Aztecs close exhibition slate, get full team involved to run past Long Beach State

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State’s full squad made the most of their final ‘practice test’ opportunity, running away in the second half with a 92-67 exhibition win over Long Beach State on Wednesday night at Viejas Arena.

The Aztecs had six players in double-figures with the starters leading the way behiund 14 points from junior guard Latrell Davis and 13 points by sophomore guard Elzie Harrington. Fifth year forward Jeremiah ‘Bear’ Cherry and sophomore guard Chance Gladden also added 11 points apiece, while first year forward Luka Skorić came off the bench to score 11 and senior guard Isaiah Sy notched 10 points.

Gladden also dealt a game-high 7 assists while Harrington and Davis each dished 4 helpers, with the trio of swingmen combining for just a trio of turnovers.

After being bullied in their first two exhibition games by top-25 Arizona and USC, the Scarlet and Black feasted on an under-manned and under-sized Beach team and were able to give 10 players at least 13 minutes of game time.

SDSU scored the first 11 points out of halftime, their second of three 10-plus point runs in the game was part of a final 20 minutes where the Scarlet and Black showed flashes of the squad’s potential.

Davis took it to the bucket with authority on the first two possessions, scoring driving layups, then Harrington stepped in front of a telegraphed wing pass for a steal and score to force a Beach time out. That wouldn’t stem the tide, as Tae Simmons followed up a missed Mikan Drill-style reverse attempt by Cherry with a jam, then Davis nailed a 3-pointer to push the lead to 15.

Still, there was plenty to chew on, as the Aztecs committed seven first-half turnovers and fell behind the Beach twice around the six minute mark of the opening half. Long Beach State also had a 7-6 edge in offensive rebounds for the first frame.

But SDSU rode a 10-0 run in the middle of the first half to take control. It started thanks to getting the ball inside to Cherry for a pair of buckets as well as a free throw. Harrington added a pair of freebies and Chance Gladden splashed an NBA-distance triple from the top of the key during the stretch.

The first four Aztec turnovers were committed by their trio of international transfers, with all three being able to practice with the team in full for just over three weeks. First year guard David Torressani was the first to be certified by the NCAA on Sept. 24, with first year forward Luca Vincini getting the nod on Oct. 6 and Skorić cleared on Oct. 9.

In the second half Skorić and Vincini figured in another Scarlet and Black scoring spurt, an 8-point flurry in 46 seconds all of the hands of the transfer from Zagreb, Croatia.

After splitting a pair of free throws, Skorić took a feed from freshman guard Zach White for a driving score, then Vincini intercepted a pass near midcourt and fed the first-year guard for a drive where he faked to Harrington before finishing an and-one.

A Cherry dunk near the midway mark made for another 10-0 run and a 25-point lead. It led to Long Beach State’s shoulder’s noticeably slumping and prompted third-year head coach and former SDSU assistant Chris Acker to clap and implore his sideline for energy.

After being held to 5 and 6 3-pointers in their first two exhibition games, the Scarlet and Black made 6 of 15 in the opening 20 minutes and 10 of 25 for the game.

Gladden knocked down his third from downtown in the opening half at the horn, spinning free from his man thanks to a screen and nailing it from the top of the key to give the Aztecs a 45-38 lead. White also knocked down a pair of triples in the initial frame, part of 8 points in just over 13 minutes of play overall.

The Aztecs finished with a 42-22 rebounding edge (14 to 10 on the offensive glass) while dishing 18 assists and committing 16 turnovers — though 4 of those came in the final 3:36. Sy led the team with 7 rebounds, while Simmons grabbed 5 boards and Cherry corralled 5 caroms.

San Diego State opens the 2026/27 regular season against Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at Viejas Arena. The Titans finished last season 18-16 overall and 12-8 in the Big West, reaching the semifinal of the conference tournament. They were picked to finish eighth overall in the preseason conference coaches poll.

Cal State Fullerton splashed 12 triples in a 96-78 win in an exhibition game against Fresno State on Oct. 24, getting 31 points from fifth year guard Josh Ward, who was a second team All-Big West selection last season.

The game will be streamed for free on the Pac-12 YouTube channel, with a local radio broadcast on 760AM KGB.

This story will be updated.