MORAGA, Calif. - Graduate student Owen Koonce scored a team-high 16 points -- including 12 in the second half -- and graduate student Mac Riniker also reached double figures, but a second half surge wasn't enough for the Cal Poly men's basketball team as they came up short at Saint Mary's on Saturday night 80-66.
After trailing by 16 points at the break, Cal Poly (3-4) was able to pull within 5 points with a blistering start to the second half, but Saint Mary's (6-0) -- who earned 18 points in this week's Top 25 Coaches Poll -- used a run midway through the second half to weather the storm and secure the win in the first meeting between the two sides in over five years.
After playing its last three games on the road, the Mustangs return to Mott Athletics Center on Tuesday to host Grambling State. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
Riniker helped the Mustangs get off to a strong start against the Gaels, knocking down all three of his 3-pointers to open the contest to allow Cal Poly to take an 11-7 lead into the first media timeout with 15:46 left in the first half.
Following the timeout, Saint Mary's went on a 14-2 run to take a 21-13 lead. The Gaels slowly started to build a larger advantage as the first half went on and carried a 47-31 lead into halftime. Riniker led the Mustangs in the first half with a team-high 13 points, going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. The Gaels shot 50 percent (18-for-36) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, hitting seven 3-pointers.
Cal Poly came out with a purpose to open the second half, cutting the deficit down to single digits with a 17-6 run. Senior Ethan Menzies buried a 3-pointer with 16:29 left in the final half to pull the Mustangs within 9 points. Then back-to-back steals by Cal Poly led to easy layups by Riniker and Koonce in transition, allowing the Mustangs to force a Saint Mary's timeout with 15:21 remaining and the score at 53-48 in favor of the Gaels. It was the closest the contest had been since Cal Poly trailed 16-13 with 12:22 left in the first half.
The Mustangs stayed within striking distance of the Gaels for the next several minutes of game time as both teams cooled off from the field. Then with Cal Poly trailing 59-54 with just over 10 minutes left, Saint Mary's used a 15-5 run over the next five minutes to separate themselves for good from the Mustangs.
Riniker matched a season-high in points with 15 and dished out a team-high five assists. Koonce shot 7-for-11 from the field and grabbed five rebounds, and senior Isaac Jessup finished with four steals.