Carter III Hits Game-Winner In Closing Seconds As Beach Drops UC Riverside In Overtime

Saturday, February 15

Long Beach, Calif.

4 p.m.

Long Beach State University

9-17,4-6Big West

UC Riverside

14-13,4-7Big West

OT 1

UC Riverside

Long Beach St.

Photo by: Darnell Wade

Carter III Hits Game-Winner In Closing Seconds As Beach Drops UC Riverside In Overtime

2/15/2020 7:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score - UC Riverside

Freshman Joshua Morgan finished with a career-high 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in the win.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Tied at 63-63 in overtime, Michael Carter III was able to find space and hit a long jumper on the win to seal another grimy defensive win for Long Beach State, as the Beach held off UC Riverside 65-63.

Long Beach State (9-17, 4-6 Big West) forced UC Riverside (14-13, 4-7 Big West) into 20 turnovers and turned them into 23 points, a transition effort that helped the Beach offset 10 threes from the Highlanders to capture a second straight win.

Michael Carter III wins it! Beach keeps it rolling with a 65-63 victory over UC Riverside. Carter with 12, Hunter with 14 and Morgan with a career-high 17 with four blocks and eight boards. #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/WYYw2L1XKn — LBSU Mens Basketball (@LBSUhoops) February 16, 2020

The Beach started ice cold on the evening though, falling into a 9-1 hole in the first five minutes, but Long Beach State responded with a pair of runs, with a 9-0 run following a shorter one to take their first lead at 19-17 on a Colin Slater jumper. Hitting Trever Irish in the paint for a pair of baskets, Long Beach State would lead by four at 21-17 but went into the locker room tied at 23-23.

Drew Cobb and Joshua Morgan combined for a thrilling fast break dunk to start the second half, but would lead as late as 11:58 following a three from Khyber Kabellis. Slater answered on the offensive end for the Beach, and neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way.

Cobb to Morgan on the break!! #ThrowItDown #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/OZlaNCMepa — LBSU Mens Basketball (@LBSUhoops) February 16, 2020

Tied at 55, Long Beach State would take a lead on a pair of Chance Hunter free throws, but Callum McRae collected an offensive rebound from a Dikymbe Martin 3-point miss and finished the put-back to extend the game into overtime, the first of the season for LBSU.

Two quick free throws put UCR in the lead, but Hunter sank a pair to tie the game and then buried a clutch shot as the shot clock expired to put Long Beach State on top by three, 62-59 with 1:49 to play.

UCR went inside to McRae to cut it to one at 62-61, and after Carter III missed the second of two free throws, a Kabellis drive tied the game at 63-63 and set the stage for Carter's game-winner in the corner.

Morgan went 8-for-10 from the field and finished with a career-high 17 points for Long Beach State, sharing the team lead with Cobb in rebounds as well with eight each. Hunter added 14, while Carter III scored 12 off the bench and Slater also was in double-figures with 11.

New career high from Joshua Morgan with 17 as Long Beach State retakes the lead! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/Fbm3WzAfit — LBSU Mens Basketball (@LBSUhoops) February 16, 2020

The Beach will be back on broadcast for their next three games, starting with a trip to face UC Irvine at the Bren Events Center on Wednesday, February 19. That game will be broadcast live on ESPN# and is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m.