USD Men’s Basketball Heads to Bay Area Friday Night to Face San Jose State
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The University of San Diego men’s basketball team travels to San Jose State Friday night, seeking to rebound from a narrow 76-72 road loss to Long Beach State on Sunday. The 2025-26 season marks a importent “relaunch” for the Toreros under fourth-year head coach Steve Lavin, bolstered by 14 newcomers and ample program investment.
USD led by as many as eight points in the second half against Long Beach State, fueled by a dominant stretch from graduate forward Tim Moore Jr.,who completed three consecutive and-one plays. Freshman guard Brandon Benjamin led the Toreros in scoring with 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting in his third career game, alongside contributions from redshirt-freshman forward Gavin Ripp and freshman forward D’Arrae Goodwin.
Despite shooting 52.6% from the field and winning the rebounding battle by five, costly late-game turnovers proved decisive. long Beach State’s Gavin Sykes scored 30 points, including the go-ahead basket with 25 seconds remaining.
San Diego held a 38-34 halftime lead against Long Beach State, shooting 55.2% from the field and securing eight offensive rebounds. The Toreros went on a 15-2 run in the first half, sparked by Benjamin and Goodwin.
