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UC Riverside
5-3,2-1Big West
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Second-Half Surge Sends UC Riverside Past Cal Poly on Friday
1/15/2021 6:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Sophomore forward Alimamy Koroma (above) led the Cal Poly men's basketball program with 15 points Friday evening, but the Mustangs were held to just 14 second-half points by UC Riverside as the Highlanders claimed an 86-51 victory inside Mott Athletics Center.
Senior wing Mark Crowe added 10 points for Cal Poly (2-7, 0-3), which led UC Riverside (5-3, 2-1) at the break, 37-36, before the Highlanders opened the second half with a 16-2 run. Playing its first home game in 30 days, Cal Poly shot 48.3 (14-for-29) percent during the first half, but just 12.9 (4-for-31) percent in the second. UC Riverside, meanwhile, shot 56.3 (18-for-32) percent during the second half, sinking 10 three-pointers to pull away.
Koroma added a game high and season best eight rebounds for Cal Poly, which completes its two-game series against UC Riverside on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m.
With Koroma scoring Cal Poly's opening 11 points (sinking three three-pointers and layup), the Mustangs sprinted to an 11-6 advantage after four-and-a-half minutes. Crowe then added a three-point play and three-pointer to run Cal Poly's lead to 19-12 with 11 minutes to go. The Highlanders, however, reeled off a 7-0 run in the next two-and-a-half minutes to level the scoreline, 19-19.
Sophomore guard Colby Rogers stemmed the run with a three-pointer and the two sides exchanged the lead three times to close the opening half. Trailing UC Riverside, 34-29, with three minutes to go, Cal Poly received a three-pointer from graduate forward Riley Till, a Rogers jumper and a three-point play by senior guard Keith Smith to take a 37-36 lead into the break.
UC Riverside limited Cal Poly to just one Koroma layup during the second half's opening five minutes as the Highlanders utilized their 16-2 run to take a 52-39 advantage.
Cal Poly climbed within single digits of UC Riverside's lead just once the remainder of the afternoon.
