Cal Poly seeks upset of No. 14 Oregon

Dec 1, 2013 - 3:48 PM Eugene, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - The 14th-ranked Oregon Ducks will close out the Global Sports Challenge on Sunday night with a matchup against the Cal Poly Mustangs at Matthew Knight Arena.

In its first two bouts during the event, the Mustangs went 1-1. Cal Poly topped North Dakota (70-43) on Friday for its second straight victory, but the small streak ended on Saturday with a 73-71 setback versus Pacific.

As the calendar turns the page to December, the Ducks are still without a loss on the campaign. Oregon took down North Dakota, 91-76, on Saturday for its sixth win in as many tries this season. Oregon also defeated Pacific, 82-65, to begin its run in this event.

Oregon has never before faced Cal Poly on the hardwood.

After Chris Eversley hit a 3-pointer with 44 seconds to play, the Mustangs held a 71-70 lead against Pacific. However, Tony Gill saved the Tigers with a layup and ensuing foul shot at the other end to claim the two-point victory. Kyle Odister got off a pair of 3-point attempts in the final seconds for Cal Poly, but they were off the mark.

Normally, Cal Poly is a stingy defensive squad, as opponents are putting up only 58.5 points per game on 38 percent field goal efficiency. The Mustangs haven't had much success on offense themselves though, netting only 64.2 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting. Eversley (14.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg) is hands down the best player on the roster with his ability to score and rebound. Eversley nearly carried the Mustangs to victory on Saturday, as he posted 22 points and 10 rebounds. Odister (10.5 ppg) and David Nwaba (10.8 ppg) are the only other players scoring more than eight points per game for the team.

Oregon didn't have much of an issue dealing with North Dakota on Saturday. The Ducks hit on 58.9 percent of their total shots, and also held a 44-28 edge on the boards. Joseph Young scored 23 points and Mike Moser finished with a double-double consisting of 13 points and 15 rebounds.

Young and Moser each transferred to Oregon during the offseason and have performed exceptionally well during their first season in Eugene. Young (21.5 ppg) has been putting up 20 points just about every time out while hitting on 56.7 percent of his shots, which includes a 40.7 percent showing from beyond the arc. Moser (15.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg) has been a steady anchor down low with his scoring and rebounding acumen. Jason Calliste (12.0 ppg) is a valuable piece of the puzzle as well, as he handles the scoring for the second unit off the bench. In all, the Ducks are enjoying a massive scoring margin (+17) by netting 89 points per game on better than 52 percent field goal efficiency.