OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team upset 13^th-ranked UC San Diego, 78-72, in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play on Thursday night at MiraCosta College.

Leading by 18 at halftime, the Cougars saw their lead dwindle to just two points with 4:49 to play. However, the Cougars answered with three straight buckets, capped by a 3-pointer from Taran Brown that made it 62-55.

UCSD was able to cut the lead back to three a couple minutes later, but the Cougars prevailed by hitting key free throws down the stretch to secure their first-ever victory over a ranked opponent as Candidacy member of NCAA Division II.

The Cougars improve to 14-10 overall and 10-7 in CCAA play. UCSD, which entered the day a half-game back of Chico State for first place in the conference standings, saw its title hopes get slimmer by falling to 19-5 overall, 14-4 CCAA. CSUC will need just two more wins to guarantee a CCAA regular season title.

Akachi Okugo led the Cougars with 22 points and a season-high eight assists. Darnell Taylor added 20 points, 14 of which came in the second stanza. Brown scored 16 points.

The Cougars held a 13-12 edge at the 12:09 mark of the first half before going on a 10-0 run over the next 2:57. The Tritons went without a field goal for a total of 4:03, allowing CSUSM to take a 27-15 advantage by the 8:06 mark.

A 5-0 spurt over the final 3:58 of the first half made it 39-21 in favor of the Cougars at the break. CSUSM shot 48.1-percent (13-of-27) while holding UCSD to a 29.2-percent (7-of-24) clip in the opening frame.

However, the Tritons didn't go away quietly.

They started the half on an 8-2 run that forced a CSUSM timeout and eventually closed to 46-39 by the second media timeout.

Grant Jackson's jumper made it 51-49 with 6:54 remaining, but a free throw and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Taylor pushed the lead back to six.

Drew Dyer cut the Cougar lead back to two with fewer than five minutes to play, but Okugo answered with a tough layup in the lane before Taylor added another.

After Grant cut the Cougar lead back to four, Okugo found Brown at the right wing and the stretch forward drained the 3-pointer to make the lead 62-55 with 2:46 left.

UCSD had another opportunity to get within two possessions, but Chris Hanson was called for an offensive foul that handed the ball back to the Cougars. Once again, it was Taylor who made the Tritons pay, making a bank-shot jumper and getting fouled in the process. He made the free throw to put the Cougars in the lead 67-57 with 1:26 left.

CSUSM will host its final home game at MiraCosta College in program history on Saturday at 8 p.m. against Cal State San Bernardino. The five Cougar seniors – Okugo, Brown, Taylor, Declan Daly and Ben Dickinson – will be honored prior to the game in a Senior Night ceremony.