Already up by double digits with 12 minutes left to play, junior guard Jake Davis swiped the ball from a CSU Northridge player and sprinted ahead on the fast break.
He was fouled, finishing the layup for the momentum boosting and-one to push Cal Poly Men’s Basketball’s lead to 14.
Against a Matador (10-7, 3-2 Big West) team that was missing their top scorer, it should have been smooth sailing for the Mustangs (6-11, 2-3 Big West), who fell to Northridge 95-90 on Thursday night on the road.
Instead, CSU Northridge put up 41 points in the last 12 minutes and overcame a career-high scoring night from Hamad Mousa.
The charge was led by Josiah Davis, who tied the CSU Northridge record with 15 assists to go along with 23 points.
Mousa was the game high scorer with 34 points and hit seven three-pointers. As a team, Cal Poly’s 16 threes made was the second most this season behind their Big West opener against Fullerton.
Cayden Ward added 23 points of his own along with six steals, which is a season high for any Mustang.
The Mustang bench again had trouble with offensive production, scoring just 11 points. Guzman Vasilic hit a trio of triples, and a layup by Ali Assran was the only other basket made from the bench.
CSU Northridge dominated down low, winning the rebound battle 49-32 and scoring double the points in the paint of the Mustangs, a 52-26 difference.
Cal Poly will get a chance to regroup on Saturday, Jan. 10 against UC Davis at Mott Gym. The last time the two squads faced off was a Mustang victory in the opening round of the Big West tournament.