Cal State Bakersfield
Mustangs Visit Cal State Bakersfield Thursday, UC Riverside Saturday
1/28/2025 11:31:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Cal Poly Men's Basketball
Upcoming Matchups
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Playing four of its next five matchups away from Mott Athletics Center, the Cal Poly men’s basketball program resumes action at Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday, Jan. 30 (6:30 p.m.) and at UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb. 1 (5 p.m.). Both matchups stream on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (7-14, 1-8), which hits the road after earning its first Big West victory of the season with a 78-69 home decision versus Long Beach State (Jan. 25). The Mustangs enter Thursday’s matchup at eighth-place Cal State Bakersfield (10-11, 4-5) trailing the Roadrunners by three games in the Big West standings with the top eight programs qualifying for the March 12-15 conference championship. UC Riverside (13-8, 6-3), meanwhile, has won three straight to ascend to third place in the standings. Third among Big West programs with 79.1 points per game, Cal Poly – under first-year head coach Mike DeGeorge – is averaging 15.9 more points per game than at the same stage last season. The Mustangs have scored 90-plus points in a game five times already this year after hitting the mark just twice during the previous four years combined. Fueling the scoring surge is Cal Poly’s three-point prowess as the Mustangs rank fifth nationally with 31.4 three-pointers attempted per game and eighth with 10.7 three-pointers made per game. Additionally, 12 different Mustangs have scored in double digits this season – the fourth highest total of any Division I program. However, Cal State Bakersfield – coming off of an 83-79 home loss to UC Riverside (Jan. 25) – ranks third nationally with as 40.0 percent three-pointer mark.
CAL POLY VERSUS CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD: The Roadrunners take a 12-game series winning streak into Thursday’s matchup, leading both the all-time (42-25) and Division I (16-2) series. Cal Poly’s last series win was a 77-61 road triumph on Jan. 29, 2011.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: The third most frequent opponent in Cal Poly’s history (behind UC Santa Barbara and CSUN), Saturday’s matchup marks the 111th all-time series meeting between the two programs dating to the first encounter on Dec. 22, 1968. UC Riverside has won 10 straight matchups to lead the all-time series (59-51), but Cal Poly still tops the Division I (28-24) series.
KOONCE REMAINS CAL POLY’S OFFENSIVE CATALYST: A double-digit scorer in all but three games – two of which were nine-point outings – graduate guard Owen Koonce, following a career high 32-point effort at San Jose State (Dec. 14) and 30-point night in Cal Poly’s Nov. 30 victory at Stanford, enters Thursday’s matchup at Cal State Bakersfield ranked 32nd among NCAA Division I players with an 89.2 (58-for-65) percent free throw mark and, among Big West performers, third with a 41.3 (43-for-104) percent three-point mark, sixth with 17.4 points per game and seventh with a 52.8 (132-for-250) percent field goal figure. The Dec. 2 Big West Player of the Week selection, Koonce also tops the Mustangs with 5.3 rebounds per outing. One of only two Mustangs to start all 21 games, Koonce has also scored 23 points against UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 11), 21 versus Denver (Dec. 17), 20 at Omaha (Dec. 21) and UC San Diego (Jan. 9), 19 at Eastern Washington (Nov. 17) and UC Davis (Dec. 5) and 18 in his Mustang debut at San Francisco (Nov. 5).
Calling all Mustang supporters and @CalPolyAlumni for a special pregame social event Thursday, Jan. 30 before Cal Poly's 6:30 p.m. matchup at Cal State Bakersfield! Registration link below.#RideHigh
— Cal Poly Men’s Basketball (@calpolymbb) January 10, 2025
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THE GRADUATE: Five years after establishing his initial collegiate scoring high while a freshman at Fresno State, guard Jarred Hyder has twice smashed the mark during his graduate season with a 29-point effort against Denver (Dec. 17) arriving after a 27-point performance at Arizona State (Nov. 20). Hyder, who matched a Cal Poly single game program record with eight three-pointers versus Denver after hitting seven at Arizona State, ranks 25th among NCAA Division I players with 3.1 three-pointers per game and 45th with 58 total threes. Now 11th among Big West performers with 13.7 points per game, Hyder has also scored 22 points at Omaha (Dec. 21) and 19 against both San Francisco (Nov. 5) and Menlo College (Nov. 10) among 13 double-digit performances. A starter in all 44 appearances as a Mustang dating to last season and second among Big West players at 33.5 minutes per game, Hyder – having distributed a career best seven assists three times this year – remains sixth among conference players with 3.3 per game.
