SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The No. 9/11 Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team (11-0, 7-0 CCAA) made program history on Saturday by earning its best-ever start to a season with an 88-55 win over Sonoma State (2-12, 2-6 CCAA) at The Sports Center.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Tyrone Nesby IV – 27 points | 7-of-13 3FG | 2 steals
Joel Mensah – 12 points | 6 rebounds
Greg Milton III – 12 points | 4 assists
Jayce McCain – 10 points | 6 assists | 5 rebounds
Alex Gil-Fernandez – 6 assists | 4 rebounds | 3 steals
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing 7-2 early, the Cougars found their rhythm on Nesby's 3-pointer at 10:09 that sparked a 10-0 run to give CSUSM a 29-21 lead.
• CSUSM ended the first 20 minutes of play with a 44-29 lead.
• Nesby led all scorers in the first half with 22 points after sinking six 3-pointers.
• CSUSM shot 56.7% (17-of-30) in the opening 20 minutes while going 8-of-12 (66.7%) from behind the 3-point line.
• The Cougars scored 16 points off SSU's 11 first-half turnovers.
• Thirty of CSUSM's 44 points in the first half came off the bench.
• CSUSM kept up the momentum in the final 20 minutes and held a 20-plus point lead from the 15:21 mark onward.
• The Cougars took their largest lead of the game at 88-55 as Jack Schultz drained a 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining.

 
FAST BREAKS

• The Cougars' 11-0 start is the best in program history.
• CSUSM's 11-game winning streak is now the second longest in team history with the longest being 23 consecutive wins in 2013-14.
• With an 8-0 home record this season and six games remaining in The Sports Center, the Cougars are now guaranteed to finish with a winning record at home for the first time since 2017-18.
• Nesby's 27 points and seven 3-pointers were both career highs.
• SSU's 25 turnovers were the most by a CSUSM opponent this season while the Cougars only tallied nine.
• The Cougars' 19 assists were their second most this season.
• CSUSM ended the game shooting 50% (33-of-66) ­– tying for the team's second-best shooting performance of the season.
• This was the Cougars' fourth 30-plus point win of the season and it's the sixth time they've held an opponent to 60 points or less.
• CSUSM's 14 3-pointers tied for the most they've made this season. The Cougars also made 14 at San Francisco State on Dec. 11.
• The Cougars and Seawolves had the lone men's basketball game in the CCAA on Saturday with all other games canceled due to COVID health and safety measures.

 

Head Coach BJ Foster gives his thoughts as the No. 9/11 Cougars move to 11-0 and secure the best start in program history. #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/WWPN0D5NFY

— CSUSM Men's Basketball (@CSUSM_MBB) January 9, 2022

UP NEXT
A marquee matchup awaits on Thursday as No. 9/11 CSUSM travels to No. 4/5 Chico State (10-0, 6-0) for a battle of the unbeaten and sole possession of first place in the CCAA standings. Tipoff from Chico is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.