Cal Poly falls short at Northern Arizona
Mike Klan
FLAGSTAFF, Arizona. (KEYT) – Guard Peter Bandelj led three Cal Poly men’s basketball players in double-digit scoring figures with 20 points Monday evening, but the Mustangs opened a two-game stretch at Northern Arizona’s MTE with a 93-87 setback to the host Lumberjacks inside the Rolle Activity Center.
Fellow sophomore Hamad Mousa added 17 points for Cal Poly (3-4), which led by double digits early before trailing by six at the break. Junior guard Jake Davis, who matched his Division I scoring high with 14 points, sank a third and final three-pointer with 11-and-a-half minutes remaining to hand Cal Poly a 67-66 lead.
With Northern Arizona (3-2) shooting 60.0 (15-for-25) percent during the second half, however, the one-point advantage was Cal Poly’s last of the night.
Freshman Ali Assran and Mousa co-led Cal Poly with eight rebounds apiece as the Mustangs sank 13 three-pointers.
Down 5-4 after two minutes, Cal Poly received a Davis three-pointer to kickstart a 9-0 run. A Mousa three-pointer – one of three he drained in the first half – then handed Cal Poly an 18-7 lead six minutes into action.
The Mustangs still led 27-18 with 11-and-a-half minutes to play before Northern Arizona – backboned by two three-pointers and a layup from guard Ryan Abelman – produced a 14-5 run to tie the matchup.
The Mustangs, who shot 50.0 (17-for-34) percent from the floor during the first half and knocked down nine three-pointers, saw Bandelj complete a three-point play four minutes before the break to regain a 44-40 lead. Cal Poly, however, produced just one bucket the remainder of the half and trailed heading into the locker room, 52-46.
Cal Poly faced a nine-point deficit early in the second half before Davis hit a second three-pointer and Bandelj finalized another three-point play. Freshman Austin Goode added a layup before Bandelj followed with another to place the Mustangs back in front at 60-59 with 15 minutes to go.
Cal Poly led once more behind the Davis three-pointer at 67-66 and tied the scoreline five times down the stretch without overcoming the Lumberjacks.
(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)
Image courtesy of Zach Melendez / NAU Athletics