LOS ANGELES - A game-winning three-point attempt by senior guard Tyson Kygar missed as the Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team came up short in the closing moments of a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup and fell to Cal State L.A. by a final score of 101-99, Saturday Night at the Eagles Nest. The contest was the regular season finale for both teams.
 
The Cougars conclude their 2016-17 campaign at 18-10 overall, a three-game improvement in wins from last year. CSUSM finishes with a 12-8 conference record, besting last season's mark by one game. The Cougars take fifth in the CCAA at the end and would have made the conference tournament if eligible for the postseason. The Golden Eagles improve to 14-15 overall and 9-11 in league play and will enter the CCAA Tournament as the seventh seed.
 
The semifinals and finals of the CCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament will be hosted by CSUSM on March 3-4 inside The Sports Center. For tickets, click here.
 
CSUSM shot 49.3 percent (35-71) from the field, 46.2 percent (12-26) from behind the arc and 81 percent (17-21) from the charity stripe. CSULA went 56.7 percent (38-67) on field goals, 44 percent (11-25) on 3-pointers and 63.6 percent (14-22) on free throws.
 
Four Cougars scored in double figures with junior guard Josh Spiers leading the way with a season-high 33 points on 10-of-14 shooting from behind the arc. With 10 treys made, Spiers is now the school record holder for most 3-pointers made in a single game. Junior guard Ethan Alvano finished with 23 points and eight assists. Alvano concludes 2016-17 averaging 17.9 points per game, a single-season school record. Junior forward Joe Boyd amassed 22 points and seven rebounds. Boyd finishes his campaign averaging 10.0 rebounds per game, also a single-season school record. Junior guard Brian Wright pitched in 12 points.
 
The CSULA trio of Jordan Wilson, Travis Hammonds and Roderick Evans-Taylor scored 26, 25 and 20 points, respectively.
 
Tied 94-94, a 3-pointer from Hammonds put the Golden Eagles up by three with 1:30 left. Wright responded with a layup, but Evans-Taylor answered with a bucket of his own to pull the margin back to three. CSUSM was forced to foul as Wilson went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe as CSULA led 100-96. With 11 seconds left, Spiers sank a trey to make it a one-point contest. The Cougars were forced to foul again and like déjà vu, Wilson went 1-of-2 on his free throws. The game-winning three-point by Kygar hit the rim as CSUSM fell.  
 
The Cougars trailed CSULA 45-43 at halftime. Down by four points, Alvano got the defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast to beat the first half buzzer.
 
Seniors Dayton Boddie and Kygar played their final game as Cougars.