Tyler McGinn will see if he can keep the hot hand for the Mustangs as Cal Poly takes on UC Davis in a non-conference game on Saturday.
McGinn, fresh off a career-high 28 points in a blowout 73-54 victory over Cal State Northridge, earned Big West player of the week honors. McGinn struggled against Pacific while being closely guarded by Big West player of the year candidate Christian Maraker, but managed to hit a clutch three-pointer in a near-upset bid by the Mustangs.
The Aggies surprised the Mustangs in the team’s previous meeting with a 65-52 home win. Rommel Marentez led UC Davis with 16 points. Derek Stockalper was Cal Poly’s leading scorer with 14.
In the last meeting, Cal Poly went cold from three-point range, hitting just two of their 13 attempts and shot a meager 31.1 percent from the field. Turnovers were also an issue as the Mustangs chalked up 18 to Davis’ 10.
The Aggies relied on a big second half effort, shooting 50 percent in the second half.
Following the non-conference game with the Aggies, Cal Poly will return to conference play on the road with games at Long Beach State and UC Irvine. The Mustangs will remain on the road the following week with a single conference game on Feb. 15 at UC Santa Barbara, followed by an “ebay Bracket Buster” game at Saint Mary’s on Feb. 18.