Cal Poly Visits Cal State Fullerton Thursday, Hosts UC Riverside Saturday

Thursday, February 22

Fullerton, CA

7 p.m.

Cal State Fullerton

Photo by: Owen Main

Cal Poly Visits Cal State Fullerton Thursday, Hosts UC Riverside Saturday

2/20/2024 12:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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SAN LUIS OBISPO – Following a seven-day break, the Cal Poly men's basketball program resumes action at Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Feb. 22 before hosting UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb. 24. Tip time on ESPN+ is 7 p.m. both evenings for Cal Poly (4-22, 0-14), which enters play Thursday trailing eighth place Cal State Bakersfield (10-16, 5-10) by five games in the Big West standings with the Roadrunners holding the last spot for the March 13-16 Big West Championship. A loss Thursday at ninth place Cal State Fullerton (11-15, 4-10), coupled with a Cal State Bakersfield win at fourth place Long Beach State (17-9, 9-5), eliminates Cal Poly from postseason contention. After edging Cal Poly in the Jan. 25 season series opener, 54-51, Cal State Fullerton has prevailed just once in its last six outings. UC Riverside (12-15, 7-8), meanwhile, has won four straight to climb into a three-way tie for sixth alongside UC Santa Barbara (14-11, 7-8) and Hawai'i (15-12, 7-8). The Highlanders host second place UC San Diego (17-9, 11-3) Thursday before visiting Cal Poly.

CAL POLY VERSUS CAL STATE FULLERTON: The Titans take a four-game winning streak into Thursday's matchup with Cal Poly last prevailing against Cal State Fullerton during the opening round of the 2021 Big West Tournament, 87-82. Having dropped six straight on the road to the Titans, Cal Poly seeks its first away win in the series since an 83-75 decision on Jan. 23, 2016. Cal Poly leads the all-time series (39-38) while Cal State Fullerton leads the Division I series (30-24).

CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERISDE: With UC Riverside the third most frequent opponent in Cal Poly's history and one of only three sides the Mustangs have faced more than 100 times (alongside UC Santa Barbara and CSUN), Saturday's matchup marks the 110th all-time series matchup since the first meeting on Dec. 22, 1968. UC Riverside, having won nine straight decisions against Cal Poly, leads the all-time series, 58-51. The Mustangs, whose last victory against UC Riverside was a 71-45 road win on Jan. 31, 2019, lead the Division I series, 28-23.

SANDERS KEEPS UP THE SCORING PACE: The first Mustang since guard Lorenzo Keeler during the 2009-10 season with three 30-point games in one year, senior guard Kobe Sanders followed a 30-point effort against Omaha (Dec. 21) with a career best 33-point performance versus CSUN (Dec. 28) and 32-point showing at Hawai'i (Jan. 27). After missing Cal Poly's final six games last season through injury, Sanders has scored in double digits in all 23 appearances this year – including a 23-point game against UC Irvine (Feb. 1), 22-point nights against San Jose State (Nov. 29) and UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 6) and 20-point showings at Portland State (Nov. 18) and Idaho (Dec. 2) – and ranks fourth among Big West players with a team leading 18.1 points per game. Having led Cal Poly in scoring 15 times this season, Sanders – now with 39 career double-digit scoring games – is averaging 9.1 points per 94 collegiate outings. On the boards, Sanders grabbed a career high 10 rebounds at Hawai'i (Jan. 27) to complete a first career double-double. With six games of five-plus assists – including a career best nine against Long Beach State (Jan. 4) – ranks 11th in the Big West with a team leading 3.2 assists per game. Equally proficient from the free throw line as the floor, Sanders – entering Thursday's matchup at Cal State Fullerton having converted 90 of his last 103 attempts – ranks 46th among NCAA Division I players with an 87.2 (129-for-148) percent free throw mark.

SANDERS RISING IN THE RECORD BOOK: One of the nation's top free throw shooters, Kobe Sanders now ranks sixth in Cal Poly single season history with 129 free throws and eighth with an 87.2 percent free throw mark. Poised to become Cal Poly's highest scorer in 24 seasons, Sanders also sits ninth in single season history at 18.1 points per night.

THE GRADUATE: Playing for the first time in two years after missing last season through injury, graduate guard Jarred Hyder – having scored in double digits 10 times this year – ranks second in the lineup with 10.5 points per game. Third in the Big West averaging a team leading 33.2 minutes per game, Hyder's most recent standout performance was a 21-point effort at Long Beach State (Feb. 10) after finishing with 13 at UC Davis (Dec. 30), 15 against CSUN (Dec. 28) and 14 versus Omaha (Dec. 21). His Cal Poly best 25-point effort at Wyoming (Nov. 9) was a performance one shy of his career best 26 while a freshman at Fresno State on Nov. 10, 2019. An offseason transfer from California, Hyder – a starter in 19 of 26 games – also scored 15 points at Denver.

