Mustangs lose OT thriller to Long Beach State, move to 0-5 in Big West

It wasn’t for lack of effort. Senior Ridge Shipley scored a career-high 27 points, Donovan Fields and Kyle Toth each scored 14 points, and Zach Gordon played inspired basketball of the bench, but Cal Poly couldn’t hold a 17 point lead with 12:45 to play and lost in overtime to Long Beach State 98-92 at Mott Athletic Center on Saturday evening.

After forcing eight 49er turnovers in the first half, Cal Poly could only turn Long Beach State over three times in the second half and overtime combined. Roschon Prince scored 25 points for Dan Monson’s team, whose record moves to 3-3 in the Big West and 8-14 overall.

Cal Poly, which started the season 5-4, have now lost 10 games in a row and are 5-14 overall and 0-5 in Big West play.

Shipley gets hot

Senior Ridge Shipley was HOT for Cal Poly on Saturday. By Owen Main

Ridge Shipley’s game was something to behold, especially in the first half. The Cal Poly senior point guard scored 19 points in the opening frame, shooting 8-9 from the field, including 3-3 from 3-point range. Shipley, who was probably going to play in a 2 or 3 point guard set this season, has had to take on primary distribution responsibilities since Jaylen Shead left the program.

His game has expanded as he’s made an effort to get to the paint and finish. The more confidence Shipley has and the less he hesitates to shoot the ball, the more dangerous Cal Poly seems to be.

ESPN means crowds galore

While Mott crowds have been more sparse this year than in recent seasons, the ESPNU telecast brought a big turnout. Attendance for the game was listed at 3,032, making it this year’s first sellout. The fans got a good game, though with Cal Poly’s current record it could be an uphill climb to match it again this season. There is still a UCSB game that could get some more kids out of the dorms.

For now, props to Cal Poly students and fans for coming out and selling-out a game despite their team’s nine-game losing streak. Well done!

ZG sighting

Zach Gordon played 23 minutes off the bench and made an impact on Saturday night, scoring a career-high 13 points to go with 8 rebounds. The senior has started eight games this season but none since the Mustangs’ home loss to Cal State Fullerton. He was effective in the Mustangs’ first game against UC Davis, but seemed to have fallen lower on the depth charts in the recent week or two. In the two losses prior to Saturday’s, Gordon played a total of nine minutes.

On Saturday, he got some offense going, but his most important role is still as a defender and rebounder in the lane. Gordon, who is listed at 6′ 8″, plays the tallest of any Cal Poly big men and is the only Cal Poly forward on the roster who has been a part of a winning season or Big West or NCAA Tournament win. For whatever reason, Gordon’s minutes have slingshotted around this year, but he seems to be a productive, calming influence — especially on defense — when given the chance.

Moments

There were a few moments that are worth noting from Saturday night.

One is Donovan Fields’ late layup. With the game tied and time running down, Fields made what might have been a game-winning drive to the basket and acrobatic layup. The 5’8″ sophomore is a player who fans hope can develop over the next few years. One thing you can’t teach — whether you’re working with a sophomore or a senior — is the gumption to go into the lane with confidence and get by defenders to finish like that. It was a big play from a little dude.

Another moment is the foul Victor Joseph committed on Long Beach State’s Loren Jackson to send Jackson to the line with virtually no time left. Looking at the replay live on my phone, Joseph probably didn’t connect with any part of Jackson’s body on the shot, but he swatted the ball twice and, at this level, that’s going to be called a foul — even at the buzzer.

It was the second game in recent Mott Athletic Center memory over the past two years that Cal Poly has lost after allowing the opposition to send the game into overtime at the buzzer. Last season, freshman Jaylen Shead drifted off of UCI three-point shooter Jaron Martin, who nailed a three at the buzzer to tie a game the Anteaters would later win. On Saturday, fouling a three-point shooter, as ticky tack as the call might have been, did the trick.

Opportunities all around

It’s not as though Cal Poly hasn’t had opportunities in Big West play. They have been right in three of their five Big West losses late in the game. The Mustangs just haven’t found a way to finish the final 10-15 minutes of games.

Joe Callero’s squad will have two more opportunities to secure their first conference win of the season on the road next week in Orange County, facing conference front-running UC Irvine on Thursday and upstart Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. Both games will be televised on ESPN3.