SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The top-ranked Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team hosts Bethesda on Saturday night, kicking off a run a five games in eight days.
 
The Schedule
Game 12
Saturday, December 13 – 7:30 p.m.
Bethesda (2-10) at No. 1 Cal State San Marcos (10-1)
Oceanside, Calif. – MiraCosta College
Live Stats & Video

Game 13
Tuesday, December 16 – 7:30 p.m.
Trinity Western (1-9) at CSUSM
Oceanside, Calif. – MiraCosta College
Live Stats & Video

Scottsdale Classic
Thursday, December 18 | 5 p.m. | vs. Lethbridge (5-5)
Friday, December 19 | 5 p.m. | vs. Montana State Northern (7-3)
Saturday, December 20 | 12 p.m. | vs. Great Falls (Mont.) (7-2)

CSUSM Men's Basketball
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Kids 12 & Under Free When Wearing Basketball Jersey
Admission to every CSUSM home game is free for youth 12 & under when wearing their youth team's jersey to the game. Accompanying parents will be admitted for a discounted rate of $5. Regular adult ticket prices are $7 while children 12 & under and seniors over 55 and older are usually $5.

Cougars Back on Top of NAIA Top 25
CSUSM received five first place votes and 246 total points to take over the No. 1 position in the first edition of the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. CSUSM beat five ranked teams during November, including a two-point victory over previous No. 1 Vanguard, and currently is tied with the third-most victories in the NAIA.  CSUSM has been ranked for 17 straight weeks, currently tied for the second-longest streak in the NAIA. With eight No. 1 rankings in program history, CSUSM has the fourth-most No. 1 rankings of any current NAIA member. The Cougars have been ranked in the top-five for 13 straight polls dating back to January of 2014.

Cougars Tripped Up
CSUSM has been off for nearly two weeks, but the rest was well deserved. CSUSM wrapped up a span of five road games in nine days with an 85-76 loss to NCAA Division II opponent Azusa Pacific. Down 17 at the half, the Cougars rallied to tie the game with nine minutes left, but APU answered with a 7-0 run and the Cougars could not mount another comeback. Blake Nash once again paced the Cougars with 23 points and seven assists. Wade Collie continued his upswing with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting while adding six rebounds.

Bethesda Preview
All-time vs. Bethesda: 1-2
Last time out: W, 93-54 (Feb. 11, 2014); CSUSM utilized a 23-0 run late in the first half to break away from Bethesda in a 39-point victory. Zack Zaragoza hit his first six 3-point attempts, leading the way with 18 points, while Malcolm Lemmons added 16 and Quincy Lawson contributed 10. San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle enjoyed the game while sitting courtside.
BUC Breakdown: Bethesda University, located in Anaheim, is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). The Flames snapped a four-game losing streak with an 84-74 victory over UC Merced on December 4, but has since dropped two in a row to Multnomah Bible and Cal Lutheran. Daniel Chavez leads BUC in scoring with a 13.9 PPG average.

Trinity Western Preview:
All-time vs. TWU: 1-1
Last time out: W, 94-71 (Dec. 17, 2013); De'End Parker scored 21 points, Malcolm Lemmons had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and CSUSM took advantage of 28 Spartan turnovers in a 23-point victory in the opening game of the CSUSM Holiday Classic. CSUSM scored 44 points off TWU miscues as the Cougars improved to 10-1 with the win.
TWU Breakdown: TWU is a Christian University located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. TWU competes in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, a conference under the umbrella of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the governing body of Canadian college athletics. It's been a tough year so far for the Spartans, as they've only managed a single win in their first 10 contests and have lost three in a row.

Player Updates
1 Blake Nash (Sr., G): Ranks second in the NAIA with 24.5 PPG.
2 Tyson Kygar (Jr., G): Ranks first in the NAIA with a 6.67 assist/turnover ratio.
3 Akachi Okugo (Jr., G): Averaging 8.6 PPG and 2.72 APG in his first 11 games as a Cougar.
10 Dayton Boddie (Jr., G): 12^th in the NAIA with 22 total steals.
21 Jacob Andersson (Sr., F): Career-high 12 points in Nov. 29's road win at then-No. 15 Westminster.
22 Tony Freeland (Sr., F): Will make his first appearance of the season on Saturday vs. Bethesda.
24 Larry McMorris (Jr., G): Season-high four points in win over Fisk on Nov. 25.
32 Wade Collie (Sr., F): Has scored in double-digits in four of his last six games.
33 Steele Sylte (Sr., F): Has made five appearances for the Cougars this season.
35 Taran Brown (Jr., F): Will make his first appearance of the season on Saturday vs. Bethesda.
42 Declan Daly (Jr., F): Ranks 18^th in the NAIA with 16 blocks.
44 Julian Camper (Sr., F): 61.8 FG% is eighth-best in the NAIA.

Track The Cougars!
There are now more ways than ever to stay in tune with the CSUSM men's basketball team. To receive all news regarding the men's basketball team directly to your inbox, sign up for Cougar Update. Every pregame story, postgame story, and news posted to CSUSMcougars.com will be sent directly to you. Also, fans can sign up for text message updates to receive scores right after the games, and CSUSM Athletics' weekly email digest, Cougar Tracks.

Be There for Every Game!
You can now reserve your seat for every CSUSM home game of the 2014-15 season! Purchase season tickets today! Men's tickets start as low as $65 for all home contests. VIP courtside seats have SOLD OUT. To order season tickets today, click here.

Live Coverage of Home Games
Every home game of the 2014-15 season will be broadcasted with live video and play-by-play through Ustream.tv/channel/csusmsports. To find the link for the game, visit the Cougars' broadcast page or find the link on the team's schedule page. One can also follow the game with live stats on a brand-new interface.

CSUSM Athletics Social Media
The Cougars are now more "social" than ever… Navigate to the CSUSM Athletics Social Media Directory to connect with your favorite teams, coaches and administrators. Keep track of the CSUSM men's basketball team on Facebook and Twitter.

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