Q-BALL: An 11-point, 10-rebound effort versus Hawai'i (Feb. 15) marked a first career double-double for freshman guard Quentin Jones, who also chalked up a ninth double-digit scoring effort. Third in Cal Poly's lineup with 9.4 points per games, Jones also owns a career best 22-point night versus Long Beach State (Jan. 4), a 21-point effort at Oregon State (Dec. 4), another 19-point game at Long Beach State (Feb. 10) and a 17-point performance versus St. Thomas (Nov. 17). A starter in 25 of 26 matchups, Jones ranks ninth among Big West players with 1.6 steals per game and 12th at 31.3 minutes per outing.

BACK IN THE GREEN: A 50.6 (239-for-472) percent career shooter and ranked ninth in program history with 66 career blocks, graduate forward Tuukka Jaakkola – after performing for Cal Poly from 2018-22, earning his bachelors degree and departing the university – has returned to utilize his renewable 2020-21 season. As one of a handful, if not the only Division I player in this situation, Jaakkola played in all 28 of Cal Poly's games during his 2021-22 senior season. Having appeared in 24 of 26 matchups this year with 16 starts, Jaakkola scored 11 points against Eastern Washington (Dec. 18) to chalk up his first double-digit scoring performance since a 10-point outing against Cal State Fullerton on March 9, 2021. Jaakkola enters Saturday's matchup at Cal State Fullerton having reached double-digit scoring figures in three straight matchups, most recently finishing with 10 points against Hawai'i (Feb. 15). Including a season best 15-point effort at UC Riverside (Jan. 11), Jaakkola ranks fourth in the lineup with 6.8 points per game. He also grabbed a season best nine rebounds against both Eastern Washington (Dec. 18) and Omaha (Dec. 21). Already the program's all-time leader for games played (130), Jaakkola became the first Mustang in program history with at least 130 appearances versus Hawai'i (Feb. 15).

FROM LONDON WITH BLOCKS: Recording a second five-block game this season against CSUN (Dec. 28), junior center Joel Armotrading ranks fourth among Big West players in total blocks (33) and blocks per game (1.3). His most recent standout performances were four-block efforts at UC Riverside (Jan. 11) and versus UC Davis (Feb. 3) after opening the season with five against La Verne (Nov. 6). An offseason transfer from two-year College of Southern Idaho, Armotrading produced his first Division I double-double with 10 points and a career best 13 rebounds against UC Davis. Cal Poly's leader at 4.8 rebounds per game, Armotrading also averages 4.8 points per matchup.

MORE PERFECT: With his 17-for-17 performance from the free throw line against CSUN (Dec. 28), guard Kobe Sanders eclipsed the Cal Poly single game record of 16 conversions, equaled twice by guard Lorenzo Keeler during the 2009-10 season and established by forward Gabe Stephenson in the 2005-06 campaign. Sanders also enjoyed the top free throw shooting game by any Division I player this season (four previous players finished 14-for-14 earlier this year). His 17 conversions are the second highest total in the nation this season.

LOOKING AHEAD (FEB. 29/MARCH 2): Playing three of its final four regular season matchups on the road, Cal Poly visits UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, Feb. 29 before hosting Cal State Bakersfield in the home finale on Saturday, March 2. Tip time on ESPN+ both nights is 7 p.m.

ETC.: Cal Poly is its 30th Division I season this year and 80th as a four-year program … Cal Poly improved to 48-1 all-time against non-Division I opposition with an 80-62 home victory against Division III La Verne (Nov. 6) … against La Verne, Cal Poly also prevailed in a season opener for the fourth straight year … Cal Poly's Nov. 9 matchup at Denver marked the programs first all-time matchup with the Pioneers with the Mustangs having now faced all nine current Summit League members … Cal Poly played the program's first all-time game in the state of Wyoming and the first game ever against Wyoming while having now faced all 11 current Mountain West Conference programs during a Nov. 11 visit to Laramie … Cal Poly has now faced all nine current Summit League members in its program history following a 61-60 victory against first-time opponent St. Thomas (Nov. 17) … senior guard Kobe Sanders was named to California Baptist's Lancer Joust all-tournament team (Nov. 17-19) after averaging 16.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and shooting 51.3 percent in three matchups … Cal Poly's double-overtime matchup at Oregon State (Dec. 4) marked the program's lengthiest game since a two-overtime setback versus CSUN (Feb. 10, 2022) … Cal Poly's 50-point second half at Hawai'i (Jan. 27) marked the highest total the Rainbow Warriors have allowed this season … the 43 free throw attempts by Hawai'i were the fourth highest opponent total in program history … graduate forward Tuukka Jaakkola became Cal Poly's all-time games played leader with his 129th career appearance at Long Beach State (Feb. 10), surpassing guard Jamal Johnson's previous mark set from 2010-14.