BOX SCORE

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SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team played one of its best halves of the season in Saturday night's second half, but Cal State San Bernardino played almost flawlessly over the first 20 minutes to race to a big lead it wouldn't relinquish in an 85–67 Coyote win in The Kelp Bed.

Alex Fertig (Fresno/Buchanan HS) led CSUMB (7-10, 3-7 CCAA) with 18 points and a season-high seven rebounds. Senior forward Kevin Loustale (Chico/Shasta College) chipped in the first Otter double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Senior forward Kwame Alexander led five players in double figures for San Bernardino (10-3, 8-2) with 20 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

San Bernardino shot a sizzling 64 percent (9-of-14) from beyond the arc in the first period as CSUMB struggled, shooting 31 percent from the floor while committing nine turnovers. The lethal combination allowed the Coyotes to build a 20-point lead (32-12) 10 minutes into the contest. By the time Alexander sank a pair of late free throws, the San Bernardino lead reached 50-23 at halftime.

The Coyotes still led by 26 when the Otters found their groove. A Fertig three-pointer with 16 minutes remaining not only snapped CSUMB's 0-for-22 streak from beyond the arc, it ignited a huge run that got the Otters back into the game.

Fertig and Brandon Ward (Riverside/Woodcrest HS) scored seven points apiece in a 16-0 run that allowed CSUMB to climb within 10 points at 58-48 with 12:14 remaining. The Otter defense held one more time, but they couldn't knock down the bucket they needed to get within single digits.

San Bernardino responded by scoring the next eight points and CSUMB wouldn't get closer than 13 points the rest of the way.

The Otters hit the road for a pair of games next weekend, starting with a Friday tilt at defending CCAA champion Chico State. CSUMB returns to The Kelp Bed to open a four-game homestand by hosting San Francisco State on Feb. 1.