Cal Poly Resumes Action at Pacific Monday, Pepperdine Wednesday

Monday, November 28

Stockton, CA

7 p.m.

Pacific

Photo by: Eyasu Betwos

Cal Poly Resumes Action at Pacific Monday, Pepperdine Wednesday

11/26/2022 5:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men's basketball program embarks on a two-game road trip against a pair of West Coast Conference foes and closes November when visiting Pacific (Monday, Nov. 28) and Pepperdine (Wednesday, Nov. 30). Tip time both evenings is 7 p.m. for Cal Poly (2-3), which stemmed a three-game slide with an 82-71 home victory versus Idaho (Nov. 23). Pacific (2-4), facing Cal Poly for the first time in nine years and just the second time since departing the Big West Conference for the West Coast following the 2012-13 season, saw its losing streak extended to three straight with an 84-81 home defeat to Idaho (Nov. 25). Pepperdine (4-2), playing its fifth home game in the first seven matchups, enters Wednesday's game idle for seven days after a 100-53 loss at No. 19 UCLA (Nov. 23).

FOLLOW CAL POLY: Chris Sylvester provides play-by-play coverage for ESPN 1280 (San Luis Obispo County) and GoPoly.com of Monday's matchup at Pacific and Wednesday's visit to Pepperdine HERE … streaming video and live stats from both games will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS PACIFIC: The Tigers have won the two most recent matchups with Cal Poly by four total points, last topping the Mustangs in a Nov. 30, 2013 neutral-site matchup (73-71) and previously edging Cal Poly in the 2013 Big West Tournament semifinals, 55-53. Cal Poly's last series victory was a 67-62 home decision on Feb. 7, 2013. Pacific leads both the all-time (35-14) and Division I (25-12) series.

CAL POLY VERSUS PEPPERDINE: Cal Poly has prevailed in three of the last four games with Pepperdine, last producing a 91-81 home victory on Dec. 2, 2017. The Waves won the last matchup in Malibu, handing Cal Poly a 77-68, season-opening setback (Nov. 11, 2016). The two programs met 18 times between the 1941-42 and 1953-54 seasons, then not again until Cal Poly prevailed at Pepperdine on Dec. 28, 1991. Pepperdine leads the all-time series (14-9), but Cal Poly leads the Division I (3-1) series.

KOROMA REMAINS CAL POLY'S OFFENSIVE CATALYST: One of Cal Poly's top two scorers for a third successive season, forward Alimamy Koroma ranks 12th among Big West scorers with 14.0 points per game following a season high 23-point performance versus Idaho (Nov. 23). With a Big West leading 64.3 (27-for-42) percent field goal mark, Koroma also ranks 33rd among NCAA Division I shooters. With 40 career double-digit scoring games (including four this season), Koroma is averaging 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1 (327-for-640) percent through 81 collegiate outings and 52 start. He requires 127 more points to become just the 25th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Koroma also ranks eighth in program history with 64 career blocks.

TAYLOR MADE SCORING: Cal Poly's second leading scorer at 11.2 points per game following a 17-point performance against Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 20), senior guard Trevon Taylor completed a second career double-double with 10 rebounds versus The Mount. The only Mustang to start all five games this season, Taylor – who has produced three straight double-digit scoring games – also leads Cal Poly with 6.2 rebounds per game.

THE SMITHS: With the addition of Jamal Smith – son of fourth-year head coach John Smith – as director of operations, Cal Poly is one of only three Division I programs with that familial distinction. Louisiana Monroe features head coach Keith Richard and director of operations Luke while North Florida counts head coach Matthew Driscoll alongside operations director and son, Chase.

LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, DEC. 3): Cal Poly plays three of its ensuing four games at home inside Mott Athletics Center, starting on Saturday, Dec. 3 versus California Baptist. Facing the Lancers for the second successive season after a 22-year series hiatus, Cal Poly fell on the road last season, 64-55 (Dec. 2). Current Cal Poly graduate guard Chance Hunter scored nine points in 15 minutes in that result for California Baptist.

