Hunter with Double-Double, but Mustangs Fall Wednesday, 70-62

Wednesday, February 15

San Luis Obispo, CA

7 p.m.

7-20,1-14Big West

CSU Bakersfield

10-16,6-9Big West

Team	1	2	F
CSU Bakersfield	26	44	70
Cal Poly	27	35	62

Photo by: Eyasu Betwos

2/15/2023 9:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Graduate guard Chance Hunter (above) produced his first double-double as a Mustang Wednesday evening with 23 points and 13 rebounds, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program – after trailing CSU Bakersfield by 10 with a minute to play and cutting the deficit to four 25 seconds later – fell to the Roadrunners inside Mott Athletics Center, 70-62.

Junior guard Camren Pierce added 11 points for Cal Poly (7-20, 1-14), which faced a 64-54 disadvantage with 60 seconds left before junior forward Brantly Stevenson was fouled beyond the arc and sank three free throws and Pierce hit a three-pointer.

With Cal Poly down by four points and 35 seconds left, the Mustangs were forced to foul to regain possession. CSU Bakersfield (10-16, 6-9) then converted all six free throw opportunities to stay in front.

Senior forward Alimamy Koroma and Stevenson each finished with nine points for Cal Poly, which limited CSU Bakersfield to a 23.5 (4-for-17) percent three-point mark.

Hunter's 23-point effort matched the highest single game total by a Mustang this season while his 13 rebounds equaled a personal career best. The double-double was the fifth of his career.

Cal Poly returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 18, playing the first of its final two road matchups at Cal State Fullerton. Tip time on ESPN+ is 4 p.m.

Held to a 1-for-9 shooting start, Cal Poly trailed after the opening seven minutes, 8-2. Facing a 12-7 deficit three minutes later, however, Cal Poly kept CSU Bakersfield scoreless for four-and-a-half minutes with the resulting 7-0 run handing the hosts a brief 14-12 advantage.

The two sides traded the lead twice more before Cal Poly – backed by a Pierce four-point play 25 seconds from halftime – took a 27-26 lead into the break.

Into the second half, a three-pointer by Roadrunners guard Marvin McGhee III erased an early Mustang lead and kickstarted a 12-2 run. Trailing 38-31 with 16 minutes to play though, Cal Poly received back-to-back Hunter three-pointers to cut the deficit to one.

Cal Poly came within a single point of CSU Bakersfield's lead twice more with the last instance at 55-54 with five minutes to play.