Thursday, March 13
Henderson, Nev.
8:30 p.m.
16-18,8-12Big West
96
vs
83
UC Riverside
21-12,14-6Big West
1
2
F
Cal Poly
45
51
96
UC Riverside
36
47
83
Team Stats
CPO
UCR
FG%
.475
.453
3FG%
.514
.281
FT%
.833
.800
RB
40
30
TO
13
11
STL
7
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
7
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
4
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballPG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Ian Billings Photography
Mustangs into Big West Championship Semifinals with 96-83 Win versus UC Riverside
3/14/2025 12:32:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HENDERSON, Nev. – Owen Koonce scored a team high 20 points and Jarred Hyder set a new Cal Poly men's basketball single season program record for three-pointers as part of an 18-point effort as the Mustangs rolled into the Big West Championship semifinals for the first time in 11 years with a 96-83 quarterfinal victory against UC Riverside at Lee's Family Forum.
Freshman guard Peter Bandelj finished with 17 points and a career high five three-pointers for seventh-seeded Cal Poly (16-18), which advanced to the Big West Championship semifinals for the first time since winning the 2014 title.
Winners of five straight, Cal Poly will face second-seeded UC Irvine on Friday, March 14 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Top-seeded UC San Diego meets No. 5 UC Santa Barbara in Friday's other semifinal at 6 p.m.
Both senior Isaac Jessup and freshman Cayden Ward each added 14 points for Cal Poly, which led wire-to-wire while shooting 51.4 (18-for35) percent from three-point range. The Mustangs have knocked down 67 three-pointers in their last four outings.
Ward also grabbed a career best 13 rebounds while Hyder – who overtook Ben Larson's single season three-point record set during the 1995-96 campaign with his third of the night and 95th of the year 88 seconds into the second half – distributed a collegiate high nine assists.
In holding UC Riverside to 6-for-20 shooting start Thursday, Cal Poly – buoyed by four Bandelj three-pointers inside a three-minute window – carved out a 26-14 lead with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining before the half.
The Mustangs still led 35-27 with three-and-a-half to go before a layup from Highlanders guard Isiah Moses and three-pointer by forward Kaleb Smith cut Cal Poly's lead to three. Three-pointers, however, from Koonce and Hyder handed the Mustangs a 45-36 advantage heading into the locker room.
Hyder's record-breaking three-pointer placed Cal Poly up 50-39, but UC Riverside knocked down seven of its initial nine attempts of the second half and, with a 12-3 run, tied Thursday's matchup at 53-53 with 15 minutes to go.
The Mustangs though hit back with four free throws and a Jessup layup in a 33-second span to reaffirm the lead.
Still leading 77-70 with six-and-a-half to play, Ward sank three-pointers on three straight possessions to put Cal Poly up 86-75.
Freshman guard Peter Bandelj finished with 17 points and a career high five three-pointers for seventh-seeded Cal Poly (16-18), which advanced to the Big West Championship semifinals for the first time since winning the 2014 title.
Winners of five straight, Cal Poly will face second-seeded UC Irvine on Friday, March 14 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Top-seeded UC San Diego meets No. 5 UC Santa Barbara in Friday's other semifinal at 6 p.m.
Both senior Isaac Jessup and freshman Cayden Ward each added 14 points for Cal Poly, which led wire-to-wire while shooting 51.4 (18-for35) percent from three-point range. The Mustangs have knocked down 67 three-pointers in their last four outings.
Ward also grabbed a career best 13 rebounds while Hyder – who overtook Ben Larson's single season three-point record set during the 1995-96 campaign with his third of the night and 95th of the year 88 seconds into the second half – distributed a collegiate high nine assists.
In holding UC Riverside to 6-for-20 shooting start Thursday, Cal Poly – buoyed by four Bandelj three-pointers inside a three-minute window – carved out a 26-14 lead with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining before the half.
The Mustangs still led 35-27 with three-and-a-half to go before a layup from Highlanders guard Isiah Moses and three-pointer by forward Kaleb Smith cut Cal Poly's lead to three. Three-pointers, however, from Koonce and Hyder handed the Mustangs a 45-36 advantage heading into the locker room.
Hyder's record-breaking three-pointer placed Cal Poly up 50-39, but UC Riverside knocked down seven of its initial nine attempts of the second half and, with a 12-3 run, tied Thursday's matchup at 53-53 with 15 minutes to go.
The Mustangs though hit back with four free throws and a Jessup layup in a 33-second span to reaffirm the lead.
Still leading 77-70 with six-and-a-half to play, Ward sank three-pointers on three straight possessions to put Cal Poly up 86-75.
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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
