BROOKINGS, SD – Long Beach State erased a 13-point deficit in the second half and took a lead on Devin Askew’s basket with 16 seconds left, but Oscar Cluff was able to put back his own miss while drawing a foul, allowing the subsequent free throw followed. with 1.5 seconds left to help South Dakota State take the lead over LBSU, 80-79, on Friday night.
Long Beach failed to get a shot on a potential game winner before the final buzzer sounded.
Askew had 27 points – 15 for 16 from the free-throw line – and eight assists to pace Long Beach (1-1), while TJ Wainwright (23 points) and freshman Kam Martin (15 points) also hit critical shots on the wing. stretch as LBSU pushed the Jackrabbits (2-0) to the limit in their renovated arena.
Trailing by 13, Long Beach took a big bite out of the margin with a 12-4 run capped by a 3-pointer from Askew, cutting the lead to five with just over eight minutes remaining. Long Beach then cut the deficit to two points several times, eventually taking a 71-70 lead on a deep 3-pointer by Wainwright with 2:16 to go.
The teams traded the lead over the next two minutes, with Askew beating the shot clock for a 79-77 lead with 16 seconds left before Cluff answered with his decisive three-point play in the final seconds. in the center of the paint.
Cluff, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound senior center, finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds for South Dakota State, while Joe Sayler added 21 points as the Jackrabbits enjoyed a 44-14 edge in points in the paint. Owen Larson added 10 points for South Dakota, which shot 52% overall from the field, including 65% (15 for 23) in the second half.
Long Beach was hampered by early foul trouble and trailed 37-30 at halftime. The visitors shot 42% from 3-point range (11 for 26), including an 8-for-14 mark in the second half, and went 24 for 27 from the free throw line, helping to a 40% overall shooting to compensate. (22 for 55).
Austin Johnson led Long Beach with eight rebounds, while Cam Denson grabbed seven.
NEXT
LBSU has another road game when it faces San Francisco (USF) on Wednesday at 7 p.m
Originally published: November 8, 2024 at 9:44 PM PST