Cal Poly Opens Big West Tournament Tuesday versus Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m. on ESPN3

Tuesday, March 9

Las Vegas, Nev.

6 p.m.

Cal State Fullerton

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Opens Big West Tournament Tuesday versus Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m. on ESPN3

3/8/2021 4:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball

BIG WEST TOURNAMENT PREVIEW (MARCH 9 - CAL STATE FULLERTON)
BIG WEST TOURNAMENT BRACKET

LAS VEGAS – The Cal Poly men's basketball program returns to the Big West Conference Tournament after a three-year hiatus as the 10th-seeded Mustangs meet No. 7 Cal State Fullerton in a Tuesday, March 9 opening-round matchup. Tip time from the Michelob ULTRA Arena inside Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is 6 p.m. with action streamed via ESPN3. Tuesday's winner advances to face No. 2 UC Irvine on Thursday, March 11 in a 5 p.m. quarterfinal contest. Cal State Fullerton is the only program in the Big West Tournament field Cal Poly did not face during the regular season with the Feb. 12-13, two-game series between the sides cancelled due to COVID-19 issues. Cal Poly (1-15, 3-19) is seeking its first Big West Tournament victory since capturing the program's only title in 2014. Cal State Fullerton (5-7, 6-9), meanwhile, fell in the 2019 tournament title game to UC Irvine after winning the championship as the fourth seed in 2018. Tuesday's matchup marks Cal Poly's first Big West Tournament game outside of California in 17 appearances.

MEDIA ADVISORY, WE ARE CAL POLY: When referring to any Cal Poly athletics program, please use only "Cal Poly" to denote the school. Please refrain from using names such as "Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo," "Cal Poly-SLO," "CPSU," "Cal Poly State" and "Polytechnic State University." Cal Poly is a separate institution from Division II Cal Poly Pomona.

FOLLOW CAL POLY AT THE BIG WEST TOURNAMENT: Chris Sylvester provides play-by-play for each of Cal Poly's Big West Tournament games for ESPN 1280 in San Luis Obispo County and on GoPoly.com HERE … live stats and streaming video via ESPN3 will also be available through GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY AT THE BIG WEST TOURNAMENT: Cal Poly is 10-15 in 16 previous Big West Tournament appearances and, aside from capturing the 2014 title, the Mustangs have advanced to the championship game in 2003 and 2007. Cal Poly has reached the semifinals in six of 16 Big West Tournament appearances (2003, 2006-07, 2012-14). Cal Poly's three semifinal losses occurred in 2006, when the fourth-seeded Mustangs fell versus No. 1 Pacific (68-57); 2012, when fourth-seeded Cal Poly dropped a 64-52 decision against No. 2 UC Santa Barbara, and in 2013, when a last-second Pacific shot eliminated third-seeded Cal Poly, 55-53. Overall, Cal Poly is 7-9 during its first tournament game, 3-3 in semifinal matchups and 1-2 in championship games.

CAL POLY VERSUS CAL STATE FULLERTON: The Mustangs and Titans played a combined five overtime periods last season with Cal Poly prevailing in overtime at home, 101-100 (Jan. 30) and Cal State Fullerton surviving a 105-101, four-overtime matchup (Feb. 15) in Orange County. Cal Poly's home win last season, however, marks the program's only victory against the Titans in the last nine matchups. Cal Poly leads the all-time series (38-34), but Cal State Fullerton tops the Division I series (26-23).

CAL POLY VERSUS CAL STATE FULLERTON AT THE BIG WEST TOURNAMENT: Cal Poly has faced Cal State Fullerton just once in 16 previous Big West Tournament appearances, handing the Titans an 81-56 semifinal round defeat on March 9, 2007 (Cal Poly lost that year's title game to Long Beach State, 94-83).

BIG WEST SEEDING: Tuesday's Big West Tournament opening-round matchup marks the ninth consecutive game where Cal Poly will play as a lower seed. Cal Poly lost quarterfinal games as a lower seed from 2015-2018, played as the lower seed during all three matchups during the 2014 title run and was eliminated as a lower seed by Pacific in the 2013 semifinals. Cal Poly last played as a higher seed in 2013, eliminating sixth-seeded UC Davis in the quarterfinals, 64-41.

FAMILIAR FACE: Second-year Cal Poly head coach John Smith was Cal State Fullerton's associate head coach from 2013-19, helping the Titans reach three successive Big West Tournament semifinal appearances (2017-19), the 2018 title and a 2019 runner-up finish.

KOROMA'S SUPERB SOPHOMORE EFFORT: Cal Poly's leader with 14 double-digit scoring games this season after recording just three in 26 appearances last winter, sophomore forward Alimamy Koroma enters the program's March 9 Big West Tournament opening-round matchup versus Cal State Fullerton leading the Mustangs in points (13.0), rebounds (5.7) and blocks (1.1) per game while ranked second in the lineup with a 47.6 (90-for-189) percent field goal mark. Averaging 14.0 points per Cal Poly's last five outings, Koroma most recently secured his first collegiate double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds at Long Beach State (Feb. 19). One day later, he added a career high 22 points against The Beach. Koroma's scoring exploits this season also include a 20-point effort to fuel Cal Poly's Jan. 29 home victory against CSUN and an 18-point game at Hawai'i (Feb. 6). Through 46 collegiate games, Koroma is averaging 8.7 points per outing while shooting 50.9 (143-for-281) percent from the floor. Defensively, Koroma's six-block performance versus UC Davis (Feb. 26) was one block shy of the program single game record

AS THE CROWE LETS IT FLY: The Big West's leader with 44 three-pointers and the owner of Cal Poly's second highest scoring effort of the year after sinking six three-pointers in a 21-point victory against CSUN (Jan. 29), senior wing Mark Crowe remains third in the lineup at 7.3 points per night. A 37.0 (146-for-395) percent career three-point shooter, Crowe ranks 10th in Cal Poly history with 112 appearances. He requires just eight more three-pointers to match current Mustang assistant coach and former forward David Hanson (2008-12) and former guard Reese Morgan (2011-16) for 10th place all-time (154).

ROGERS RESUMES IMPACT: Having set a new career scoring high with 21 points at UC Santa Barbara (March 5) – two games after notching 19 versus UC Davis (Feb. 26) – sophomore guard Colby Rogers enters Cal Poly's March 9 Big West Tournament opening-round matchup versus Cal State Fullerton second in the lineup with 11.6 points per matchup and with 10 double-digit scoring games. After missing Cal Poly's opening five games through injury, Rogers – Cal Poly's top returning scorer from last season – made his sophomore debut with eight points at Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19). He then added an 18-point game at CSU Bakersfield (Jan. 8) and a 17-point performance versus UC Davis (Feb. 27). Rogers is averaging 16.2 points per Cal Poly's last five games. For his career, Rogers is averaging 9.7 points per 47 career games.

FRESHMEN IN THE FOLD: Two members of Cal Poly's six-player freshman class are enjoying an immediate impact for the program during their first seasons on campus. Forward Brantly Stevenson, with a pair of career best 17-points efforts against San Jose State (Dec. 13) and at Long Beach State (Feb. 20) and a 15-point performance versus UC Davis (Feb. 27), ranks fourth in the lineup at 6.7 points per outing. Cal Poly's second leading rebounder is forward Dyson Koehler, who has grabbed at least six boards eight times and is averaging 4.2 per night.