Thursday, January 9
La Jolla, CA
7 p.m.
6-11,0-5Big West
68
at
95
UC San Diego
14-2,4-0Big West
1
2
F
Cal Poly
42
26
68
UC San Diego
38
57
95
Team Stats
CPO
UCSD
FG%
.411
.552
3FG%
.390
.333
FT%
.750
.920
RB
23
38
TO
15
11
STL
4
11
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
6
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballPG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Owen Main
Mustangs Fall Down the Stretch Thursday at UC San Diego
1/9/2025 9:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LA JOLLA – Graduate guard Owen Koonce led four Mustangs in double-digit scoring figures with 20 points after knocking down a career high six three-pointers, but the Cal Poly men's basketball program – after leading UC San Diego by four at halftime – sustained a 95-68 loss Thursday evening inside LionTree Arena.
Freshman guard Guzman Vasilic added 15 points for Cal Poly (6-11, 0-5), which sank 10 first-half three-pointers to lead at the break, 42-38. However, Big West co-leader UC San Diego (14-2, 4-0) – which extended the longest active winning streak in Division I to 12 straight victories – shot 60.6 (20-for-33) percent during the second half to pull away.
Freshman guard Peter Bandelj finished with 12 points for Cal Poly while graduate guard Jarred Hyder added 11 and matched a career best with seven assists.
Cal Poly next returns home to host Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tip time on ESPN+ is 5 p.m.
With Vasilic draining three-pointers on early back-to-back possessions, Cal Poly leapt out to a 13-7 lead after four-and-a-half minutes. The Tritons then responded with a 15-2 run to take a 22-15 lead midway through the half.
The Mustangs, however, drained three-pointers on four of their next five scoring possessions with Vasilic's third of the opening half handing Cal Poly a 26-24 lead seven minutes before the break. Hyder and Koonce added the final two of Cal Poly's 10 first-half three-pointers during the final 67 seconds as the Mustangs took the 42-38 advantage into the locker room.
Cal Poly produced the opening two points of the second half, but UC San Diego scored the next 11 to go up 49-44 with 17 minutes to play.
Koonce's fifth three-pointer cut Cal Poly's deficit to 57-54 with 13 minutes left and senior guard Isaac Jessup's first three of the night shortened UC San Diego's lead to 62-59 with nine minutes to go. The Tritons though outscored Cal Poly 21-3 during the next six minutes.
Freshman guard Guzman Vasilic added 15 points for Cal Poly (6-11, 0-5), which sank 10 first-half three-pointers to lead at the break, 42-38. However, Big West co-leader UC San Diego (14-2, 4-0) – which extended the longest active winning streak in Division I to 12 straight victories – shot 60.6 (20-for-33) percent during the second half to pull away.
Freshman guard Peter Bandelj finished with 12 points for Cal Poly while graduate guard Jarred Hyder added 11 and matched a career best with seven assists.
Cal Poly next returns home to host Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tip time on ESPN+ is 5 p.m.
With Vasilic draining three-pointers on early back-to-back possessions, Cal Poly leapt out to a 13-7 lead after four-and-a-half minutes. The Tritons then responded with a 15-2 run to take a 22-15 lead midway through the half.
The Mustangs, however, drained three-pointers on four of their next five scoring possessions with Vasilic's third of the opening half handing Cal Poly a 26-24 lead seven minutes before the break. Hyder and Koonce added the final two of Cal Poly's 10 first-half three-pointers during the final 67 seconds as the Mustangs took the 42-38 advantage into the locker room.
Cal Poly produced the opening two points of the second half, but UC San Diego scored the next 11 to go up 49-44 with 17 minutes to play.
Koonce's fifth three-pointer cut Cal Poly's deficit to 57-54 with 13 minutes left and senior guard Isaac Jessup's first three of the night shortened UC San Diego's lead to 62-59 with nine minutes to go. The Tritons though outscored Cal Poly 21-3 during the next six minutes.
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