[Box score]

SAN DIEGO - No. 9 Cal State San Marcos (NAIA) demonstrated its offensive prowess against the Point Loma men's basketball team in an 81-64 win on Wednesday night (Jan. 23).

When these teams met on Dec. 5, it was the Sea Lions (3-12) that controlled the tempo, holding the Cougars (17-4) to a season-low 51 points. However, Wednesday night was a different story, and despite Taylor Wetherell pouring in a career-high 21 points, on 8-of-13 shooting, the Sea Lions could not overcome a balanced Cougars' attack which averages 78.9 ppg.

Danny Redmon led three Cal State San Marcos student-athletes in double-figures with 16 points and all 10 Cougars scored in the contest. The Cougars built a 46-31 halftime lead by shooting nearly 50 percent in the opening period, including knocking down 7-of-12 shots from 3-point range.

In the second half, PLNU fought back to cut the lead back to single-digits at 67-58 on a trey by Wetherell with 8:33 remaining, but after the teams then traded baskets, CSUSM went on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to seal the game.

PLNU stayed in the game by dominating the glass 45-32. However, it was the giveaways which that proved to be the Achilles Heel for Sea Lions as they turned the ball over 24 times in the contest.

Wetherell, whose previous career-high was 17 points, knocked down 8-of-13 shots from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the arc en route to scoring a game-high 21 points. Sam Okhotin came off the bench to score 10 points, including eight points in a 14-5 run by the Sea Lions which cut the Cougars' lead to nine points. AJ Ussery grabbed a season-best 12 rebounds in the loss.

The Sea Lions will now host Holy Names on Saturday in a Pacific West Conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.