LOS ANGELES – The Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team held off a late second half surge by the Golden Eagles to clinch an 83-78 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) victory at Cal State L.A. on Tuesday night.
 
CSUSM shot 52.4 percent from the field as five Cougars reached double-digits in scoring. Coming off the bench, junior Bear Henderson led all scorers with season-best 20 points.
 
With the win, CSUSM sits in third in the CCAA standings with a 3-1 conference record (8-2 overall). CSULA drops to 7-5 overall, 3-4 in conference action.
 
Henderson shot 61.5 percent (8-of-13) and sunk two 3-pointers in his 26 minutes on the court. Senior Joe Boyd notched his third consecutive and sixth overall double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 19 rebounds. Senior Brian Wright contributed 15 points and six assists while classmate Josh Spiers added 14 points. Senior Ethan Alvano rounded out the top-5 scorers, recording 11 points in the game.
 
CSUSM's 63.3 percent (14-of-33) shooting from the field was the highest the Cougars have shot in the first half this season. The Cougars held a 43-31 advantage at halftime after holding the Golden Eagles to just 27.5 percent shooting from the field.
 
CSULA put together a rally in the second half, closing within two points with just over three minutes remaining. The Cougars put together a 10-6 run that included 6-of-8 performance at the free throw line.
 
Devin Means led CSULA with 18 points while Garrett Carter chipped in 13 points.
 
The Cougars enjoy a break for the holidays and will return to the court on Dec. 29 when the Cougars travel to Turlock to take on Stanislaus State. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.