SAN DIEGO – Capturing its first NCAA West Regional win in program history, the sixth-seeded Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team (20-10) defeated third-seeded RV/RV Azusa Pacific (22-8) in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon in Golden Gymnasium on the campus of Point Loma.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Quinn Denker – 24 points | 10-of-11 FT | 5 rebounds | 5 assists | 3 steals
Jayce McCain – 19 points | 4 rebounds
Greg Milton III – 11 points | 4 rebounds | 2 steals
Joel Mensah – 8 points | 8 rebounds
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Denker scored all of CSUSM's first nine points and put the Cougars ahead 9-8 with a driving layup at the 15:19 mark.
• Tied at 15-all, APU went on a 7-2 run and took a 22-17 lead on a Nate Kleppe 3-pointer with 9:47 to go in the half.
• The Cougars retook the lead at 23-22 with a 6-0 run that was capped by a McCain driving layup with six minutes left in the period.
• CSUSM had a 32-30 lead after 20 minutes as Jayce McCain led the team with 13 points.
• The Cougars shot 40% (12-of-30) from the field in the first half while APU came in at 41.7% (10-of-24).
• Of CSUSM's 32 points in the first half, 11 came off turnovers.
• Trailing 40-34 to begin the second half, CSUSM went on a 14-0 run thanks to a Milton 3-pointer, a driving layup by Milton, a Mensah jumper, a 3-pointer by Denker, a McCain turnaround jumper and a Denker jumper to take a 48-40 lead with 11:37 remaining.
• APU never got closer than six points the rest of the way as free throws from Bryce Sloan cut the deficit to 48-42 with 11:26 to go.
• CSUSM took its first double-digit lead of the game at 55-44 on a turnaround jumper by Milton off an APU turnover with 8:03 left.
• After a dunk by APU's Kleppe with 43 seconds remaining to cut CSUSM's lead to nine at 64-55, a couple of free throws by Denker gave CSUSM a double-digit lead for good at 66-55 with 40 ticks remaining.
• CSUSM shot 54.5% (12-of-22) from the field in the second half while holding APU to 36.7% (11-of-30).

 
FAST BREAKS

• CSUSM ended the game shooting 46.2% (24-of-52) while APU finished at 38.9% )21-of-54).
• Denker led CSUSM in scoring for the third consecutive game – all with 24 or more points.
• CSUSM tallied a season-high five blocked shots.
• Denker's 10 made free throws were the most by a CSUSM player this season.
• This was CSUSM's first win over APU since Nov. 21, 2017 in San Marcos.
• Head Coach B.J. Foster earned his 99th win as a head coach – all at CSUSM.
• McCain inched even closer to the program's all-time steals record of 147 held by Danny Redmon. With his one steal today, McCain is now at 145.
• CSUSM tallied 11 steals to APU's four.
• CSUSM committed six fewer turnovers than APU (15-9).
• APU won the battle of the boards at 38-31 and racked up more assists at 13-10.
• Only 28 of CSUSM's 72 points came in the paint.
• CSUSM finished the game with 19 points off APU's 15 turnovers.
• CSUSM held the lead for 21:50 while APU had it for 12:19.

 


UP NEXT
In a rematch of the CCAA Tournament Championship game, CSUSM will face second-seeded No. 6/8 Cal State San Bernardino for the fourth time this season in the semifinals of the NCAA West Regional on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Golden Gymnasium.