Box Score OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The No. 3 Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team became the first team at any level of collegiate basketball to reach 20 victories with an 86-73 win over Simpson on Saturday night at MiraCosta College.

Bobby Macias led CSUSM with 24 points, 17 of them in the first half, as the Cougars won their 11th game in a row and improved to 20-1 overall. The Cougars' winning streak is the second-longest in the NAIA.

Macias added five steals, three assists and finished the game 7-of-9 from the floor.

Jason Johnson got into the act with 17 points, while De'End Parker and Quincy Lawson each added 13 points.

Tied 12-12 at the 11:05 mark, the Cougars outscored the Red Hawks 17-2 over the next 4:14 to take a 15-point advantage. SU would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.
 
"The 20-win mark is always a good benchmark. It's unfortunate we didn't play to our standard, really, in getting there," said head coach Jim Saia. "We had some guys out with injuries this week and when you don't practice hard as a group, you usually don't play very well. We know we need to get better after tonight, but I'm also happy with the win."
 
The Cougars were sluggish out of the gate and the Red Hawks took an early six-point lead. CSUSM didn't let it get out of reach though, and Zack Zaragoza finally gave the Cougars their first lead, 11-10, with a deep 3-pointer from the right side.

Lawson's one-handed breakaway jam capped off the 17-2 run, as CSUSM took a 29-14 advantage at the 6:19 mark.

Simpson battled to pull within nine, forcing coach Saia to call timeout due to his squad's lackadaisical approach on the defensive side of the ball. Saia drew up an effective play on the restart, and Macias settled the Cougars down with a 3-pointer from the right corner.

Macias then drew a charge on SU's next play before hitting another 3-pointer, this time from the left side, to put the Cougars back up 15.

Macias finished the half 5-of-5 from the field, 3-of-3 from behind the arc and 4-of-4 at the stripe. He added four steals and a pair of assists without committing a turnover.

The Red Hawks hit back-to-back 3-pointers, but a pair of free throws from Malcolm Lemmons and a clever pass from Zaragoza to Lawson for a layup saw the Cougars take a 42-32 advantage into the break.

The teams traded buckets out of the intermission, but Johnson hit a 3-pointer to make the lead 49-35 before a fast-break finger roll at the front of the rim by Macias helped CSUSM match its biggest lead at 15, 58-43, with 13:39 remaining.

SU would not go away, however, and a tough layup by ­­Dalton Thacker brought SU within eight with 9:57 left, 62-54, the closest the Red Hawks had been since 8:56 mark of the first half.

However, it would be the Red Hawks' last gasp, as Johnson stole a cross-court pass before finding Lawson for another breakaway dunk. He was fouled on the play and made the ensuing free throw to put CSUSM up 13.

The Red Hawks answered with a basket, but CSUSM worked the entire shot clock on its next possession. Lemmons drove the lane, drew a foul, hit a one-handed fall-away, and made the free throw to put CSUSM up 75-61 with just over five minutes left.

CSUSM may see a jump up from their third position in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, as No. 1 Pikeville (Ky.) fell to Georgetown (Ky.), 92-77, on Thursday. The new NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll will be released Tuesday afternoon.

The Cougars have their first extended hiatus of 2014 with an 11-day rest period before their next game on Thursday, Jan. 30 at La Sierra in Riverside.

CSUSM has one official home game remaining, on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. vs. Bethesda. On Saturday, Mar. 1, CSUSM will honor its seniors with a home exhibition against St. Katherine at 7:30 p.m.