SOUTHLAND ROUNDUP

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 92, UC Irvine 82--The Mustangs (14-14, 7-9) won before 2,740 at Mott Gymnasium to finish their season on a high note.

They are ineligible for the Big West tournament, because they cannot receive the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Schools can’t go to the tournament in their first seven years in Division I.

Cal Poly, with its up-tempo style, put the Anteaters (9-17, 6-10) away with a series of runs in the second half. Irvine led, 49-48, with 16 minutes to play, when Chris Bjorklund--who scored 17 points--sparked a 11-1 spurt. The Mustangs never trailed again.

Josh Porter, who scored 15 points, and Bjorklund made key baskets in a 15-5 run that gave Cal Poly San Luis Obispo a 76-63 lead with 4:58 to play, and the rest of the game was a matter of attrition.

UC Irvine was seeking a tournament seeding as high as second, and there seemed an opportunity for that early on. The score was tied, 42-42, at halftime.

The game was ragged, dictated to be that way by Cal Poly’s style.

Irvine finished with 19 turnovers and Cal Poly 16.

The Anteaters kept pace for a while because of Jason Flowers, who scored 16 points; Adam Stetson, who had 15; Matt Willard, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds; and Junior Bond, who had nine points and 10 assists.

Cal Poly, though, had six players score in double figures, led by guard Mike Wozniak’s 18 points. The Mustangs also made 30 of 40 free throws.