Box Score OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The No. 8 Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team saw its 17-point halftime lead cut to two with 3:44 remaining, but the Cougars held on for a 79-70 win over Thompson Rivers on Monday night at MiraCosta College.

Down 53-36 at the break, TRU (6-4) took advantage of lethargic Cougar play and cut the CSUSM (15-1) lead to 71-69 on Reese Pribilsky's back-door layup.

After an empty possession by the Cougars gave TRU a chance to tie or take the lead, the Wolf Pack's Gerard Gore worked himself free for a jump hook in the lane. But Quincy Lawson slid over and slapped it away, his fourth block of the night, before starting a fast break for Jason Johnson.

Johnson made 1-of-2 free throws to make the CSUSM lead three. TRU's Will Ondrik missed a three from the corner that would have tied it, and Johnson responded with a runner in the lane to make the lead five.

CSUSM's final scare came with a minute to play. Leading by four, Zack Zaragoza, who hit four 3-pointers on the night, threw the ball out of bounds while trying to swing it around to a teammate.

With TRU holding the ball with a chance to get within a possession, Johnson drew a steal off Pribilsky before finding Zaragoza ahead of the play. Zaragoza laid it in for the easy bucket, redeeming himself of the miscue moments before.

To cap it, De'End Parker picked off Ondrik's pass before making a layup and drawing a foul. He drained the free throw for the 3-point play and the nine-point victory, the Cougars' sixth in a row.

Pribilsky's layup at the 3:44 mark was TRU's last field goal of the game.

Lawson accounted for four blocks and two steals, while tallying 11 points and pulling in seven rebounds.

Johnson led all scorers with 16 points and tied for the team-high along with Parker with four assists. Zaragoza and Parker had 14 points and 13 points, respectively.

Malcolm Lemmons finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.

Bobby Macias and Johnson each had three steals as the Cougars combined for 18 points on 18 TRU turnovers.

CSUSM faces Mount Royal at MiraCosta College on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m.