[Box score] [Cal State San Bernardino presser] [Cal State San Marcos presser]

For the first time since 2007, Cal State San Bernardino will play for an NCAA Men's Basketball West Regional Championship. The Yotes earned a 67-61 victory over CCAA for Cal State San Marcos in the semifinal to clinch its spot in the title game.
 
Brandon Knapper led CSUSB with 18 points and four assists. Dontrell Shuler chipped in with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, along with his team-leading three blocks. Eddie Davis added 10 points and seven rebounds. Robby Robinson's nine boards matched Cal State San Marcos' Greg Milton III for a game-high.
 
Milton III finished with nine points, three assists, and three steals to go along with those nine rebounds. Quinn Denker led the Cougars with 24 points and six assists. He scored at least 24 points in each of the Cal State San Marcos' four playoff games. Jayce McCain added 13 points and two steals. Those two swipes tied McCain for the CSUSM career record in steals.
 
Both teams traded baskets over the first 12 minutes of the game until a Quinn Denker 3-point shot gave the Cougars a four-point lead (23-19). This would be the last basket CSUSM would see go through the hope for over 10 minutes of game time. CSUSM did not score in the last eight minutes of the first half and the first two minutes of the second half. During that stretch, CSUSB went on a 14-0 run to take a double-digit lead (34-23).
 
A 3-pointer by Lyle Sutton at the 17:57 mark ended the Cougar's drought (34-26), and they cut the Yotes' advantage to a single basket (41-38) with 12:33 remaining. CSUSB responded with an 8-0 run and held a comfortable lead until the final minutes. A jumper in the lane by Denker with just under three minutes left put CSUSM down two (59-57). Two more times in the final minutes, the Cougars would cut the deficit to two points, but each time the go-ahead basket alluded them, and the Yotes held on for the win.
 
Cal State San Marcos had only nine turnovers in the season. CSUSB made up for it by outrebounding the Cougars by 12 and outscoring them by 10 at the free throw line (14-4).
 
This was the fourth meeting of the season between the two CCAA teams. Each won on its home floor, but CSUSB won both neutral site games to take the season series 3-1.
 
Cal State San Bernardino will play the winner of Point Loma and Academy of Art of the NCAA West Region Championship on Monday, Mar. 13, at 7 p.m.