OTTERS at SAN FRANCISCO STATE HIGHLIGHTS


SAN FRANCISCO — An absolutely torrid start by San Francisco State spoiled a record–breaking night for senior guard Alex Fertig (Fresno/Buchanan HS) and gave Cal State Monterey Bay an 85–79 loss Saturday in The Swamp.

Fertig knocked down a 3–pointer late in the first half to break Brandon Ward's CSUMB career scoring record of 1,231 points. But with the Gators shooting better than 58 percent in the first half, the Otters were already on their way to a steep climb back into this one.

The Otter defense picked up its intensity after the break and gave them a chance to get back into the game. After trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half, CSUMB trimmed the lead to six at 76–70.

The Otters had a chance to get within three with more than three minutes remaining, but a Fertig 3–point attempt rimmed out and the Otters turned the ball over on their next two possessions, allowing the Gators to hold them off from the free–throw line.

Evan Zeller (Mission Viejo HS) led the Otters with 21 points. Ryan Nitz (Rancho Cucamonga HS) added 20 for his fourth 20–plus point game in his last six outings. Fertig finished with 13 points, giving him an Otter record 1,243 points.

CSUMB returns home to host Cal State East Bay for a rare Tuesday night game on Jan. 26. Tipoff will be at 7:30 p.m. in The Kelp Bed.