Wed July 23, 2008
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Cal Poly Edges UC Irvine 57-56 on Late Free ThrowFeb. 7, 2008
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. --- Matt Hanson, a 35-percent free-throw shooter on the season, hit one free throw with 1.4 seconds remaining Thursday night to lift Cal Poly to a 57-56 win over UC Irvine in a Big West game at Mott Gym in San Luis Obispo. UCI's Kevin Bland fouled Hanson as he was going up for what appeared to be the game-winning layup off the left baseline. Hanson missed the first foul shot but hit the second as the Mustangs (9-12, 4-5) pulled into a fifth-place tie in the Big West with the Anteaters. Hanson was 1 of 5 from the charity stripe for the evening. Shawn Lewis led Cal Poly with 12 points, hitting 4 of 4 threes. Trae Clark and Dreshawn Vance added 10 points for the Mustangs, who hit 9 of 16 three-pointers in the game, including 6 of 9 in the second half. Senior center Darren Fells led UCI (9-13, 4-5) with 18 points, hitting 7 of 10 field goals. Sophomore wing Chad DeCasas added a career-high 16 points, hitting 4 of 8 threes. Junior forward Kevin Bland pulled down eight rebounds along with his five points and four assists. Senior guard Marcus McIntosh had a career-high five steals and added four assists. Cal Poly, which led 26-23 at halftime, built a 47-40 lead on a layup by Chaz Thomas with 9:53 remaining in the game. The Anteaters tied the game at 49-49 on a floating jumper in the lane by Patrick Rembert with 6:06 left. Clark hit a pair of free throws with 1:06 remaining to give the Mustangs a 56-54 lead, but Bland countered for UCI on a well-contested fallaway jumper in the lane with 33 seconds left. Cal Poly played for the last shot and after Lorenzo Keeler missed an inside shot with nine seconds left, a scramble occurred on the long rebound, Vance grabbed the loose ball and passed to Clark, who drove and fed Hanson through traffic on the left baseline. The Anteaters were playing without their leading scorer, senior forward Patrick Sanders, who sat out the game with a hyperextended right knee sustained in last Saturday's win at Long Beach State. Sanders, who is averaging 15.2 points per game, is listed as probable for this Saturday night's game at UC Santa Barbara. UCI faces the Gauchos Saturday night in the Thunderdome at 7:05 in a game to be televised by Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket. SCHEDULE NOTE: UCI's March 1 home game versus Cal State Northridge will tip off at 8:30 p.m. The Homecoming contest at the Bren Center will be televised on Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket. |
