Sophomore guard Peter Bandelj led the Cal Poly Mustangs men’s basketball team with 21 points in their 87-81 win over Redlands on Saturday at Mott Athletics Center. The game marked Cal Poly’s return home after a six-game road stretch.
Hamad Mousa, also a sophomore guard, contributed 19 points for the Mustangs (4-5). Sophomores Cayden Ward and Austin Goode each added 11 points. Ward’s layup with two minutes left broke a tie at 78, and Bandelj followed with his fourth three-pointer to extend the lead. Both Mousa and Bandelj made free throws in the final minute to secure the victory.
Bandelj finished just shy of a triple-double, recording nine rebounds and a career-high nine assists. Cal Poly shot 53.3 percent from the field, making 12 three-pointers. Redlands, which reached last season’s NCAA Division III Tournament quarterfinals, was limited to 37 percent shooting.
Senior forward Aaron Price Jr.’s layup gave Cal Poly an eight-point lead late in the first half, and the Mustangs held a 41-35 advantage at halftime. Redlands started strong after the break with a 12-3 run to take the lead and remained ahead until midway through the second half. Goode tied it up with a layup before Ward put Cal Poly ahead for good.
Looking ahead, Cal Poly begins its Big West Conference schedule on Thursday, December 4 against Cal State Fullerton. The team will then host UC Riverside on Saturday, December 6 as part of Bold Week.
“Peter Bandelj moved into second place in the lineup at 15.5 points per game,” according to team officials following his seventh double-digit scoring performance this season.
“Mousa’s eighth double-digit scoring game in as many appearances kept him second in the Big West at 18.4 points per game.”
“Austin Goode’s 11-point effort was a career high and his first double-digit Division I scoring game.”
