Senior forward Joel Awich continued his hot streak as the Cal Poly men’s basketball team (4-2) dominated the University of Antelope Valley (1-5) 85-55 on Saturday evening.
Awich led the Mustangs in both points and rebounds with 14 and eight, respectively. Senior forward Brian Bennett added in 14 points, his season high. Senior guard David Nwaba pitched in eight rebounds and seven assists, marking his second game in a row leading the Mustangs in assists.
The Mustangs raced out to a 10-4 lead early in the first half and ran away with the game. Leading 36-27 at halftime, the Mustangs came out firing in to start the second half.
Midway through the second half, the Mustangs led by as many as 32 points en route to the 30-point victory.
Of the 11 Mustangs who recorded minutes, 10 scored at least one bucket.
Overall, the Mustangs shot 47 percent from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc. Cal Poly outrebounded Antelope Valley 45-35 and turned the ball over seven times, the team’s lowest total of the season.
Junior guard Ridge Shipley added 12 points for the Mustangs, sophomore forward Luke Meikle scored 13 and senior guard Reese Morgan tallied 10 points.
The game marked the sixth time in six games this season in which the Mustangs scored 70 or more points, a drastic change from last season. The Mustangs’ new, up-tempo offense allows for higher-scoring games and more fast break opportunities.
Cal Poly continues its home stand with two games this week in Mott Athletics Center. The Mustangs face off with Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. and take on Fresno State on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.