AZUSA, Calif. – Nearly completing the comeback, the Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team (0-4) fell just short by a score of 76-71 to Seattle Pacific (1-5) in its final game of the CCAA/PacWest/GNAC Challenge at Azusa Pacific's Felix Event Center on Saturday night.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Keavie Love – 16 points | 2 steals | 1 rebound
Austin Nassar – 14 points | 2 rebounds | 1 assist
Donovan Watkins – 10 points | 4 rebounds | 3 assists
Micah Boone – 10 points | 5 rebounds
Dexter Stratton – 7 points | 10 rebounds | 1 assist
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM began the game with an 8-5 lead following a Micah Boone turnaround jumper in the paint just over three minutes in.
• SPU took control at 10-8 after a layup by Trace Evans following a CSUSM turnover with 16:20 to play in the half.
• The Falcons took a double-digit lead on a 3-pointer by Jonas La Tour to make it 26-14 with 12:38 left in the period.
• The Cougars trimmed the first-half deficit down to seven following a Mikey Aikhionbare 3-pointer to make it 33-26 with 3:29 remaining in the half.
• SPU built its lead back up to 15 with an 8-0 run as La Tour scored the half's final points on a driving layup to make it 41-26 with 51 seconds remaining
• The Cougars shot 34.5% (10-of-29) in the first half, while the Falcons shot a hot 57.1% (16-of-28) with eight 3-pointers on 13 attempts (61.5%).
• SPU took its largest lead of the game at 46-27 on an Owen Moriarty 3-pointer with 18:47 to go.
• CSUSM began to slowly chip away at SPU's lead until a 3-pointer by Keavie Love made it a single-digit game once again at 61-53 with 6:45 remaining.
• The Cougars got within striking distance as a four-point play by Austin Nassar on a 3-pointer and free throw cut the deficit to one at 69-68 with 1:44 left.
• The Falcons then went up by six on a 5-0 run that was capped by a pair of Mason Landdeck free throws to make it 74-68 with 10 seconds remaining.
• After a Donovan Watkins 3-pointer made it 74-71 with two seconds left, the Cougars fouled Moriarty and sent him to the free throw line where he made both to wrap up the scoring.
• CSUSM shot much better in the second half at 53.8% (14-of-26) while SPU came in at 46.4% (13-of-28). The Cougars also went 6-of-9 (66.7%) from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes as they outscored the Falcons, 45-35.

 
FAST BREAKS

• CSUSM concluded the game shooting 43.6% (24-of-55) from the field while SPU was better at 51.8% (29-of-56).
• The Cougars had more rebounds (31-30) and fewer turnovers (9-11) but the Falcons had the edge in assists (12-7) and steals (6-3).
• SPU had more points off turnovers (12-5) and fast-break points (12-6) while CSUSM posted more second-chance points (6-2).
• This was the third consecutive game in which the Cougars' opponent scored 76 points.
• CSUSM made a season-best eight 3-pointers.
• Stratton's 10 boards were the most by a Cougar this season. He had eight of the 10 in the first half alone.
• This was the third consecutive year in which CSUSM and SPU faced each other.

 
UP NEXT
CSUSM will return to action on Tuesday as it heads down to (RV) Point Loma (4-1). Tipoff is set for 7:30 at Golden Gymnasium.