Dawson's Buzzer Beater Lifts CSUN to 79-76 Win Over Idaho St.

NORTHRIDGE, CA---

A last second 3-point shot from Tavrion Dawson propelled CSUN Men's Basketball (3-5) to a 79-76 victory over Idaho State on Saturday evening at The Matadome. Inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season, Dawson posted a career-high 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Kendall Smith added 18 points and four assists while Rakim Lubin finished with 14 points off the bench.

"We were a totally different team in the second half," said head coach Reggie Theus. "[Ethan] Telfair gets 19 points in the first half, seven in the second. Mikey Warren and AP (Aaron Parks) did a great job on him in the second half. What I saw tonight was a glimpse of who we can be if we continue to grow. You can't say enough about Tavrion and how he played. He got to the line, played through contact and did a tremendous job. It's a great win for us. Down the stretch of the game, with seven seconds to go, Kendall being a veteran really took control of the ball and made the right decision as a point guard. And it gave us a shot to win the game."

In game with 12 lead changes and 14 ties, the game would be decided in the closing seconds after a pair of clutch 3-point shots from each team.

Following two made free throws by Smith to put CSUN ahead 76-73, the Bengals would even the game on the ensuing play on a 3-pointer from Geno Luzcando with just over seven seconds on the game clock.

With its lead gone after an acrobatic shot from Luzcando, the Matadors would have an answer. Smith led the Matadors down the other way and made a pass to Dawson from above the 3-point arc. With the clock running down, Dawson nailed a 3-point jumper just as the final horn sounded to send The Matadome into a frenzy.

Finishing the game shooting 58.2 percent from the field, the Matadors shot 61.5 percent in the second half to erase a double-digit deficit. Smith knocked down 7-of-13 shots from the floor including 2-of-3 from downtown while Lubin went 6-of-7 from the field on the night.

CSUN jumped out to an early 11-5 lead following a layup from Lubin but the Bengals would recover. Idaho State drew even at 15-15 after a 10-4 run and the game would remain close for nearly the remainder of the first half.

After a pair of made free throws from Dawson, the Bengals closed on 9-2 run capped off by a buzzer beater by Ethan Telfair. Idaho State went into the break with a five-point edge at 43-38.

The Bengals continued their run into the second half. A 3-pointer from Brandon Boyd and a layup from Novak Topalovic pushed the lead to 10. Following a 3-point play converted by Boyd, Idaho State built its lead to 53-40 with 16:59 left to play.

Looking up at its biggest deficit of the night, CSUN began to claw back into the game thanks to strong play on the defensive end. Six-straight Matador points cut the lead to 53-46 and seven-straight missed shots by Idaho State gave CSUN an opportunity to close the gap even further.

A 20-3 run, with 10 of the points coming from Dawson, put the Matadors in front for the first time since late in the first half. After the Bengals closed to within two, Smith knocked down a 3-pointer to give CSUN its biggest lead at 63-58 with 7:45 left to go.

The teams went back-and-forth down the stretch as CSUN held a 72-69 lead with 3:08 left to go until four-straight points from Boyd gave the Bengals a 73-72 lead.

After a key stop on the other end, the Matadors took the lead with less than a minute on a Dawson drive to the basket. The Bengals answered to tie the game late in regulation setting the stage for Dawson's heroics at the buzzer.

CSUN held a 50-27 advantage in the points in the paint department while its bench also outscored Idaho State, 22-9. The Matadors also out-rebounded the Bengals, 31-27.

Telfair led Idaho State in scoring with 26 points and Boyd added 22 to go along with four 3-pointers.

The Matadors head across the country to take on St. John's on Monday in Queens, NY. Tip-off is slated for 3:30 p.m. (PT) on FS1.

Dawson's Buzzer Beater Lifts CSUN to 79-76 Win Over Idaho St.

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Team Stats

Tavrion Dawson

Kendall Smith

Rakim Lubin

Aaron Parks

Players Mentioned

Tavrion Dawson

Rakim Lubin

Kendall Smith