Long Beach State University Athletics
Saturday, February 21
Long Beach, Calif.
6 p.m.
Long Beach State University
8-20,4-12Big West
76
vs
78
CSUN
18-10,11-5Big West
1
2
F
CSUN
46
32
78
Long Beach St.
38
38
76
Men’s Basketball Erases Deficit But CSUN Holds Off Long Beach State 78-76
2/21/2026 9:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Senior Shaquil Bender made a season-high seven 3-pointers in the loss.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Down 17 points in the second half, Long Beach State refused to quit and battled all the way back with a chance to win the game, but two late efforts from Shaquil Bender and Gavin Sykes didn't fall in a 78-76 loss to CSUN.
CSUN (18-10, 11-5 Big West) had a first half that ultimately proved to be too much for Long Beach State (8-20, 4-12 Big West) to overcome Saturday from the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
Long Beach State opened the game hot, making four out their first five shots, all from three, but CSUN was extremely effective inside in the opening 20 minutes. Shooting 58.3% and scoring 38 points in the paint, as Long Beach State cooled off from the outside the Matadors extended their lead into double-figures. A Bender three helped trim the lead to eight at the half, 46-38.
Picking up where they left off, CSUN would extend the lead all the way up to 17 at 60-43 over the first eight minutes of the second half, but Long Beach State refused to back down.
Isaiah Lewis hit a 3-pointer to kick off a 10-0 run for the Beach, resetting the game for the stretch run. Shaquil Bender started to get hot, scoring 16 of his 27 points in the second half, first hitting a three to cut the lead to six at 73-67 and then another to bring the Beach within three at 75-72.
A second-chance three from CSUN put the Matadors back into a two-possession lead however at 78-72. After a trip to the line, another three from Bender, his seventh of the game, cut the lead to two at 78-76. After a key stop, the Beach found Bender again but this time his shot didn't fall, and a last-second push up the floor after two Josiah Davis missed free throws also didn't result in a basket as CSUN held on.
Long Beach State will next play a pair of road games, starting at Cal Poly on Thursday, February 26 at 7 p.m.
CSUN (18-10, 11-5 Big West) had a first half that ultimately proved to be too much for Long Beach State (8-20, 4-12 Big West) to overcome Saturday from the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
Long Beach State opened the game hot, making four out their first five shots, all from three, but CSUN was extremely effective inside in the opening 20 minutes. Shooting 58.3% and scoring 38 points in the paint, as Long Beach State cooled off from the outside the Matadors extended their lead into double-figures. A Bender three helped trim the lead to eight at the half, 46-38.
Picking up where they left off, CSUN would extend the lead all the way up to 17 at 60-43 over the first eight minutes of the second half, but Long Beach State refused to back down.
Isaiah Lewis hit a 3-pointer to kick off a 10-0 run for the Beach, resetting the game for the stretch run. Shaquil Bender started to get hot, scoring 16 of his 27 points in the second half, first hitting a three to cut the lead to six at 73-67 and then another to bring the Beach within three at 75-72.
A second-chance three from CSUN put the Matadors back into a two-possession lead however at 78-72. After a trip to the line, another three from Bender, his seventh of the game, cut the lead to two at 78-76. After a key stop, the Beach found Bender again but this time his shot didn't fall, and a last-second push up the floor after two Josiah Davis missed free throws also didn't result in a basket as CSUN held on.
Long Beach State will next play a pair of road games, starting at Cal Poly on Thursday, February 26 at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
CSUN
LBSU
FG%
.478
.431
3FG%
.300
.462
FT%
.500
.737
RB
38
33
TO
9
13
STL
7
3
Game Leaders
Pts
27
FGM
10
3FGM
7
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's BasketballGuard
/ Men's BasketballGuard
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