Box Score SAN DIEGO – Zack Zaragoza led the Cougars with 21 points and the Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team took down defending NAIA Division II national champion Cardinal Stritch 96-83 in the teams' opening contest of the New Year's Cougar Classic on Friday night at Sol City Sport Center at Alliant International University.

The Cougars improve to 13-1 overall with the win and advance to play Waldorf College (6-4) in the championship game on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Waldorf topped Hope International (the only team that has defeated CSUSM this season), 77-74, in the opening game of the tournament.

Cardinal Stritch drops to 11-3 overall. The Wolves will face HIU (10-2) tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the consolation game.

"Stritch is a great program and they are really tough. Those kids don't back down," said head coach Jim Saia. "In the end, we made enough plays to win the game. We let it slip away a bit, but held on for the win."

CSUSM saw a 12-point second half advantage morph into a 56-56 tie with 13:05 left. However, the Cougars responded with a 12-2 run to build their lead back to 10, sparked by a step-back jumper and a pop up 3-pointer by Zaragoza on back-to-back possessions.

The Wolves then rode the back of Derek Semenas, who finished the contest with a whopping 38 points on 14-of-25 shooting. Semenas converted a layup and was fouled on the play to cut the Cougar lead to six with 1:32 left.

But, on his way back to the free throw line with a chance to pull within five, Semenas was called for a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct, handing the Cougars two free shots at the other end that were converted by Zaragoza.

The Wolves wouldn't get any closer the rest of the way.

De'End Parker followed Zaragoza with 17 points, 13 of them from the charity stripe, while Bobby Macias had 14 and Jason Johnson had 13 points, respectively. Quincy Lawson pitched in with a serviceable 12 points and nine boards.

Zaragoza and Macias led a CSUSM bench that outscored Stritch's second group, 39-18.

"I thought our bench was the key. We have different people who can pick us up at different times," said Saia.

A 12-0 run midway through the first half saw the Cougars turn a nine-point deficit into a three-point lead with 9:28 remaining. CSUSM closed the half with an 8-2 run and took a 45-37 lead into the break.

Now, the Cougars look ahead to the Waldorf Warriors, who battled back from a double-digit second half deficit to hand the Royals their second loss of the season.

"Waldorf is going to be a good game. They are methodical in their motion offense; it's a lot like what we run here. We just need the energy defensively to guard. If we don't have it, we're not going to be successful against them."