STOCKTON, CA – Despite shooting 51.5% from the field, 46.2% from three, and 85.7% from the free throw line, the University of San Diego men's basketball team (11-16, 4-9 WCC) fell at Pacific (13-14, 6-6 WCC) on Saturday, 99-94.
 
Fifth year guard Jase Townsend registered a season-high 34 points, making 12-of-20 field goals and 7-of-11 from long range. He added three rebounds and two assists.
 
Sophomore guard Deuce Turner added 16 points after starting for the third straight game, shooting 6-of-10 from the floor.
 
Fifth year guard Marcellus Earlington contributed 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.  
 
Sophomore guard Wayne McKinney III scored in double-figures for the seventh time this season, ending with 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
 
Graduate center Nic Lynch scored 12 points, including 11 in the first half. Lynch was a perfect 2-2 from three-point range.
 
USD falls to 11-16 (4-9 WCC) on the season, and will return home to face Saint Mary's on Thursday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Pacific's Avdalovic opened the game with two triples, but USD answered with the next seven, including an and-one from Nic Lynch.
• Six different players scored for USD over the first 10 minutes. The game was locked at 22-22.
• Lynch knocked down back-to-back triples to put USD up 28-24. Soon after, Pacific answered with a 14-4 run.
• Pacific's Keylan Boone hit two threes in the last minute, and the Tigers took a 52-42 lead into halftime.
• The Tigers opened the second half with two more three-pointers, extending their lead to 16. Two buckets from Turner and a McKinney layup quickly chopped the deficit to 10.
• Shortly after, USD registered a 9-2 run, including five points from Townsend and four from Earlington. With 15:23 left, Pacific led 62-57.
• San Diego was forced to call a timeout after a quick Pacific 7-0 run over 28 seconds extended the lead back to 16. Townsend responded with a personal 8-0 run, including another two makes from long range.
• Triples from Townsend and Earlington chopped the deficit to just three with 6:06 remaining.
• Freshman Neel Beniwal grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Townsend, who buried his seventh trey to make it 94-91 with 33 seconds left. The Tigers hit three free throws to seal the win.

 
TORERO TIDBITS

• Townsend's 34 points were one shy of his career high (35 while at Denver on 1/16/21). He increased his season average to 15.8. The 34 points are tied for seventh most for a single game in program history.
• Earlington has scored in double-figures a team-leading 23 times, including in the last nine straight.
• Starting the last three games, Turner has scored 49 points (16.3 PPG).
• Lynch leads the team in three-point percentage this year, making 13-of-25 (52%).
• Beniwal ended with a season-high five rebounds and four assists.
• San Diego's 94 points are the second most this season, only behind 98 in the win over San Diego Christian.

 
UP NEXT
USD will host Saint Mary's on Thursday at 6:00 PM. The Gaels hold a 56-36 lead in the all-time series, including 17 straight wins.