FRESNO, Calif.  – In a game with 11 lead changes, San Diego Men's Basketball fell short on the road, succumbing to a 73-65 loss to Fresno State on Saturday afternoon.
 
USD kept the hosts without a field goal for nine consecutive minutes in the first half and led by five at the break, however, the Bulldogs were able to keep the game in reach with 16 free throw attempts to the guests mere two. Fresno State out-shot the Toreros 50%-33% to take control in the second half. USD falls to 3-8 on the season.
 
Junior guard Kjay Bradley Jr. led the San Diego scoring with 17, 15 in the second half. Senior center Steven Jamerson II cleaned up well on the glass, finishing with a game-high 13 rebounds. Forward Colby Brooks scored a career-best 10 points and finished +9 while sophomore David Simon was +10 with seven points.
 
How it Happened

• Bendji Pierre made his first start of the season, first since the end of the 2022-23 season
• It was a back-and-forth affair right from the get-go
• A 13-2 run by the host saw the Bulldogs take first lead extension at 18-11
• As a part of a 10-0 run in the Toreros favor, a steal and dunk from Brooks saw USD take the lead
• San Diego held the hosts without a field goal for nine consecutive minutes, however the Bulldogs stayed in the game with 16 attempts at the charity stripe in the first half to the Toreros two
• At the half, San Diego had 26 of their 37 points in the paint, 19 off the bench
• USD turnovers and more efficient Fresno State shooting led to the Bulldogs taking the lead back
• The Toreros didn't back down, as Simon hit a three to go ahead
• For the 11^th and final lead change of the game, Fresno State used another run to go out in front for good with just under 11 minutes remaining

 
Up Next
The Toreros will host crosstown rival UC San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 21 in a Winter Wonderland special event for fans with several deals and in-arena activities surrounding the USD men's and women's basketball doubleheader. Tip for the game vs. the Tritons is set for 6 p.m. while the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Post Game Quotes
 
Head Coach Steve Lavin
 
Opening statement…
We played well enough in the first half to be in position to win a game on the road at Fresno State, but we did not sustain a performance level in the second half, and as a result, we ended up with the disappointing outcome of a loss.
 
On the difference between first and second halves…
The first half, we were aggressive. We were plus-seven on the boards, which is an indication of our progress. We also held Fresno State without a field goal for a nine-minute stretch, which was encouraging, because we've been focused on improving our defense. They were ultimately able to generate some offense by getting to the foul line. I thought our bench was outstanding. The first half the bench generated 19 points, gave us a lift; a real spark. But, in the second half, Fresno State counter-punched and went on a run that was the decisive factor in tonight's loss. Basketball is a game of runs. We went on a 10-0 run in the first half. They went on their 10-0 run in the second half. It's something that we can learn from. We'll go back, we'll watch game film, get on the practice floor this week in preparation for UC San Diego and do the drill work necessary in the areas that cost us tonight.
 
On individual bright spots…
When you look at the productive night for the bench, Colby Brooks, highlight it with his career high 10 points. He finished well in the basket area, got some offensive rebounds, just made some good decisions out there in the first half – he was a real shot in the arm. He kind of changed the momentum for us. Joey Chammaa knocked down a big shot from long distance and also off a back screen, made a good cut to get a shot on the interior for us. Neel Beniwal came in and I thought he gave some solid minutes and got his feet wet in terms of gaining some in-game experience. Kean Webb as well, picked up some valuable experience tonight as a first-year player, and took a charge at a key stretch, provided some resistance at the rim. I thought David Simon had one of his better games of late, both on the interior, able to finish, as well as from long range, knocking down some shots, was 3-6 from the field, and that's going to be important in terms of having David Simon playing with some confidence and adding value for us. So, the bench was outstanding with their 19 points in the first half.
 
On looking ahead to hosting UC San Diego and the Winter Wonderland event Saturday…
Saturday will be a great event for families to come down to the Jenny Craig Pavilion and celebrate the holidays with us and women's basketball with all the deals being offered. As for the product on the court, I think number one, we've got to improve our defense, and we'll look at alternating between our man and our zone alignments, as well as our full-court pressure schemes. We also have got to be able to be more efficient offensively. At times, we go into the desert with some anemic shooting numbers and so, moving the ball, playing inside-out, not being over reliant on threes, but also being able to finish in the basket area and get ourselves to the foul line. You know, tonight's game was won at the foul line. Fresno State's ability to get to the foul line, to get to the bonus and the double bonus in the first half, as well as the second half, is what allowed them to win. In the first half, we had 17 field goals. We held them to nine. But, because of the points at the charity stripe, they were able to stay within distance, and so that's something we have to be mindful of: playing defense with discipline, playing with passion, playing with intensity, but also having purpose and intelligence in terms of understanding that we have to be able to defend without fouling. Fouling is the equivalent of a turnover. It's costly. It's like a penalty in football or putting people on base and in baseball, and it will cost you. It will catch up to you. And so that's something our younger team is learning. 15 underclassmen, seven newcomers, nine players currently inactive with a myriad of different ailments. And so, it makes it even more imperative that we can defend without fouling and not put ourselves in a position that compromises our ability to win games.