RINIKER’S PERCENTAGE POINTS: A year after shooting 63.8 percent for Division II Colorado Mesa, graduate guard Mac Riniker ranks eighth among Big West players with a 50.9 (82-for-161) percent mark. One of two Mustangs to start all 21 games alongside Owen Koonce, Riniker also ranks second in the lineup with 4.8 rebounds per game and fourth with 10.0 points per night after notching a Cal Poly-best 18 points against UC Davis (Jan. 16), 16 versus Long Beach State (Jan. 25) and 15 at Eastern Washington (Nov. 17) and Saint Mary’s (Nov. 23) among 11 double-digit scoring outings.
JESSUP EMERGES AS ONE OF NATION’S TOP THREE-POINT THREATS: Having reached double-digit scoring figures in all but seven outings, senior guard Isaac Jessup enters Thursday’s contest at Cal State Bakersfield ranked 60th among NCAA Division I players with 2.8 three-pointers per game and 73rd with a 39.3 (48-for-122) percent three-point mark. Having already knocked down five three-pointers in a game three times, Jessup’s 21-point effort at Stanford (Nov. 30) was a total one shy of his career scoring high. Jessup also scored 20 points at California in just his second Division I appearance and enjoyed 17-point efforts at Arizona State (Nov. 20) and versus Grambling State (Nov. 26).
RISING FRESHMAN: A 15-point effort during Cal Poly’s Jan. 18 visit to UC Irvine marked freshman Peter Bandelj’s ninth double-digit scoring game with the Slovenia native remaining fifth in Cal Poly’s lineup at 9.2 points per game. Averaging 11.2 points per Cal Poly’s last five games, Bandelj enjoyed a career best 18-point night against UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 11). Ninth among Big West players with an 80.2 (69-for-86) percent free throw mark, Bandelj leads Cal Poly in reserve scoring with 73.1 percent of 194 total points recorded in non-starting appearances.
Mustangs play four of their next five on the road, starting Thursday at Cal State Bakersfield and continuing Saturday at UC Riverside. Both matchups live on ESPN+.#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/UQKRfOHmqe
— Cal Poly Men’s Basketball (@calpolymbb) January 27, 2025
DEGEORGE TAKES THE MUSTANG REINS: Named Cal Poly’s sixth head coach at the Division I level on March 26, Mike DeGeorge arrived in San Luis Obispo from Division II Colorado Mesa after directing the Mavericks to 141 wins in six seasons, three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances – including Sweet 16 trips in 2022 and 2024. Bringing more than two decades of head coaching experience to Cal Poly, DeGeorge’s squads at Colorado Mesa were known for their offensive prowess. During the 2023-24 season, Colorado Mesa led Division II in effective field goal percentage (.596), finished third in three-pointers per game (11.4) and 15th in points per game (11.4). Both of DeGeorge’s assistant coaches from Colorado Mesa – Kyle Bossier and BJ Andrews – joined Cal Poly in the offseason, as well as four transfers from Colorado Mesa.
ETC.: Cal Poly is in its 31st Division I season and 81st as a four-year program … Cal Poly’s Nov. 5 matchup at San Francisco marked the earliest opening date to a season in program history … Cal Poly’s 93.3 (14-for-15) percent free throw mark at San Francisco (Nov. 5) marked the fourth highest single game figure in program history … since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 1994-95 season, Cal Poly is 49-1 against non-Division I programs following a 99-66 home victory against Division II Menlo College (Nov. 10) … Cal Poly’s 99-66 home win against Menlo College (Nov. 10) marked head coach Mike DeGeorge’s first victory in charge of Cal Poly while the program’s 75-71 win versus Seattle (Nov. 14) was the first against a Division I opponent … Jarred Hyder’s seven three-pointers at Arizona State (Nov. 20) were one shy of the program single game record recorded three previous times and most recently by Dawin Whiten (Feb. 10, 2007) … Cal Poly’s Nov. 26 home victory against Grambling State marked the program’s first all-time matchup with the Tigers … Cal Poly’s Dec. 5 Big West opener at UC Davis marked the earliest conference start date in program history … Jarred Hyder’s eight three-pointers against Denver (Dec. 17) tied a single-game program record previously accomplished by three Mustangs and most recently by guard Dawin Whiten against UC Irvine (Feb. 10, 2007) … Cal Poly’s 95-94 overtime home win against Denver marked the program’s first all-time victory against the Pioneers … Cal Poly’s Jan. 18 setback at UC Irvine marked the program’s 900th game at the Division I level.
