If you live on the edge long enough, you’re bound to fall off, and that’s exactly what happened to the Long Beach State men’s basketball team, who fell to San Francisco in double overtime.  The 49ers had been trying to win their fifth straight, in their third overtime contest of the season—they won the first two, but 49er fouls and SF rebounding brought them up just short Saturday night. 

Near the end of regulation, the 49ers were trailing by two, when—you guessed it—Donovan Morris created separation in the lane and pulled up to tie it.  In the first overtime period, he tipped in a Casper Ware miss to send it to double-OT, but the 49ers were outplayed and outscored in the final period 13-9, and fell 78-74, dropping their record to 4-3. 

Morris led the 49ers with 21 points (five in the overtimes), and Casper Ware continued his emergence with 14 points, while Arturas Lazdauskas scored 10, including six in the extra time.  LBSU made 42.3 percent (11-of-26) of its field goal attempts in the first half, but connected on just 3-of-10 from 3-point range, too low for a team that has relied on behind-the-arc shots in to close out these cliffhanger meetings.  The Dons managed to make just 37 percent (10-of-27) of their shots in the first half, but made one more 3-pointer to account for the 1-point lead. 

Dior Lowhorn led San Francisco with 26 points.   LBSU made four more shots during the game, but watched as USF shot 17 more free throws and out-rebounded the 49ers by seven, including 15 offensive boards.  The 49ers built a 20-10 first half lead in the first 11 minutes of the game, but USF climbed back to take a 28-27 halftime lead.

The 49ers will next play at Weber State on Thursday—they defeated the Wildcats earlier this season, in their first win, and first overtime game.