Jesse Summers & Trent Merfeld
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Behind a career high in scoring from junior forward Joel Awich, the Cal Poly men’s basketball team (9-8, 2-3 Big West Conference) was finally able to do serious damage on the offensive end, capturing a 66-55 victory over Cal State Fullerton (8-11, 0-4) on Thursday night.
Cal Poly has had no problem on the defensive end this season, leading the Big West in points allowed per game at 58.8. The Mustangs’ defensive ability was showcased in the first half by Awich, who tallied three of his game-high four blocks.
However, their biggest issue so far in conference play has been putting the ball in the hoop. This was certainly not the case against the Titans, as junior forward Brian Bennett, junior guard David Nwaba and Awich all reached double figures on the night.
Awich collected eight first-half points by knocking down a combination of post-up and straightaway jump shots. Although Cal Poly maintained a fast pace on the offensive end — moving the ball quickly around the perimeter looking for the post-up — the game seemed to slow down when the ball got into Awich’s hands.
“[Joel] knows what he can do,” head coach Joe Callero said. “He’s now doing it with pace, poise and confidence that says, ‘I’m a good basketball player.’”
“[My coaches] try to get me to be aggressive early so we can feed off the energy,” Awich said. “I think that now that I’m actually making shots, I’m gaining more confidence, which is a big part of my game.”
That first-half energy Awich alluded to has been prevalent all season long. The Mustangs went into the locker room after the first half up 26-22, in familiar low-scoring fashion. It’s the second half that seems to be giving them trouble.
Tonight was a different story.
“We always come out on top at half, but then our engines steady out,” Awich added. “I think tonight our energy was the same the whole game, and I think that was the most deciding factor.”
At the forefront of countless energy plays on the court was Nwaba, who opened up the second half with a steal and a ferocious uncontested slam.
Nwaba had possibly his best all-around game of the season, recording seven rebounds, three steals, zero turnovers and a game-high 18 points — his 14th double-digit scoring game of the season.
“They did a good job of staying close to me, forcing me to go to the rack,” Nwaba said. “I prefer going to the rim and being aggressive.”
Adding to the mix was a highly efficient night from Bennett, who shot 5 for 5 from the field and knocked down five free throws.
Whenever the Titans began to creep up to the lead in the second half, a time where the Mustangs have begun to falter over the past few games, the Mustangs always had an answer. It seemed as if for the first time all season, Cal Poly had three go-to players when it needed a basket.
Titans leading scorer Alex Harris, who had averaged over 20 points per game in conference play, was shut down by the high-energy Mustangs defense by closing out driving lanes that he usually slides through so effortlessly.
“He’s an outstanding player, but the number one thing is that Michael Bolden is an excellent defender with long arms,” Callero said. “It was a team effort in transition, really trying to corral him and putting him in a tighter spot where we forced the ball out of his hands.”
The Mustangs will face UC Riverside at home on Saturday at Mott Athletics Center. Tip off is at 7:00 p.m.