Box Score
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Ali Langford registered 27 points while
Jose Rivera added 20, and the No. 20 Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team upset No. 13 Biola University 85-78 on Wednesday night at MiraCosta College.
CSUSM (3-1) opened up a 15-point lead in the first half but saw the advantage dissipate to four with 5:42 remaining in the game. Rivera answered with his fourth three-pointer to start a 9-4 stretch to put CSUSM up nine, and the Cougars hit 7-of-10 free throws in the final 1:52 to hand Biola (4-1) its first loss of the season.
The win marks CSUSM's second this season over a higher-ranked opponent. The Cougars recently beat No. 4 Robert Morris, 91-75, on Nov. 9 at the Tip-Off Classic in Las Vegas.
Up by 10 with 6:43 left in the first half, Rivera scored 10 consecutive points for the Cougars to hand them a 37-22 lead at the 4:03 mark. Biola battled to get within seven at the break, using a 6-2 run to get with 42-35.
Held to just three baskets in the first six minutes of the second half,
Jacob Ranger hit a three to keep the CSUSM seven-point edge at 50-43. The Eagles would not go away, however, as a pair of free throws by Christopher jones made it 54-52 at the 12:15 mark.
Quincy Lawson answered with a fast break layup and
Jose Rivera finished with the left hand to make it 61-54. Mike Kurtz brought the Eagles within five with 8:13 remaining, but a pair of free throws and an up-and-under layup from Langford pushed the lead to nine.
Kurtz answered with consecutive jumpers to bring the Eagles within four, but the Cougars nulled them with Rivera's three and Lawson's layup from the left baseline to make it 73-66 with 3:33 left.
Hakeem Washington and Lawson hit both free throws on their next trips to the line to put the Cougars up nine at the 1:55 mark.
Langford tallied a team-high eight rebounds along with his 27 points. He was 13-of-14 from the free throw line, which ties him for the team single-game record.
Rivera went 7-of-15 from the field and added three steals. Lawson recorded 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
The Cougars shot 45.6 percent from the floor and forced Biola into 24 turnovers.
CSUSM faces Vanguard on Friday night in Costa Mesa at The Pit.
