Ty-Laur Johnson’s breakout game keys USD’s upset of UCSD

As Ty-Laur Johnson was departing LionTree Arena late Friday night, he turned to one of the few people remaining in the UC San Diego facility and proclaimed: “That was a great basketball game.”

It was — particularly for Johnson and his underdog University of San Diego team.

USD’s stunning 82-80 victory over the Tritons climaxed with Johnson’s last-second, off-balance 3-pointer. But it was the all-around effort of Johnson, a 6-foot junior transfer from Wake Forest, that kept USD in front for 90% of the game.

One of the keys to 10 UC San Diego wins in its first 11 games was the Tritons’ ability to pressure other teams into bad passes and convert interceptions and turnovers into baskets at the other end.

But USD didn’t throw the ball around much Friday night. Johnson continually dribbled the ball upcourt against the UCSD pressure.

“They had a good game plan,” UCSD coach Clint Allard said after the game. “We didn’t get stops and turnovers (10). They kept the ball in Johnson’s hands.”

Johnson was on the floor for all but 3 ½ minutes of the game. He finished with game highs of 23 points and seven assists plus six rebounds and a steal against just three turnovers. He was 8 for 19 from the floor, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range – the game-winner from the left side coming off the eighth rebound and feed from freshman forward Alejandro Aviles.

Johnson was far from alone on the guard-oriented Toreros. Running mate Toneari Lane scored 17 points while Adrian McIntyre and Juanse Gorosito each had nine points. And forward Vuk Boskovic had half the four 3s USD had early in the second half as they shot out to a 64-49 lead with 13:47 to play.

“That’s definitely a big win for this team,” said Johnson of the 5-6 Toreros’ second straight victory after five straight losses. “We really needed that as a team, just to show what we can do. It definitely has boosted our confidence back. Two in a row is a start. Let’s keep building.”

The victory was also USD’s first against a Quad 1 opponent since Feb. 8, 2019, when USD defeated the University of San Francisco in overtime on the road.

“What happened in the past is the past,” said Johnson. “We’re writing our own story.”

USD coach Steve Lavin agrees.

“This win is very encouraging as we move forward,” said Lavin. “We’ve had some key players out with injuries. We’re evolving into a different group than we were earlier in the season. We have a better sense for one another, but also because we have some injured players back. Our work is beginning to pay off.

“To pull out this victory on the road says a lot for this group. The fact that they’re joining the West Coast Conference makes it a stronger rivalry. I’m proud that when they made a run at us at home in the second half, we were able to respond and counterpunch.”

UCSD was led by 6-foot-11 junior forward Bol Dengdit, who scored 18 points and was 2 for 3 from 3-point range. Guard Tom Beattie scored 14 points and he and Dengdit both pulled down seven rebounds. Freshman guard Hudson Mayes had a dozen points and forward Emanuel Propere II had 11.

But forward Leo Beath failed to reach double figures for only the second time this season while getting off only eight shots without collecting a rebound.

“I think we were running on fumes a little bit from being all over the country,” Allard said. “We didn’t have enough emphasis on how well the other team was going to play. It’s a good learning experience.

”We couldn’t get some defensive stops for a large majority of the game. You’re going to have those results when you dig yourself a hole like we did.”