4-3), 56-36, with 15 minutes to play. The Mustangs then doubled their output to close the game and held Tennessee State to just one field goal during the final six-and-a-half minutes.
Having cut the deficit to 75-70 with two minutes to play, however, Ballard missed a layup. Tigers forward Shakem Johnson then missed both free throw attempts during Tennessee State's ensuing possession, but Rogers was whistled for a travel violation at the other end of the Orleans Arena. With Cal Poly forced to foul to regain possession, Tennessee State sank four successive free throws to keep the game out of reach.
As a team, Tennessee State shot 57.9 (11-for-19) percent from the three-point line.
Facing just its third all-time opponent from the Ohio Valley Conference, Cal Poly also received 12 points apiece from sophomore forward Tuukka Jaakkola and graduate guard Jamal Smith.
Cal Poly completes Las Vegas Invitational play on Friday, Nov. 29 when facing Long Island University in the third-place game at 11 a.m. LIU fell to north Florida Thursday afternoon, 95-92.
Featuring eight programs, the Las Vegas Invitational is divided into two brackets. Texas Tech, Creighton, Iowa and San Diego State comprise the evening bracket.
During Thursday's matchup, Cal Poly held Tennessee State to a 0-for-6 shooting start to open the game before the Tigers knocked down five three-pointers during a three-minute span to grab an early 15-9 lead.
Tennessee State, which shot 69.2 (9-for-13) percent from three-point range during the first half, stretched its lead to 27-18 after guard Michael Littlejohn knocked down his fourth three-pointer. The Tigers then added a 7-0 run to go up 34-18 six minutes before the break.
With Cal Poly facing a 44-31 deficit at the break, Tennessee State sank two more three-pointers to open the second half and, backed by a 12-5 run, the Tigers stretched their lead to 56-36 with 16 minutes to play.
Cal Poly's double-digit gap continued until Ballard knocked down two free throws and sank a layup before Jaakkola added a jumper to trim Tennessee State's lead to 75-70 with two minutes remaining.
