SAN DIEGO – After trailing by 12 with 4:51 left, the San Diego men's basketball team (4-4) stormed back with a 10-0 run, but eventually fell to CSUN (3-3) on Sunday, 56-52.  
 
The Matadors scored 18 points off of 15 San Diego turnovers.
 
Senior forward Marcellus Earlington led the Toreros with a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds. Earlington buried 4-of-7 three-point attempts.
 
Redshirt senior center Vladimir Pinchuk, graduate center Terrell Brown-Soares, and sophomore guard Bryce Monroe each registered six points in the loss. Brown-Soares added nine rebounds and three blocks.
 
San Diego drops to 4-4 on the season, and will travel to Fresno State on Wednesday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUN jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three offensive rebounds, but Earlington ended the run with a wide-open triple.
• USD shot 3-20 to start the game and turned the ball over six times in the first 10:33, allowing CSUN to take a 20-7 lead. A Joey Calcaterra layup and Earlington triple quickly cut the deficit.
• The Toreros answered with a 10-2 run, capped by a Josh Parrish and-one to slash the Matadors lead to 22-17.
• CSUN hit back-to-back jumpers with less than 1:30 left, and took a 30-18 lead into halftime.
• Earlington made a layup while getting fouled midway through the second half, and completed the three-point play to cut the deficit to 42-32.
• Wayne McKinney changed the momentum with a steal and dunk at the other end. He then made a layup on the next possession, as USD trailed 44-38.
• An Earlington three followed by a CSUN flop allowed the Toreros to shoot a free throw.
• San Diego ripped off an 10-0 run late in the fourth, including a layup and a dunk from Pinchuk. USD trailed 54-52 with 1:03 left.
• The Toreros attempted two triples with time running out, but one rimmed out and the other was partially blocked. 

TORERO TIDBITS

• Monroe, Townsend, Calcaterra, Earlington, and Brown-Soares have started all eight games this season.
• Earlington scored in double-figures for the sixth time this season, which ties the team lead.
• Monroe dished five assists.
• Pinchuk secured seven rebounds.
• USD held CSUN to 0-9 from long range, but the Matadors went 8-8 from the free throw line.
• Each team scored 30 points in the paint.

UP NEXT
USD will travel to Fresno State on Wednesday for a 7:00 PM matchup. The Bulldogs hold an 8-3 lead in the all-time series, but the Toreros took a 72-66 victory in the last matchup in 2019-20. Joey Calcaterra scored 21 points in the win.