Box Score SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team finally got the monkey off its back.

Coming into the game 0-4 all-time against Southern California rival Concordia (Calif.), the 12^th-ranked Cougars dealt the sixth-ranked Eagles an 88-82 upset on Tuesday night at MiraCosta College while increasing their perfect record to 7-0.

De'End Parker scored a game-high 23 points, Jason Johnson delivered 18, and the CSUSM held off a late charge to hand CUI (5-2) its second loss of the year.

Zack Zaragoza's layup with 2:56 remaining gave CSUSM an 81-68 advantage and appeared to put the game out of reach. However, CUI rattled off six straight points before a jumper by Donnell Phifer made the deficit just five with 46 seconds remaining.

Clearly not out of danger, CSUSM forward Adam Eakles hit a pair of free throws to make it a three-possession game with 0:35 on the clock. CUI once again had an opportunity to get within five, but Phifer missed a pair of free throws which then allowed Parker to ice the game with two of his own with 20 seconds left.

"It's a great preseason win, obviously we haven't been able to beat Concordia in my time here," said head coach Jim Saia. "They are the top dog and everyone knows that, so it is a big win for our guys and this program."

CUI, the 2012 national champion, took down CSUSM twice in the Cougars' debut season before snapping a 14-game winning streak by the Cougars last year. In their last visit to CSUSM's home floor on Dec. 8, 2012, Tim Harris hit two late 3-pointers that helped CUI come from behind and steal an 84-79 victory.

The teams started the game seemingly without abandon, as both squads bounced from end to end looking to take advantage of quick-transition buckets. CUI led by five at the 13:31 mark, but a pair of jumpers by Parker and a lay-in from Quincy Lawson gave the Cougars their first lead two minutes later.

Tyree Murray hit a 3-pointer from the corner off a dish from Parker, capping a 10-run that gave CSUSM a 19-14 lead.

CUI tied it, but a pair of 3-pointers by Zaragoza kept the advantage in CSUSM's hands. The Cougars took a 42-32 lead into the half thanks to a 7-0 run punctuated by Zaragoza's third 3-pointer of the frame. It'd be his last of the night, but he finished the game perfect from behind the arc and 4-of-4 overall.

The Cougars shot 53.1% in the first half and scored 10 points off 12 CUI turnovers.

Frustration boiled over for the Eagles in the second half, as the CUI bench was assessed a technical foul for arguing foul calls. Johnson hit 1-of-2 off the tech before Bryan Emanuel's two free throws gave CSUSM its biggest lead of the game, 54-40, with 15:56 left.

However, CUI wouldn't go away and an 8-0 run saw the Cougar lead dissolve to six less two minutes later. The Eagles hung within two possessions for a bit, but six consecutive free throws by the Cougars saw the lead grow to 11 at the 8:02 mark.

Phifer's fast-break finger-roll brought CUI within 68-62, but once again, the Cougars had an answer. Parker and Malcolm Lemmons made tough baskets in the key before a 9-4 spurt gave CSUSM a 13-point advantage with just under three minutes left.

"We controlled the game by spreading them out and getting to the basket. We didn't defend in the second half, we kind of just maintained the lead and made enough plays to win the game. But I think we bothered them early enough to get a lead and keep the lead," said Saia.

Out of a timeout, CUI scored on three consecutive trips down the court and pulled within 82-77 on Phifer's jumper from the baseline. However, Eakles, Parker and Johnson were perfect from the stripe in the final 35 seconds to seal the win.

DeLaun Frazier led CUI with 14 points, Tim Harris had 13, and Kiefer Douse and Tommy Stangl each had 11. CUI went 8-of-18 from long range and out-rebounded the Cougars 14-5 on the offensive end, but was outscored 48-40 in the paint and held to just eight second-chance points.

Zaragoza finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Eakles had 10 points to go along with a team-high nine boards. Johnson dished out a team-high five assists.

The Cougars will take their perfect record to the road on Saturday when they take on UC Merced at Hope International University.

"We are just talking about the next game. And we really have to live by that. Everyone else can talk about us being 7-0, but we are just worrying about UC Merced on Saturday," said Saia.