Mustangs Fall in First Road Matchup of the Year at Denver

Thursday, November 9

Denver, CO

6 p.m.

1-1,0-0Big West

Denver

1-1,0-0Summit League

Team	1	2	F
Cal Poly	33	43	76
Denver	51	46	97

Photo by: Owen Main

Mustangs Fall in First Road Matchup of the Year at Denver

11/9/2023 8:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

DENVER – Senior guard Kobe Sanders (above) led four Mustangs in double-digit scoring figures with 18 points Thursday evening, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program opened a five-game road trip with a 97-76 setback to Denver inside Hamilton Gymnasium.

Graduate guard Jarred Hyder added 15 points and sophomore forward Aaron Price, Jr., finished with career highs for points (12) and rebounds (seven) for Cal Poly (1-1), which committed just seven turnovers in the first all-time meeting between the two programs. However, Denver (1-1) – which led wire-to-wire – shot 55.1 (27-for-49) percent from the floor and knocked down 10 three-pointers.

Sophomore guard Isaac Spears also scored a career high 10 points for Cal Poly, which resumes action on Saturday, Nov. 11 at another first-time opponent in Wyoming. Tip-off is 6 p.m. PT (7 p.m. MT).

During Thursday's action, Denver broke an early 8-8 deadlock with a 14-0 run as the Pioneers held the Mustangs scoreless for a four-minute stretch to take a double-digit lead.

Facing a 32-17 deficit with seven minutes remaining in the opening half, the Mustangs received a Spears jumper, Hyder layup and two free throws from Price to cut the deficit to single digits.

Denver, however, responded with three-pointers on back-to-back possessions en route to a 51-33 halftime lead.

Price scored eight of Cal Poly's initial 11 points to open the second half and help drop the disadvantage to 60-44 with 15 minutes to play.

The Mustangs, who shot 48.7 (19-for-39) percent from the floor during the second half, twice cut Denver's lead to 13 points down the stretch, but drew no closer.