2-3,0-0Big West
Montana
4-1,0-0Big Sky
Cal Poly Second-Half Surge Comes Up Short at Montana
11/14/2025 9:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MISSOULA, Mont. – Sophomore guard Peter Bandelj finished with a season best 21 points to lead three Mustangs in double-digit scoring figures Friday evening at Montana, but the reigning Big Sky Conference champions fended off a second-half rally as the Cal Poly men’s basketball program fell short inside Dahlberg, 90-82.
Sophomore Cayden Ward (above) finished with 15 points while junior Jake Davis produced a career best 14 for Cal Poly (2-3), which trailed by 11 at the break before cutting its deficit to four with 15 minutes to play.
Despite 56 second-half points – more than doubling the first-half total – and six three-pointers and a 51.3 percent field goal mark during the final 20 minutes, the four-point gap was as close as Cal Poly closed down the stretch.
Freshman Ali Assran grabbed a career best 12 rebounds for Cal Poly.
Montana (4-1), which shared last year’s Big Sky regular season title before capturing the tournament championship, opened Friday’s matchup by sinking its first three attempts from three-point range, jumping out to a 13-6 lead after three minutes. The Grizzlies, however, missed their next six from long range and Cal Poly – facing a 19-13 deficit eight minutes into action – received a layup and three-pointer from Ward and two free throws and another layup by Bandelj to take its first lead of the night.
The Grizzlies though hit back with a 16-0 run, keeping Cal Poly scoreless for seven-and-a-half minutes with the hosts regaining a 35-22 advantage 100 seconds before the break. Freshman guard Austin Goode snapped Cal Poly’s drought with a layup, but the Mustangs faced a 37-26 halftime deficit.
Still trailing 46-35 with 16-and-a-half minutes to play, Cal Poly scored on three straight possessions – freshman Troy Plumtree and Ward contributing layups before Bandelj sank a three-pointer to shorten Montana’s lead to 46-42.
The Mustangs, however, were limited to just one field goal during the ensuing four minutes as Montana quickly regained a double-digit lead.
Final in Montana ??#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/4bGvGGHrTA
— Cal Poly Men’s Basketball (@calpolymbb) November 15, 2025
Cal Poly Noteworthy (at Montana)
- Up Next: Cal Poly has a six-day break before embarking on the second half of its six-game road trip at Utah on Thursday, Nov. 20. Tip time is 6 p.m. PT.
- With 21 points, Peter Bandelj moved to second in Cal Poly’s lineup at 15.8 points per game.
- Cayden Ward produced his fourth double-digit scoring game in five outings, improving to 14.4 points per game.
- Junior Jake Davis – an offseason transfer from West Valley College – recorded his first double-digit scoring game at the Division I level with 14 points.
- Freshman Ali Assran’s 12 rebounds in 18 minutes marked not only a new career high, but the top total by a Mustang this season.
- Enjoying his first career start, freshman Troy Plumtree finished with six points and four rebounds.
- Freshman guard Austin Goode recorded a career high eight points in seven reserve minutes.
- Friday’s matchup marked Cal Poly’s first game in the state of Montana since a Nov. 21, 2010 visit to Montana State.
