Nick Larson

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Heading into Friday’s matchup against Delaware (0-2), a victory seemed a lofty goal for the Cal Poly men’s basketball team. The Blue Hens were a No. 13 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and put up a decent fight against No. 4 seed Michigan State. The matchup is the first at Cal Poly between two teams that participated in the previous year’s NCAA Tournament.

However, it was the Mustangs (2-1) who came away with the victory, defeating Delaware 78-60.

The Mustangs came out firing in the first half. Aggressive defense and lights-out shooting propelled the Mustangs to a 48-22 lead at the break.

Cal Poly did not turnover the ball once in the opening 20 minutes, playing a near perfect half.

“Something I have an obsession with is taking care of the basketball,” head coach Joe Callero said. “I think the most important part of defense is taking care of the ball on offense.”

The Mustangs were able to stifle any attempt at a comeback by the Blue Hens, opening the second half with three straight 3-pointers. They cruised easily for the remainder of the game.

Sophomore guard Ridge Shipley led the Mustangs with a career-high 21 points, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range.

“Being able to hit some big shots for the team is what I’m here to do,” Shipley said following the game.

Junior forward Brian Bennett chipped in with 12 points, while senior guard Maliik Love had a team-high eight assists.

Shipley and Love controlled the entire game. The two point guards are able to coexist on the floor, creating tons of opportunities for their teammates, and in Shipley’s case, himself.

“Ridge is a great attacker,” Love said. “He compliments my game. It’s a dynamic duo with us two.”

As a team, the Mustangs shot 39.7 percent from the field and committed just four turnovers.

The Mustangs will look to continue their winning ways as they face Pac-12 team California in their next game, traveling to play the Golden Bears on Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.