Ford has 21 points, No. 18 Saint Mary’s tops Cal Poly 79-48
MORAGA, Calif. (AP) — Jordan Ford scored 21 points, Malik Fitts added 12 and No. 18 Saint Mary’s beat Cal Poly 79-48 on Sunday night.
Saint Mary’s (3-1) extended its winning streak over the Mustangs to six games. They Gaels haven’t lost to Cal Poly since Nov. 26, 2006.
Tuukka Jaakkola scored 13 points to lead Cal Poly (1-3), which faded after opening the game with an 8-0 run.
Matthias Tass had six points for Saint Mary’s, all during an 31-4 run that closed out the first half in which he had two dunks.
The Mustangs were facing a Top 25 opponent for the first time since Dec 29, 2015, when the they lost to No. 19 Texas A&M, 82-63. Cal Poly hasn’t beat a Top 25 opponent since upsetting No. 11 UCLA 70-68 on Nov. 25, 2012.
BIG PICTURE
Cal Poly: Amid a full-blown rebuild under first-year coach John Smith, to say the Mustangs weren’t quite ready for a ranked opponent would be an understatement.
Saint Mary’s: The Gaels took another step forward with their second decisive victory after experiencing a 61-59 upset loss to Winthrop on Nov. 11. But whether they can meet the lofty expectations that came with having four returning starters from a team that last season went to the NCAA tournament remains an open question.
UP NEXT
Cal Poly: The Mustangs travel to Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday, to open the Las Vegas Invitational against Creighton. Cal Poly lost to Creighton 65-51 in the only previous meeting between the two teams on Dec. 19, 1956.
Saint Mary’s: Hosts Fresno State on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wednesday in what will be the Gaels’ toughest opponent since it’s season opener against Wisconsin.
