LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Toreros led with 25 seconds remaining inside LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid Sunday evening before ultimately falling on the road to Long Beach State, 76-72.
Freshman guard
Brandon Benjamin led USD in scoring in just his third career game with 16 points off the bench on 7-for-8 shooting, in addition to three assists, three rebounds and a steal.
San Diego shot 52.6% for the game and out-rebounded their opponents by five – something the team had struggled with in recent games – but untimely turnovers late in the game were costly.
How it Happened
- It was a slow-paced game on both sides to start but USD freshmen made an impact, particularly redshirt-freshman forward Gavin Ripp and Benjamin, making just their first and third appearances of the season respectively
- Long Beach State got out to an early lead off turnovers
- The Toreros then went on a 15-2 run, led by Benjamin and freshman forward D'Arrae Goodwin
- At halftime, San Diego held a 38-34 lead, shooting 55.2% from the field and grabbing eight offensive rebounds
- In the second half, grad forward Tim Moore Jr. finished off three consecutive and-ones, including a put-back poster, followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from his teammates to see a game-high eight-point Torero lead
- The Beach stayed in the game through proficient shooting from three, a 40% clip in the second half and 36% for the game
- Both teams would go into a scoring drought late in the game as both teams were scoreless for over five minutes
- With 25 seconds remaining in a one-point game, Long Beach State freshman Gavin Sykes grabbed a loose ball under the basket and laid it in through contact to give The Beach their first lead in 26 minutes, Sykes' 30th points of the game
- The Toreros turned the ball over on their final possession with a chance to take the lead back as Long Beach State converted its free throws, seeing the game through at 76-72
Up Next
USD will move forward toward its second road tilt of the season, traveling to the Bay Area to take on San Jose State on Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ while Voice of the Toreros Jack Cronin will have the call over the radio on USDToreros.com/watch.
