Box Score PHOENIX – Anna Nguyen registered a career-high 20 points and Heather Thompson recorded a double-double for the second-straight night, as the Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team beat Johnson & Wales (Colo.) 79-74 on Saturday at the Arizona Christian Women's Basketball Classic at Fultz Memorial Gym.

Nguyen went 8-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point land as the Cougars earned their second win in a row to improve to 5-9 overall on the year.

Thompson pitched in with 12 points and 12 boards following her 13 and 11 game against Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Friday night. Mechel'la Logan also tallied a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against Johnson & Wales. Sarah Jackson tallied a team-high six assists to go with 11 boards.

The Cougars led by as much as 13 in the second half, but the Wildcats were able to edge within five at the 8:19 mark. Nguyen hit a jumper and Logan scored on back-to-back possessions to push CSUSM back up by 10 two minutes later.

After Thompson converted a put-back to push CSUSM by nine, JWU's Caitlin Durkin hit a three to make it a two-possession game at the 3:10 mark. The Cougars punched back, as Alexandria Alvarado made a layup and drew the foul. She finished off the 3-point play with a successful free throw to hand CSUSM a 79-70 lead with 2:49 left.

The Cougars were unable to score the rest of the way. Durkin's layup pulled JWU within five with less than a 1:28 left, but Kristen Ward was unable to drain a 3-pointer that would have made the deficit two with 55 seconds left.

CSUSM will play four-consecutive home games, starting with a Dec. 14 bout against Ashford (Iowa) at 7:30 p.m. at MiraCosta College.