Meikle makes 3 FTs with 0.3 left; Cal Poly beats UCSB 80-79
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Luke Meikle made three free throws with 0.3 seconds left to give Cal Poly an 80-79 victory over UC Santa Barbara in a wild finish to a Big West Conference opener on Thursday night.
Jalen Canty split a pair of free throws and UC Santa Barbara led 77-75. Cal Poly's Donovan Fields answered with a layup to tie at 77 with 15 seconds remaining, but Max Heidegger hit a jumper and the Gauchos regained the lead, 79-77 with a second left.
Following a Cal Poly (5-10) timeout, Canty fouled Meikle, who sank all three shots from the line.
Fields led Cal Poly with 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Victor Joseph chipped in 16 points and Meikle had 13.
Canty had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Heidegger finished with 18 points for UC Santa Barbara (12-3).
The Gauchos opened on a 29-8 run, but Cal Poly closed on a 28-11 surge to cut the halftime deficit to 40-36. It was tied at 52 with 14 minutes left, and neither team had more than a three-point lead the rest of the way.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Deron White
- Rick Batsell
- Martin Cichocki
2023-24 Big West Conference Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
UC Irvine | 17-3 | - | 24-10 |
UC San Diego | 15-5 | 2 | 21-12 |
UC Davis | 14-6 | 3 | 20-13 |
Hawai'i | 11-9 | 6 | 20-14 |
Long Beach State | 10-10 | 7 | 21-15 |
UC Riverside | 10-10 | 7 | 16-18 |
Cal State Northridge | 9-11 | 8 | 19-15 |
UC Santa Barbara | 9-11 | 8 | 16-15 |
Cal State Bakersfield | 8-12 | 9 | 13-19 |
Cal State Fullerton | 7-13 | 10 | 14-18 |
Cal Poly | 0-20 | 17 | 4-28 |