SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 3 Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team is off to its best start in program history after a 72-69 victory over No. 15 Westminster (Utah) in the Westminster Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday night at Behnken Field House.

The Cougars improve to 10-0 overall, besting their 9-1 start from a season ago. They are the second team to reach the 10-win threshold this season, joining Columbia (Mo.) (10-1).

Blake Nash hit seven 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 30 points, Jacob Andersson made a pair of clutch threes, and the Cougars finished the game with nine of the final 13 points to overtake the 2-6 Griffins.

Westminster led by as many as 12 in the first half and took a 39-33 lead into the break, but CSUSM used an 11-0 run midway through the second half that put the Cougars ahead, 60-56, with 7:30 remaining. Nash scored eight points during the stretch.

After Quincy Bair's three put the Griffins ahead by two, Nash found Andersson for a 3-pointer that put CSUSM in the lead, 66-65 with 5:04 left.

Kenny Woodard's lay-in tied the game, but once again, Nash found Andersson for his fourth 3-pointer of the night to put CSUSM ahead 70-67 with 2:55 remaining.

The Griffins pulled within one, 70-69, on Trevor Bamgartner's runner in the lane with 41 seconds left.

WC chose not to foul on the Cougars' ensuing possession and Nash made the Griffins pay. He let the shot clock drip all the way down before driving the lane. He stopped, pulled up in the paint, and drained the jumper to make it 72-69 with :09 on the clock.

WC pulled the ball out of the net and hurried for a game-tying 3-pointer, but Bamgartner's attempt was no good.

For Nash, a senior guard from Phoenix, it is his third 30-plus scoring output of the season. As of Saturday night, Nash's 24 points per game ranks second-best in NAIA DI. He added nine assists and four steals in the win.

The Cougars were outrebounded 42-27 by the Griffins, but forced 19 WC turnovers which were converted into 19 points. CSUSM shot 42.6 percent from the field.

Andersson, a senior forward from Vasteras, Sweden, scored a career-high 12 points off the bench while adding five boards.

The Cougars' undefeated record will be put to the test this week, as CSUSM travels to face Azusa Pacific (5-1) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. APU is a NCAA Division II institution that competes in the PacWest Conference.

CSUSM and APU have not met since the Cougars' debut season in 2011-12. APU won both meetings.