BROOKINGS, SD — Long Beach State erased a 13-point deficit in the second half and took the lead on a basket by Devin Askew with 16 seconds left, but Oscar Cluff was able to make up for his own miss at the foul and make the ensuing free throw. He had 1.5 seconds left to help South Dakota State beat LBSU 80-79 on Friday night.

Long Beach failed to get a shot on a potential game-winner before the final whistle blew.

Askew had 27 points (15 of 16 from the free throw line) and eight assists for Long Beach (1-1), while TJ Wainwright (23 points) and freshman Kam Martin (15 points) also made critical shots. Tensions flared as LBSU pushed the Jackrabbits (2-0) to their limits in the renovated arena.

Trailing by 13 points, Long Beach took a big lead with a 12-4 run thanks to Askew’s 3-pointer and increased the lead to five with just over eight minutes remaining. After cutting the lead to two points several times, Long Beach took a 71-70 lead on Wainwright’s deep 3-pointer with 2:16 left.

The teams traded leads over the next two minutes; Cluff answered with a decisive three-point play in the final seconds, including Askew to tip the shot clock for a 79-77 lead with 16 seconds left. in the middle of the paint.

1.80 tall, 260-pound senior center Cluff finished the game with 23 points and 14 rebounds, while Joe Sayler added 21 points and the Jackrabbits gained a 44-14 advantage in points behind the basket. Owen Larson added 10 points for South Dakota, which shot 52% from the field, including 65% (15-of-23) in the second half.