SAN DIEGO – A remarkable comeback from the University of San Diego men's basketball team (11-17, 4-10 WCC) fell just short on Thursday, falling to No. 17 Saint Mary's (23-5, 12-1 WCC), 62-59. The Toreros trailed by 23 with 11:55 remaining, and outscored the Gaels 24-4 the rest of the way. Saint Mary's was held off the board over the final 7:05.
 
Graduate center Nic Lynch led USD with a season-high 17 points, shooting 6-of-9 from the floor including two triples.
 
Freshman guard Neel Beniwal scored in double figures for the first time in his career, adding 11 points. His potential game-tying three-pointer with time expiring was just off the mark from beyond half court.
 
Sophomore guard Wayne McKinney III registered nine points, four assists, and three steals.
 
Sophomore Steven Jamerson II ended with eight points (4-4 FG), six rebounds, a block, and a steal. He was a team-best +12.
 
USD falls to 11-17 (4-10 WCC) on the season, and will travel to No. 13 Gonzaga next Thursday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Saint Mary's held a slight 7-4 lead at the under-16 timeout, holding USD to 1-of-6 from the floor. Lynch later ended an 8-0 run with another basket.
• Beniwal drained a straightaway triple, followed by a Deuce Turner jumper to cut the deficit to one with 10:23 left in the first half.
• The Gaels answered with an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 20-11.
• Back-to-back buckets from McKinney made it a five-point game, but the Gaels ended the first half on a 14-0 run. Going into the locker room, Saint Mary's led 39-20.
• USD opened the half with a Jamerson jam and three-pointers from Lynch and Turner to quickly cut the deficit to 13.
• Three triples from SMC sparked an 11-1 run to go ahead 54-31.
• Lynch scored six straight points for USD, including another triple, to cut the deficit to 14 with 7:30 remaining.
• After two Gaels free throws, San Diego exploded for a 13-0 run. The Toreros trailed by just three with 4.2 seconds left.
• Saint Mary's missed a free throw with just over one tick left. Beniwal grabbed the rebound, took one dribble, and hit the backboard from the opponent's free throw line.

 
TORERO TIDBITS

• San Diego was down four of its five top scorers due to injury.
• The Toreros were +8 in turnover differential (14 to 6).
• USD outscored SMC 39-23 in the second half.
• Lynch leads the team in three-point percentage this year, making 15-of-30 (50%).
• San Diego held a 48.3% to 34.6% advantage in field goal percentage in the second half.
• Townsend contributed five points, five rebounds, and three assists.

 
UP NEXT
USD will travel to No. 13 Gonzaga a week from tonight. The Bulldogs hold a 78-21 lead in the all-time series, including 15 straight wins.