2-11
No. 15 San Diego State
13-0
Cal Poly Outdistanced Saturday at No. 15 San Diego State
12/28/2019 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SAN DIEGO – Forward Kyle Colvin (above) scored a team high 13 points and fellow freshman Alimamy Koroma grabbed a career best 12 rebounds, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program – after leading No. 15 San Diego State late in the first half Saturday afternoon – was outscored by 17 points during the final 22 minutes and fell inside Viejas Arena, 73-57.
Sophomore guard Junior Ballard added 12 points for Cal Poly (2-11), which led San Diego State (13-0), 23-22, with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening half. However, San Diego State – one of just three remaining unbeaten Division I programs – closed the half with an 8-0 run. The Aztecs, Cal Poly's second ranked foe of the year following a Nov. 17 loss at then-No. 18 Saint Mary's, then scored 15 of the first 19 points in the second half to outdistance Cal Poly.
During the first meeting between the two programs since Dec. 13, 2010, Cal Poly outrebounded the Aztecs, 40-37. Cal Poly also limited San Diego State to a 22.2 (6-for-27) percent three-point mark.
Koroma's 12-rebound effort marked the highest total by a Mustang since former forward Karlis Garoza grabbed 12 boards versus Long Beach State (Feb. 9, 2019).
Cal Poly completes Big West Conference preparations and opens the 2020 calendar year when hosting NAIA Vanguard on Friday, Jan. 3. Tip time from Mott Athletics Center is 7 p.m.
The Mustangs held San Diego State to a 1-for-6 start from the three-point line, but were limited themselves to just three field goals during the opening 10 minutes as the Aztecs took an early 18-8 lead.
Cal Poly, however, kept San Diego State to just one field goal during the ensuing seven minutes and, behind a 13-3 run backboned by two Colvin three-pointers, the Mustangs drew level at 21-21.
After Aztecs guard Jordan Schakel disrupted Cal Poly's run with a free throw, San Diego State forward Joel Mensah was whistled for a flagrant foul. The foul recipient – Koroma – knocked down both of his free throw attempts to put the Mustangs ahead with two-and-a-half minutes remaining, 23-22.
San Diego State, however, closed the opening period with its 8-0 run to take a 31-23 lead into the break.
The Aztecs then opened the second half with a further 15-4 run to push their advantage to 45-28 with 15 minutes remaining.
A Colvin jumper during the ensuing possession brought Cal Poly's deficit down to 15 points, but that was as close as the Mustangs drew down the stretch.