ETC.: Cal Poly is in its 79th season as a four-year program and 29th at the Division I level … since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 1994-95 season, Cal Poly improved to 45-1 against non-Division I programs with a 94-59 home win against NCCAA Bethesda University (Nov. 7) … Cal Poly's 73-68 home setback versus Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 18) marked the program's first all-time matchup versus The Mount and just the fourth all-time game against a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent … forward Alimamy Koroma and guard Trevon Taylor earned spots on the California Thanksgiving Jam all-tournament team (Nov. 20, 23) … Cal Poly's 58.3 (30-for-51) percent field goal mark in an 82-71 home victory against Idaho (Nov. 23) marked the highest single game total under fourth-year head coach John Smith … Cal Poly's seven turnovers versus Idaho were the fewest amount since finishing with seven against UC Riverside on Jan. 16, 2021.
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men's basketball program embarks on a two-game road trip against a pair of West Coast Conference foes and closes November when visiting Pacific (Monday, Nov. 28) and Pepperdine (Wednesday, Nov. 30). Tip time both evenings is 7 p.m. for Cal Poly (2-3), which stemmed a three-game slide with an 82-71 home victory versus Idaho (Nov. 23). Pacific (2-4), facing Cal Poly for the first time in nine years and just the second time since departing the Big West Conference for the West Coast following the 2012-13 season, saw its losing streak extended to three straight with an 84-81 home defeat to Idaho (Nov. 25). Pepperdine (4-2), playing its fifth home game in the first seven matchups, enters Wednesday's game idle for seven days after a 100-53 loss at No. 19 UCLA (Nov. 23).

FOLLOW CAL POLY: Chris Sylvester provides play-by-play coverage for ESPN 1280 (San Luis Obispo County) and GoPoly.com of Monday's matchup at Pacific and Wednesday's visit to Pepperdine … streaming video and live stats from both games will also be available via GoPoly.com.

CAL POLY VERSUS PACIFIC: The Tigers have won the two most recent matchups with Cal Poly by four total points, last topping the Mustangs in a Nov. 30, 2013 neutral-site matchup (73-71) and previously edging Cal Poly in the 2013 Big West Tournament semifinals, 55-53. Cal Poly's last series victory was a 67-62 home decision on Feb. 7, 2013. Pacific leads both the all-time (35-14) and Division I (25-12) series.

CAL POLY VERSUS PEPPERDINE: Cal Poly has prevailed in three of the last four games with Pepperdine, last producing a 91-81 home victory on Dec. 2, 2017. The Waves won the last matchup in Malibu, handing Cal Poly a 77-68, season-opening setback (Nov. 11, 2016). The two programs met 18 times between the 1941-42 and 1953-54 seasons, then not again until Cal Poly prevailed at Pepperdine on Dec. 28, 1991. Pepperdine leads the all-time series (14-9), but Cal Poly leads the Division I (3-1) series.

KOROMA REMAINS CAL POLY'S OFFENSIVE CATALYST: One of Cal Poly's top two scorers for a third successive season, forward Alimamy Koroma ranks 12th among Big West scorers with 14.0 points per game following a season high 23-point performance versus Idaho (Nov. 23). With a Big West leading 64.3 (27-for-42) percent field goal mark, Koroma also ranks 33rd among NCAA Division I shooters. With 40 career double-digit scoring games (including four this season), Koroma is averaging 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1 (327-for-640) percent through 81 collegiate outings and 52 start. He requires 127 more points to become just the 25th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Koroma also ranks eighth in program history with 64 career blocks.

TAYLOR MADE SCORING: Cal Poly's second leading scorer at 11.2 points per game following a 17-point performance against Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 20), senior guard Trevon Taylor completed a second career double-double with 10 rebounds versus The Mount. The only Mustang to start all five games this season, Taylor – who has produced three straight double-digit scoring games – also leads Cal Poly with 6.2 rebounds per game.

THE SMITHS: With the addition of Jamal Smith – son of fourth-year head coach John Smith – as director of operations, Cal Poly is one of only three Division I programs with that familial distinction. Louisiana Monroe features head coach Keith Richard and director of operations Luke while North Florida counts head coach Matthew Driscoll alongside operations director and son, Chase.

LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, DEC. 3): Cal Poly plays three of its ensuing four games at home inside Mott Athletics Center, starting on Saturday, Dec. 3 versus California Baptist. Facing the Lancers for the second successive season after a 22-year series hiatus, Cal Poly fell on the road last season, 64-55 (Dec. 2). Current Cal Poly graduate guard Chance Hunter scored nine points in 15 minutes in that result for California Baptist.

ETC.: Cal Poly is in its 79th season as a four-year program and 29th at the Division I level … since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 1994-95 season, Cal Poly improved to 45-1 against non-Division I programs with a 94-59 home win against NCCAA Bethesda University (Nov. 7) … Cal Poly's 73-68 home setback versus Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 18) marked the program's first all-time matchup versus The Mount and just the fourth all-time game against a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent … forward Alimamy Koroma and guard Trevon Taylor earned spots on the California Thanksgiving Jam all-tournament team (Nov. 20, 23) … Cal Poly's 58.3 (30-for-51) percent field goal mark in an 82-71 home victory against Idaho (Nov. 23) marked the highest single game total under fourth-year head coach John Smith … Cal Poly's seven turnovers versus Idaho were the fewest amount since finishing with seven against UC Riverside on Jan. 16, 2021.