1-2,0-0Big West
Grand Canyon
3-0,0-0Mountain West
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | 29 | 42 | 71 |
| Grand Canyon | 37 | 62 | 99 |
11/11/2026 8:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PHOENIX – Junior Hamad Mousa scored a team high 16 points and sophomore Troy Plumtree (above) added 13, but a late scoring surge by Grand Canyon to close the first half helped the Lopes pull away from the Cal Poly men’s basketball program Wednesday evening with the hosts prevailing, 99-71.
Sophomore Jess Esso Essis added 10 points for Cal Poly (1-2), which took a 23-21 lead with six-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half following a Cayden Ward dunk before Grand Canyon (3-0) closed the period with a 16-6 run. Finishing with a 50.6 (39-for-77) percent shooting mark, holding Cal Poly to just five three-pointers in 25 attempts and committing only seven turnovers, the Lopes led by double digits for the final 18 minutes.
With Wednesday’s first half featuring eight tied scorelines and three lead changes, Grand Canyon (3-0) utilized an 11-0 run late in the period to go up 32-23 four minutes before the break.
Mousa stemmed Grand Canyon’s surge with a driving layup and Esso Essis added another with a minute remaining to cut Cal Poly’s late first-half deficit to 35-29. Despite holding Grand Canyon to a 38.9 (14-for-36) percent mark from the floor in the first half and a 3-for-16 clip from the arc, Cal Poly trailed at the break, 37-29.
The Lopes then opened the second half with a 12-1 run to go up 49-30.
Cal Poly Noteworthy (at Grand Canyon)
- Up Next: Halfway through a four-game road trip – it’s lengthiest of the year – Cal Poly next visits defending Big Sky Tournament champion Idaho on Friday, Nov. 13. Tip time on ESPN+ is 5 p.m. PT.
- Recording his 34th double-digit scoring game in 35 career appearances for Cal Poly, Mousa now ranks third among Big West players with 21.3 points per game.
- Troy Plumtree’s 13-point night marked his highest scoring total since a career best 31-point effort at Cal State Bakersfield (Jan. 29, 2026).
- Wednesday’s matchup marked just the second all-time meeting between Cal Poly and Grand Canyon and first since Dec. 28, 2016.
