Saturday, January 18
Irvine, CA
7 p.m.
6-14,0-8Big West
71
at
101
UC Irvine
17-2,7-0Big West
1
2
F
Cal Poly
35
36
71
UC Irvine
45
56
101
Team Stats
CPO
Irvine
FG%
.361
.531
3FG%
.353
.429
FT%
.652
.923
RB
33
44
TO
20
14
STL
5
12
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballPG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Owen Main
Mustangs Drop Saturday Matchup at UC Irvine
1/18/2025 9:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball
IRVINE – Freshman guard Cayden Ward (above) finished with a career high 15 points, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program – after leading UC Irvine early during Saturday evening's matchup inside the Bren Events Center – sustained a 101-71 setback versus the Anteaters.
Freshman guard Peter Bandelj also recorded a team leading 15 points for Cal Poly (6-14, 0-8), which knocked down 12 three-pointers against Big West leader UC Irvine (17-2, 7-0). The Anteaters, however, began to pull away from the Mustangs midway through the first half with a 22-5 run while shooting 53.1 (34-for-64) percent from the floor Saturday.
Ward also grabbed a career best eight rebounds for Cal Poly, which received 14 points from graduate Owen Koonce and 12 from fellow guard Jarred Hyder.
Cal Poly next returns home to host Long Beach State on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tip time from Mott Athletics Center on ESPN+ is 2 p.m.
Three-pointers from senior guard Isaac Jessup, Koonce and two from Hyder three-and-a-half minutes into action Saturday handed Cal Poly an early 12-4 lead. Jessup's second three-pointer of the night then furthered Cal Poly's advantage to 21-14 seven minutes into the matchup.
UC Irvine, however, hit back with its 22-5 run to go up 36-26 five minutes before the break. Hyder and graduate guard Mac Riniker answered for the Mustangs with back-to-back three-pointers to cut the gap to four but, with UC Irvine shooting 51.7 (15-for-29) percent from the floor during the first half, Cal Poly ultimately faced a 45-35 disadvantage heading into the locker room.
The Anteaters then followed with a 10-0 run out of halftime before Hyder stemmed the surge with his fourth three-pointer of the evening. UC Irvine, however, knocked down eight of its first nine attempts in the second half to keep Cal Poly at a distance.
Freshman guard Peter Bandelj also recorded a team leading 15 points for Cal Poly (6-14, 0-8), which knocked down 12 three-pointers against Big West leader UC Irvine (17-2, 7-0). The Anteaters, however, began to pull away from the Mustangs midway through the first half with a 22-5 run while shooting 53.1 (34-for-64) percent from the floor Saturday.
Ward also grabbed a career best eight rebounds for Cal Poly, which received 14 points from graduate Owen Koonce and 12 from fellow guard Jarred Hyder.
Cal Poly next returns home to host Long Beach State on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tip time from Mott Athletics Center on ESPN+ is 2 p.m.
Three-pointers from senior guard Isaac Jessup, Koonce and two from Hyder three-and-a-half minutes into action Saturday handed Cal Poly an early 12-4 lead. Jessup's second three-pointer of the night then furthered Cal Poly's advantage to 21-14 seven minutes into the matchup.
UC Irvine, however, hit back with its 22-5 run to go up 36-26 five minutes before the break. Hyder and graduate guard Mac Riniker answered for the Mustangs with back-to-back three-pointers to cut the gap to four but, with UC Irvine shooting 51.7 (15-for-29) percent from the floor during the first half, Cal Poly ultimately faced a 45-35 disadvantage heading into the locker room.
The Anteaters then followed with a 10-0 run out of halftime before Hyder stemmed the surge with his fourth three-pointer of the evening. UC Irvine, however, knocked down eight of its first nine attempts in the second half to keep Cal Poly at a distance.
Day in the Life With Men's Basketball Guard Cayden Ward
Monday, August 25
Cal Poly Men's Basketball 2025 Summer Practice
Thursday, August 07
MBB Postgame Press Conference - Big West Championship Quarterfinal UC Riverside (March 13, 2025)
Friday, March 14
MBB Postgame Press Conference - Big West Championship vs UC Davis (March 12, 2025)
Thursday, March 13
