Erik Chu & Trent Merfeld
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Behind a career night from junior forward Joel Awich, the Cal Poly men’s basketball team (10-8, 3-3 Big West Conference) was able to win a key conference matchup with a 68-49 victory over UC Riverside (9-11, 2-4) Saturday night.
Awich finished the game with his first career double-double with 11 points on 5 for 6 shooting and a career-high 11 rebounds.
Awich has been on a scoring tear lately — his 11 points Saturday night mark his fifth straight game scoring in double figures.
“I feel good,” Awich said. “Every time I get the ball, I look to be aggressive, and even if I don’t shoot the ball, I’m looking to pass to someone who is open.”
However, the Mustangs started the game off with a scare.
In Cal Poly’s second offensive possession, junior guard David Nwaba and senior guard Malik Love collided with each other while attempting a dribble handoff, resulting in a big collision. Nwaba took the worst of the collision and seemed to injure his left shoulder or wrist.
Nwaba would quickly shake off the discomfort and shortly after slammed home a beautiful lob thrown by junior forward Brian Bennett.
Other than Nwaba’s jam, the start of the game was a defensive battle.
The Mustangs held a slim 9-7 advantage early, shooting 33 percent from the field midway through the first half.
Similarly, the Highlanders shot 3-for-10 from the field.
UC Riverside would eventually get into an offensive rhythm and go on a 12-5 run to take a 19-14 lead with 7:04 remaining in the first half.
The Mustangs had difficulty defending the Highlanders’ spread offense, which featured a series of down-screens that freed up their sharp-shooting guard Jaylen Bland, who finished the game with 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting from downtown.
Cal Poly would battle back with a 10-5 run of its own behind the energized play of Awich. A tip-in following a missed transition layup and then a face-up jumper at the top of the key by Awich would tie the game at 24 going into halftime.
The Mustangs were scorching hot coming out of the half.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Awich and senior guard Michael Bolden gave the Mustangs an early 30-26 second-half advantage.
As the second half progressed, the Mustangs continued to outplay the Highlanders.
Cal Poly created better shots, out-rebounded the Highlanders and committed just seven turnovers.
With the game tied at 37, the Mustangs turned to their explosive backcourt duo — sophomore guard Ridge Shipley and junior guard Reese Morgan.
Both players have provided huge sparks off the bench this season. Morgan dropped in five straight points to break the tie — a three from the wing off of an assist from Shipley and a breakaway transition layup — shifting the momentum in the Mustangs’ favor.
Morgan finished the game with 14 points and four rebounds, hitting 9 for 10 from the free throw line.
Shipley would add another three to extend the lead to 45-37 with 6:37 remaining in the game. He finished the game with 12 points and three assists.
“Ridge is a really good point guard,” Morgan said. “His quickness is huge for us. He’s aggressive to the basket and makes smart plays. That makes us a really good team.”
The Mustangs would ultimately string together 11 unanswered points over three minutes for a 48-37 advantage with 5:25 to play.
UC Riverside struggled to mount any threatening comeback, and Awich shut the door on any hopes for the Highlanders with an emphatic two-handed slam.
The Mustangs would cruise to a comfortable 68-49 victory, finishing the game shooting 42 percent from the field, including 6-for-18 from 3-point range.
Cal Poly will be on the road next week for Big West games at UC Irvine on Jan. 29 and UC Davis on Jan. 31.
The key to the upcoming road trip will be the health of the players.
“Getting our bodies right will help us mentally,” head coach Joe Callero said. “If our bodies are fresh, we’ll be more focused mentally as well.”