Cal Poly Men’s Basketball began Big West conference play, looking to show the Big West they could compete but couldn’t overcome injuries and turnover woes, falling on the road to UC Davis 77-66 on Thursday at the University Credit Union Center.
Coming into conference play, the Mustangs (5-5, 0-1 Big West) had much to prove, starting with their matchup against the Aggies (4-4, 1-0 Big West).
Following a season in which they went winless in the Big West, the Mustangs (5-5) were ranked dead last in the preseason conference poll.
However, with new head coach Mike DeGeorge, Cal Poly got off to a hot start. Wins against teams such as Grambling State and a thrilling upset victory over Stanford showed that the Mustangs were a different team.
Two of the Mustangs’ top scorers, senior guard Isaac Jessup and graduate guard Jarred Hyder, were injured during the Stanford game and couldn’t suit up for the opening of Big West play.
Jessup, second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game, has been Cal Poly’s most reliable three-point shooter, shooting 47% from beyond the arc, and sits at 12th in the nation in Division I for made threes with 29.
Hyder, third on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game, has started all of his appearances with the Mustangs and made the dagger three-pointer to put away Stanford.
Missing two of its top players, the Cal Poly offense was out of sync and committed 20 first-half turnovers.
Turnovers have been a common issue for the Mustangs, even at their best, as they average 16 a game.
Despite the turnovers, Cal Poly still led 31-30 going into the half, thanks to nine points from graduate forward Owen Koonce, the Mustangs’ leading scorer.
However, Cal Poly couldn’t keep pace in the second half.
Another 13 turnovers from the Mustangs and a 19-0 run by the Aggies put the game out of reach.
Koonce led Cal Poly with 19 points. No other Mustang finished with double figures.
The Mustangs will return home for another Big West match against CSUN on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 5 p.m.
