Cal Poly Opens Nine-Game Road Trip, SoCal Challenge Friday at Santa Clara

Friday, November 19

Santa Clara, CA

TBA

Santa Clara

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Opens Nine-Game Road Trip, SoCal Challenge Friday at Santa Clara

11/18/2021 12:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball

COMPLETE WEEKLY RELEASE

SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men's basketball program embarks on its lengthiest road trip in 51 years – a nine-game stretch – and opens the inaugural SoCal Challenge when visiting Santa Clara on Friday, Nov. 19. Tip time from the Leavey Center is 6 p.m. for Cal Poly (1-2), whose two defeats this season – versus North Dakota State (Nov. 12) and Sacramento State (Nov. 15) – have occurred by four total points. After sweeping aside Cal State Fullerton in its Nov. 9 season opener, Santa Clara (3-0) topped Stanford (Nov. 12) and Nevada (Nov. 16). Following Friday's matchup at Santa Clara, SoCal Challenge action shifts to the 2,000-seat JSerra Pavilion (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) as Cal Poly opens the four-team Sand Bracket against first-time opponent Nicholls State on Monday, Nov. 22 at 12 noon. The Cal Poly-Nicholls State winner faces either Idaho or Utah Valley in the SoCal Challenge Sand Bracket title game on Wednesday, Nov. 24; the losing side plays in the third-place game on the same date.

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Chris Sylvester provides play-by-play for ESPN 1280 (San Luis Obispo County) and GoPoly.com of Friday's matchup at Santa Clara … live stats and streaming video from the matchup will also be available via GoPoly.com.

CAL POLY VERSUS SANTA CLARA: The Mustangs look to snap a two-game slide versus the Broncos after dropping last year's home decision on Dec. 9, 76-69. Cal Poly's last series victory was a 63-59 win at Santa Clara (Nov. 18, 2017). Cal Poly, visiting Santa Clara for the fourth time in the last five matchups, trails in the all-time series, 6-4.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD: Cal Poly's nine-game road trip is the program's lengthiest since playing 12 successive games away from home during the 1970-71 season (Dec. 12-Jan. 22). Cal Poly also played nine straight road games to open the 1968-69 season.

KOROMA RESUMES SCORING WAYS: Cal Poly's leading scorer for a second successive season, junior forward Alimamy Koroma – fueled by two double-digit scoring outings, including a season best 19-point effort versus Sacramento State (Nov. 15) – is averaging 15.0 points per evening. Koroma is also Cal Poly's leading rebounder with 5.0 boards per game. With 21 career double-digit scoring games, Koroma is averaging 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per 51 collegiate outings.

THE GRADUATE: Three games in a Cal Poly uniform and three double-digit scoring outings for graduate guard Jacob Davison (above), who enters Friday's matchup at Santa Clara as the program's second leading scorer with 14.3 points per night. An offseason transfer after helping Eastern Washington to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Davison scored 14 points in his Nov. 9 Cal Poly debut before finishing with a season high 19 points against North Dakota State (Nov. 12). Through 112 collegiate appearances, Davison is averaging 12.6 points per game.

LOOKING AHEAD: After completing SoCal Challenge action, Cal Poly continues its nine-game road trip at California Baptist on Thursday, Dec. 2.

ETC.: Since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 1994-95 season, Cal Poly improved to 44-1 against non-Division I programs with an 86-53 home win against NAIA Westcliff (Nov. 9).