[Box score] [Cal State San Marcos presser] [Azusa Pacific presser]

Jayce McCain and Quinn Denker combined to score 43 points to help lead Cal State San Marcos to the program's first NCAA postseason win with a 72-62 victory over Azusa Pacific. (Mar. 10)
 
Cal State San Marcos (20-10) is the No. 6 seed in the tournament, but it outplayed the No. 3 seed in nearly every facet of the game, especially in the second half. APU (22-8) quickly erased a two-point halftime deficit (32-30) by scoring the first seven points of the new period and went up by six at 40-34. CSUSM responded with the run that would win the game and lift Cal State San Marcos to the historic victory.
 
For a five-minute stretch, CSUSM outscored Azusa Pacific 14-0 and turned the six-point deficit into an eight-point lead (48-40). Cal State San Marcos stretched the lead to as many as 13 points with under six minutes left, and it maintained that double-digit advantage till the end. In the second half, CSUSM shot .545 percent from the field and .600 percent from 3-point range after being below .401 percent in both categories in the first 20 minutes.
 
Quinn Denker scored 14 of his game-high 24 points in the second half. He finished 6-of-11 from the field and 10-of-11 at the free throw line. The sophomore guard added five rebounds and three steals. Jayce McCain posted 13 of his 19 points in the opening period, and Greg Milton III added 11. Joel Mensah had eight points and eight rebounds. Bryce Sloan had 19 points to lead Azusa Pacific.
 
Cal State San Marcos will face the winner of No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino and No. 7 Montana State Billings on Saturday, Mar. 11, at 5 p.m.