Mustangs pull out thriller, advance to second round

Posted: Mar 11, 2010 11:37 AM by Andrew Masuda
Updated: Mar 11, 2010 11:37 AM

CP men win thriller, advance to 2nd round

The Mustangs overcame a 14 point second half deficit and pulled off its biggest win of the year when it mattered the most. The Cal Poly men's basketball team beat UC Irvine 73-69 on Wednesday night in Anaheim in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament.

Lorenzo Keeler led all scorers with 27 points despite shooting just 5-17 from the floor. The senior made 16 of 18 free throws attempts. David Hanson added 15 points, while Kyle Odister added 9 for the victorious Mustangs.

The game was won at the free throw line. Cal Poly made 25 or 28 free throws for 89%, compared to 9-16 for UCI.

Cal Poly also avenged last Saturday's loss to UCI, where the Mustangs blew an eight point lead with 48 seconds left in regulations.

Cal Poly shot just 39 percent from the floor in the first half, compared with Irvine's 59%. The Mustangs finished at 43 percent for the game.

It was their first postseason game in two years after missing the Conference Tournament last year. They advanced in to the second round. Thursday at 6pm in the Anaheim Convention Center the sixth seeded Mustangs will take on third seeded Long Beach State. The 49ers had a first round bye. The two teams split the regular season series one win a piece.

KSBY Sports' Ryan Foran is in Anaheim all week helping to provide highlights. Tune in to KSBY News on Thursday night to follow the Mustangs and Gauchos in Anaheim.