Box Score OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team forced 11 turnovers and cut a 13-point second-half deficit to four, but could not claw all the way back in a 53-45 loss to South Dakota School of Mines & Technology on Monday night at MiraCosta College.

The Cougars fall to 11-17 overall with the loss. CSUSM will finish up the regular season on Saturday night, Feb. 22 at MiraCosta  College against UC Santa Cruz at 7:30 p.m.

SDSMT improves to 9-15.

Both teams struggled to find the mark out of the gate. Mines finally scored the first bucket at the 16:01 mark, but CSUSM would not find the bottom of the net until Brianna Higgins' turnaround jumper made it 5-2 in favor of SDSMT with 11:34 remaining in the first half.

The Hardrockers increased their lead to 14, but Nicole Lierly came in to drain back-t0-back 3-pointers to pull CSUSM within 21-12 with 3:09 left.

Mines took a 27-15 advantage into the break.

CSUSM answered back in the second half, as Alexandria Alvarado hit a jumper and Heather Thompson laid one up and in from the right side. SDSMT increased its lead back to 13, but CSUSM held the Hardrockers scoreless over a three-minute span and edged within 33-27 with 11:03 left on a Higgins free throw.

A pair of free shots by Alvarado and another layup by Thompson brought the Cougars within 35-31 with 8:40 remaining, the closest they had been since the 11:34 mark of the first half.

MacKenzie Kenney answered with a 3-pointer for Mines to make the lead seven. But, CSUSM answered on consecutive trips to pull within five. However, another long-range swish, this time from Krista Showalter, made the Hardrockers' lead eight, 43-35, at the 5:24 mark.

With a two-possession lead, Mines worked the clock on each trip down and was efficient from the line down the stretch. Even though the Cougars made their fair share of free shots, SDSMT's Alexis Long went 8-of-10 to keep the game out of reach.

CSUSM's last chance came with under 20 seconds left. Thompson made a layup from the left side to pull the Cougars within six, 51-45. Harnett then picked the pocket of Megan Rohrer directly under the hoop on the inbound pass, but Harnett could not lay it in to pull the Cougars within four. Long hit a pair of free throws at the other end to make it 53-43.

Thompson led the Cougars with 10 points and 17 rebounds. Alvarado had seven points. Harnett had eight rebounds while Sherika Miller tallied seven boards.

Miller will be honored in a Senior Night ceremony prior to Saturday's regular-season finale.