Beach Can’t Slow Down Cal Poly In Road Setback

Wednesday, February 5

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

7-17,2-6Big West

Cal Poly

6-16,3-5Big West

Long Beach St.

Cal Poly

Photo by: John Fajardo

2/5/2020 10:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score - Cal Poly

Hunter, Carter III both scored 15 to lead the Beach.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Three first-half blocks from Joshua Morgan and some clutch scoring helped the Beach through eight ties and nine lead changes on the road in San Luis Obispo Wednesday night, but Cal Poly used hot shooting and 17 points off turnovers to pull away in the second half in a 92-75 loss for the Beach.

                Chance Hunter finished with 15 points, and shared the Long Beach State (7-17, 2-6 Big West) scoring lead with Michael Carter III who score 15 off the bench, while Jordan Roberts also finished with 11 points. Romelle Mansel came close, finishing with nine points and seven rebounds while sharing in the team's assist lead with Drew Cobb with three.

                Taking an early lead on a Hunter trey, Long Beach State would held on to the lead for most of the half against Cal Poly (6-16, 3-5 Big West), pushing the edge to five points at 19-14 on a Morgan with just over eight minutes remaining.

                A fast-break layup from Jordan Roberts put Long Beach State on top by six at 25-19, the largest lead of the evening, but it was erased with a 6-0 run from the Mustangs, and Cal Poly led at the half 36-34 after a five-point run to close the opening period.

                That momentum from the final five minutes carried into the second half for the Mustangs, who shot 55.6 percent in the second half to push Cal Poly over 50% on the evening.

                A 14-5 run to start the second half pushed the Cal Poly lead into double-digits for the first time, and while back-to-back 3-pointers quickly brought the Beach back within five, Junior Ballard answered with a three. Cal Poly was then able to push the lead back to double-digits and eventually to 17 points a 70-53 with 9:46 remaining. LBSU battled, but were unable to make inroads into that lead ultimately on the way to the 92-75 loss.

                The Beach finished with 22 second chance points, but that was offset by an edge on points off of turnovers and points in the paint for Cal Poly.

                Long Beach State will get the weekend off with the league's other eight teams facing each other, and then be back on the road next Wednesday, playing Hawai'i in a game that will tip at 9 a.m. Pacific Time.