7-18,4-7Big Wes
Cal State Fullerton
10-16,5-6Big We
Cal Poly Outlasted by Cal State Fullerton in Quadruple Overtime
2/15/2020 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FULLERTON – Junior forward Nolan Taylor (above) scored a career high 35 points Saturday evening but, in the Cal Poly men's basketball program's lengthiest game in 48 years, the Mustangs were outlasted by Cal State Fullerton inside Titan Gym, 105-101.
Sophomore guard Junior Ballard added 27 points for Cal Poly (7-18, 4-7 Big West), which played the longest game in program history since the Mustangs topped CSUN, 124-116, in quintuple overtime on Feb. 12, 1972. Saturday's four-overtime game matched two others – Pacific's 107-99 win versus Saint Mary's (Jan. 4) and George Washington's 107-104 victory against Davidson (Jan. 29) – for the lengthiest Division I game this season.
Taylor's 35-point effort marked the highest scoring game by a Mustang since guard Victor Joseph scored 36 in a double-overtime victory versus CSUN (Feb. 22, 2018). Prior to Saturday, Taylor had never scored more than 11 points in a Cal Poly uniform.
Graduate guard Jamal Smith added 11 points for Cal Poly while junior guard Keith Smith finished with 10.
Taylor also grabbed nine rebounds for Cal Poly, which opens its final home stand of the season – a three-game run – on Thursday, Feb. 20 versus UC Davis at 7 p.m.
During Saturday's matchup, Cal Poly received two Taylor free throws with three minutes to go in regulation to take a 65-63 lead. Cal Poly, however, missed its final four field goal attempts of the second half – including a Ballard layup at the regulation buzzer after Titans guard Austen Awosika sank two three throws with 27 seconds remaining – as Cal State Fullerton forced overtime.
Neither side led by more than two points in the first overtime and, with Cal State Fullerton up, 73-71, and 67 seconds to play, Ballard sank two free throws. Both Awosika and Ballard then missed layup attempts on the ensuing alternating possessions. The Titans had one final opportunity to win the matchup in the first overtime, but Cal State Fullerton forward Brandon Kamga missed a jumper at the buzzer.
Three times the Titans led by three points in the second overtime – the last occurrence extinguished by a three-pointer from freshman guard Colby Rogers that tied the matchup, 80-80, with 79 seconds to play. Taylor, however, missed a layup with 29 seconds on the clock and Kamba and Clare both saw attempts fell short nearing the buzzer as the game moved into a third overtime.
Into the third overtime, Cal State Fullerton twice led by four – including a 90-86 lead with 57 seconds left. Taylor, however, sank a layup on Cal Poly's next possession. After Awosika missed his layup attempt, Taylor was fouled by Clare with 11 seconds left and knocked down two free throws to tie scoreline, 90-90. On the final sequence of triple overtime, Mustang junior guard Keith Smith blocked a layup from Titans forward Tory San Antonio at the buzzer.
Cal State Fullerton scratched out a 98-93 advantage midway through the fourth overtime. Cal Poly twice trimmed that lead to three points before a Ballard jumper with 10 seconds left dropped Cal State Fullerton's edge to 103-101. With Cal Poly forced to foul to regain possession, San Antonio sank two free throws to provide the final margin of victory.
Cal Poly led just once during the four overtime periods at 67-66 early in the first overtime.
Cal State Fullerton led by as much as 10 points during the first half and still maintained a 35-26 advantage two minutes before the break before Cal Poly closed the opening half with a 6-0 run.
The Mustangs then opened the second half with buckets from junior guard Keith Smith and graduate guard Jamal Smith to take their first lead of evening at 36-35. The two sides traded the lead twice more until a three-pointer from Titans guard Devon Clare placed his side ahead, 46-44, with 14 minutes to play.
Cal State Fullerton maintained its lead for the next nine minutes – but never outdistanced Cal Poly by more than five points.
Still trailing 61-58 with five minutes remaining, Cal Poly surged ahead for the remainder of regulation behind a Jamal Smith layup and Rogers three-pointer.
