Cal Poly Men’s Basketball tied a program record for consecutive losses after losing their 19th straight game to the UC Irvine Anteaters on Thursday, March 7. The final score of the game was 82-68, marking a disappointing outcome for the team.
This losing streak equals the program’s previous record set last season. Despite winning their first game of Big West play, the Mustangs went on to lose 19 consecutive games before securing a victory against Long Beach State in the first round of the Big West Championship.
Heading into John Smith’s penultimate game as the Cal Poly head coach, the team had only managed to secure two wins over the Anteaters in their last 21 meetings, with their last victory occurring over two years ago.
Senior Kobe Sanders was a standout performer for the Mustangs, leading the team in scoring with 22 points on an impressive 8-13 shooting from the field. Additionally, three other players joined Sanders in double figures, including freshman Justin Page, who matched a career-high 13 points. Graduate guard Jarred Hyder also contributed significantly, scoring 13 points in a team-high 37 minutes, while freshman guard Quentin Jones amassed 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Mustangs put up a strong fight, managing to keep pace with the Anteaters, a team with aspirations for March Madness. Despite facing a 13-point deficit in the first half, Cal Poly shot the ball well, going 13-27 from the field and 5-9 from beyond the arc.
However, the team struggled in the second half, only attempting six shots from three-point territory and allowing the Anteaters to maintain their lead. The inability to contain UC Irvine’s scoring inside the paint, combined with a drop in the Mustangs’ shooting efficiency, led to a significant lead for the Anteaters, reaching as high as 23 points.
Visible frustration was evident for Cal Poly, with Sanders receiving a technical foul after protesting a no-call on a layup. This marked the second technical foul for the Mustangs during the game, highlighting the team’s growing frustration.
