J.J. Jenkins
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ST. LOUIS — Eight days ago, the thought of the Cal Poly’s men’s basketball team making the NCAA Tournament — not to mention winning a game — was almost unthinkable. But the Mustangs’ four-game win streak, which included a three-game blitz through the Big West Tournament as a No. 7 seed, came to an end on Friday night after a 64-37 loss to No. 1 seeded Wichita State.
It was the 119th loss by an No. 16 seed against a No. 1 seed in 119 tries. The Shockers also remained undefeated this season at 35-0 while the Mustangs finished a 14-20 campaign.
Cal Poly led, briefly, after Chris Eversley hit a 3-pointer to start the game, but it would be the last time the Mustangs hit a shot from the field in the ensuing 11 minutes. During that time, the Shockers built a 16 point lead, and Cal Poly wouldn’t lead again.
“They were able to force us into bad shots, and we had a couple open shots that we missed,” he said. “But at the end of the day, they finished plays and showed why they are a great team.”
At halftime, only Eversley and senior guard Kyle Odister had hit shots from the field for the Mustangs, who trailed 32-13 at the break. It was the second lowest first-half scoring output by a Cal Poly team at the Division I level.
Wichita State outscored Cal Poly by eight points in the second half as the Mustangs began to find a relative rhythm offensively, but the team finished the game shooting 20.7 percent from the field. They attempted 28 3-pointers and connected on five, while going 12 for 58 from the field overall.
“As the shot clock goes down they get stronger, and that’s a staple of a good defense,” Eversley said.
During their four game winning streak, the Mustangs averaged 68 points per game, but after playing five games in eight days, Cal Poly didn’t have the rest they needed, according to head coach Joe Callero.
“Physically it does take a toll on you,” Eversley said. “Our guys did our best job tonight staying in the game mentally, because when you don’t have the physical capacity to keep going, it’s all mental.”
Wichita State, on the other hand, hadn’t played in 13 days. Cleanthony Early had a game-high 23 points, while junior guard Maliik Love led Cal Poly with nine points, all in the second half. The Shockers shot 46 percent from the field and hit six 3-pointers.
Eversley had six points, five rebounds and a steal in his final game in a Cal Poly jersey. He has said he would like to play professionally, perhaps abroad, after graduation. Odister and point guard Jamal Johnson will also graduate in the spring.
“At Cal Poly we’re about creating pros,” Callero said. “You might be a professional basketball player, you might be a graduate student, you might be a professional in another arena. But that’s what a pro is, preparing you for another arena.”
Before the game, the team met Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, who attended Cal Poly and earned his fame as a St. Louis Cardinal, and he told the team they’d already won before stepping out on the court.
According to Smith, the team had put Cal Poly on the map, Odister recounted.
“I’ve seen the team elevate every year, and now we made it to the tournament,” Odister said. “I left my stamp at Cal Poly and I feel proud.”