5-9,1-1Big West
Idaho
8-4,0-0Big Sky
Mustangs Rally, but Edged in Overtime by Idaho to Close 2025
12/21/2025 7:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Guard Hamad Mousa scored a game high 33 points – including sinking three successive free throws with three seconds to play to force overtime – but the Cal Poly men’s basketball program, after overturning an 18-point deficit with seven minutes remaining in regulation, dropped an 83-80 overtime home decision against Idaho Sunday evening to close the 2025 calendar year.
Fellow sophomore Cayden Ward finished with 22 points for Cal Poly (5-9), which trailed Idaho (8-4), 67-49, before closing regulation with a 24-6 run. With Cal Poly still facing a 71-65 deficit and 81 seconds to play, Ward converted a three-point play before Mousa cut the gap to one after knocking down a jumper with 11 seconds on the clock.
With Cal Poly forced to foul, Vandals guard Kolton Mitchell – who scored 31 points – sank two free throws to keep Idaho in front with nine seconds left, 73-70. Mousa though was fouled attempting a three-pointer with three seconds and sank all three attempts to deadlock the matchup at the buzzer, 73-73 (left).
Playing its first overtime game of the season, Cal Poly took its first lead of the game after sophomore guard Peter Bandelj opened the extra period with a pair of free throws. Cal Poly then scratched out a 78-75 advantage with two minutes left after Ward hit a three-pointer (below).
@hamad10mousa drains ?? FTs
— Cal Poly Men’s Basketball (@calpolymbb) December 22, 2025
Down 18 with 7 minutes left. The Mustangs go on a 24-6 run to force OT#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/Zp03rEdn1o
Idaho, however, answered with a jumper from guard Biko Johnson to close to within a point before Mitchell converted a four-point play to hand the Vandals an 81-78 lead with seven seconds to go.
Cal Poly trailed at the Sunday’s break, 29-26, despite a 25.0 (7-for-28) percent first-half shooting mark before Idaho opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers. The Vandals led by as much as 19 points and were up 67-49 before the Mustangs produced a 14-0 run to shave their deficit to four points with two-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Cal Poly Noteworthy (versus Idaho Jan. 21)
- Up Next:After an 11-day holiday break, Cal Poly plays its first New Year’s Day game since 1966 and resumes Big West action when welcoming defending conference champion UC San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 7 p.m.
- A double-digit scorer in all 13 appearances, Hamad Mousa maintained the Big West scoring lead at 20.6 points per game.
- Mousa enjoyed his second collegiate double-double after co-leading Cal Poly with 10 rebounds.
- Cal Poly now features three of the Big West’s top seven scorers with Peter Bandelj (16.2) ranking sixth and Cayden Ward (16.1) seventh.
- Junior Kieran Elliott grabbed a Cal Poly best 10 rebounds against Idaho.
- Sunday’s matchup was Cal Poly’s first overtime game since a 112-100 home victory against UC Riverside (Feb. 22, 2025).
BIG TIME ??#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/8zfCLvh5mp
— Cal Poly Men’s Basketball (@calpolymbb) December 22, 2025
