The UCSD men’s basketball team concluded its final home-stand of the season in high style. The Tritons beat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 74-72, on Feb. 26 following a dramatic 23-5 comeback run, capped by a buzzer-beating three-pointer by sophomore guard Mark Lewkowitz. The victory came after a frustrating 70-50 loss to Cal Poly Pomona on Feb. 25.
Against Cal State Dominguez Hills (7-17 overall, 6-11 California Collegiate Athletic Association), the Tritons (11-13 overall, 7-11 CCAA) found themselves at the mercy of another early deficit. UCSD was already down by double digits with just over five minutes played in the game, and fell behind by as many as 17 with a little more than six minutes left in the first half. However, successful three-point field goal attempts by sophomore guard Robby Peters and freshman guards Clint Allard and Andrew Hatch, along with strong defensive play and rebounding, closed the gap to 10 at the half.
The Toros were able to hold their double-digit lead for most of the second half and stretched it to a 16-point advantage at the 9:15 mark. The Toro offense went cold as Triton defensive intensity continued, feeding off 20 Dominguez Hills turnovers.
UCSD was within striking distance after Peters’ fourth converted three-pointer of the game cut the lead to 69-72 with two minutes left in regulation.
The Toros worked the clock before Quishawn Harrell missed a jumper with 1:33 left to play. Sophomore forward Parker Berling secured the rebound, and emerged, along with Lewkowitz, as a vital player in the game’s closing moments.
Lewkowitz converted a lay up with 58 seconds remaining, pulling the Tritons to within one point. Les Norman could not make things more difficult for the Tritons after missing two free-throw attempts. Berling secured another defensive rebound and then delivered the crucial assist to Lewkowitz, deep in the left corner. Lewkowitz exhibited the necessary fundamentals as he squared his shoulders and got the shot off as time expired; adding dramatic effect, the ball rolled around the rim before finally falling through the net.
Some students stormed the court to celebrate the victory with the team, which had just capped a 23-5 run, a nice conclusion to an 8-7 regular season record at home. The victory was also a sweet bit of redemption after a 62-44 loss earlier in the season to Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif.
The Tritons benefited from four players scoring in double digits, led by Hatch, who tied the game high with 17 points, followed by Peters with 14 while Allard and Berling added 13 apiece. Berling also grabbed a team-high five rebounds, while Lewkowitz notched nine points to finish with a game-high eight assists.
Three Toro players scored in double digits, with Quenton Harvey tying Hatch for the game-high with 17 points. Norman, who was responsible for the two late free-throw misses, nonetheless added 14 points and four rebounds, while Saul Lankster came in off the bench to add 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from the three point arc.
The Feb. 25 game was not as successful for the Tritons. Last season, the Tritons split their two games with Cal Poly Pomona (19-5 overall, 14-3 CCAA ), winning a close game, 65-64, at RIMAC Arena, before dropping their final game of the regular season, 71-66, at Kellogg Gymnasium in Pomona, Calif. UCSD hoped to muster another season split against a Broncos team that held an 8-5 all-time series advantage. On Jan. 22, the Broncos pulled out a 71-55 win over the Tritons, and on Feb. 24, the Broncos swept the series with a slightly larger decision.
UCSD was unable to connect on either side of the floor, shooting only .354 from the field, while watching the opposition shoot .500, including a solid .400 from three-point range. The Tritons weren’t able to match up on the boards either, losing the rebounding battle, 38-29.
The Broncos were led by four players who scored in double digits. Jeff Bonds led all scorers with 18 points, while David Sybesma had a strong shooting night, hitting 8-of-11 for 16 points. Jonathan Boyd had 14 points, while Kevin Nevue scored 10 in the effort.
Conversely, the Tritons had no player score in double digits. Allard led the stunted UCSD team with nine points and five rebounds. Lewkowitz added eight points and three assists, while Peters contributed seven points and five boards in the loss.
UCSD closes out the regular season on the road next weekend with a game against San Francisco State at 8 p.m. on March 4, followed by a contest at Sonoma State on March 5 at 7:30 p.m.
