Cal Poly Completes Home Stand Saturday versus UC Davis

Saturday, January 15

San Luis Obispo, CA

7 p.m.

UC Davis

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Completes Home Stand Saturday versus UC Davis

1/14/2022 1:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

COMPLETE GAME RELEASE

SAN LUIS OBISPO – After not playing a home game in 59 days, the Cal Poly men's basketball program will play its second in a span of three evenings when hosting UC Davis on Saturday, Jan. 15. Tip time from Mott Athletics Center is 7 p.m. for the Mustangs (3-10, 0-2), whose 57-46 setback against UC Riverside on Thursday marked the program's first home matchup since Nov. 15. UC Davis (7-4, 0-0), meanwhile, has had all four of its countable Big West Conference games cancelled due to COVID protocols. UC Davis enters Saturday's matchup having played just once in the last 24 days with the Aggies topping UC San Diego – still in its Division I transition – at home on Jan. 8.

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Chris Sylvester provides streaming play-by-play for ESPN+ HERE while Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer handles audio play-by-play for ESPN 1280 (San Luis Obispo County) and GoPoly.com HERE of Saturday's matchup against UC Davis … live stats will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS: The Aggies have prevailed in the last nine matchups with Cal Poly dating to a 66-55 victory in the 2017 Big West Tournament quarterfinals. Having swept the last four season series, UC Davis won both meetings at Cal Poly last year, topping the Mustangs, 69-61 (Feb. 26), and, in overtime, 68-66 (Feb. 27). Cal Poly leads the all-time series (35-29) while UC Davis leads the Division I series (22-14).

CLOSE, BUT …: Seven of Cal Poly's 13 games thus far have been decided by four points or fewer with the Mustangs holding just a 2-5 record in those outcomes. Cal Poly's two victories were a 67-63, neutral-site win against Idaho (Nov. 24) and a 61-58 decision at Portland State (Dec. 11). Excluding an 87-57 loss at Santa Clara (Nov. 19) and an 83-48 defeat at Fresno State (Dec. 17), Cal Poly's remaining eight defeats have come by an average of 5.3 points per game. The Mustangs have already sustained three one-point defeats versus Sacramento State (Nov. 15), San Diego (Dec. 5) and Portland (Dec. 13) and an overtime loss to Nicholls State (Nov. 22).

KOROMA CONTINUES SCORING WAYS: One of Cal Poly's top two scorers for a second straight season, junior forward Alimamy Koroma – fueled by a team leading eight double-digit scoring outings, including a career best 23-point effort against Nicholls State (Nov. 22) – ranks 11th among Big West players with 12.3 points per game. Koroma, who added 19 points against Sacramento State (Nov. 15), also leads Cal Poly and ranks third among Big West players with a 49.6 (65-for-131) percent field goal mark. With 27 career double-digit scoring games, Koroma is averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50.1 (222-for-443) percent through 61 collegiate outings.

COLVIN CLIMBS THE SCORING CHART: With five double-digit scoring games – including a 24-point performance at CSUN (Jan. 8) – sophomore forward Kyle Colvin ranks second in the lineup with 9.2 points per game. Colvin's 28-point, 10-rebound outing versus Idaho (Nov. 24) marked his first career double-double and the highest scoring game by a Mustang this season. Colvin also scored 18 points at Santa Clara (Nov. 19). Having grabbed seven-plus rebounds four times this season, Colvin – who redshirted last year – is also Cal Poly's second leading rebounder at 4.8 boards per game. Through 39 collegiate games, Colvin is averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per night.

TAYLOR ON THE BOARDS: An offseason transfer from James Madison by way of Wyoming, junior guard Trevon Taylor surpassed his previous collegiate scoring best as a 27-point performance at Portland (Dec. 13) remains the second highest offensive output by a Mustang this season. One of only two Mustangs with a double-double thus far after scoring a Cal Poly best 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Sacramento State (Nov. 15), Taylor maintains the program's rebounding lead with 5.8 boards per night. Having also grabbed nine rebounds versus Nicholls State (Nov. 22) and California Baptist (Dec. 2), Taylor has started 11 of 13 matchups while ranking third in the lineup with 7.9 points per game.

PIERCE'S DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS: One of only two Mustangs to start all 13 games alongside forward Alimamy Koroma, sophomore point guard Camren Pierce ranks third among Big West players with 47 total assists and fourth with 3.6 per game. Highlighted by a career best eight-assist performance at San Diego (Dec. 5), Pierce has produced six-plus assists three times this season. Offensively, Pierce – who scored a career best 15 points at California Baptist (Dec. 2) – owns three double-digit scoring games this season and ranks fourth in Cal Poly's lineup with 7.0 points per evening.

LOOKING AHEAD: Cal Poly plays five of its next six games away from Mott Athletics Center, beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at CSU Bakersfield. Following a Saturday, Jan. 22 home matchup versus Hawai'i, the Mustangs open a four-game road trip at UC San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 27.

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) … a 75-72 overtime loss versus Nicholls State (Nov. 22) marked Cal Poly's first all-time meeting against the Colonels … sophomore forward Kyle Colvin was name to SoCal Challenge All-Tournament Team (Nov. 24) after averaging 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as Cal Poly finished third … Cal Poly captured third place at the inaugural SoCal Challenge (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) with a 67-63 victory versus Idaho (Nov. 24) … Cal Poly's 61-58 victory at Portland State marked the program's first road win since a 71-45 triumph at UC Riverside on Jan. 31, 2019 … Cal Poly's nine-game road trip (Nov. 19-Jan. 8) was 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 … Cal Poly's 22-day gap between games from Dec. 17 to Jan. 8 was the fifth lengthiest stretch of any Division I program this year … Cal Poly's 59-day gap between a Nov. 15 matchup versus Sacramento State and a Jan. 13 contest against UC Riverside was – by 19 days more than Northwestern State – the lengthiest stretch between home games of any Division I program this season … Cal Poly's 57-46 home loss versus UC Riverside marked the program's 800th Division I game (1994-95-).