AZUSA, Calif. – The second half got away from Azusa Pacific, as a one-point game at intermission turned into a 78-63 defeat at the hands of Cal State San Marcos Wednesday afternoon inside the Felix Event Center.

How It Happened: After spotting the home team the first basket of the game, San Marcos went on a 7-0 run to take the lead, which they would hold for most of the first half.  Indeed, the visitors went on three different runs of 6-0 or better in the opening 20 minutes and would lead by as many as nine in the first half.  But Azusa Pacific would respond, as EJ Bryson and Caleb Oden would combine to score 11 unanswered points to put the Cougars ahead 30-28 with 5:48 left before intermission.  But those were the last points the Cougars would score in the first half, and while the defense rose to the challenge over that span, San Marcos would go into the locker rooms with a 31-30 advantage.

Any hopes of mounting a threat to San Marcos were undone by a cold stretch to start the second half.  Over the next nine minutes of the game, the Cougars were held to just 3-10 from the field with three turnovers while they were outscored by San Marcos 24-9, turning a one-point contest into a 55-39 margin from which the home team would not recover.  San Marcos would continue to have an answer at every turn, leading by as many as 23 before a late Azusa Pacific run would cut the final margin to 15.

Inside the Numbers:

• Oden made 4 three-point attempts in the first half and led Azusa Pacific with 19 points in the game.
• Kaleb Taylor had 10 points–the only other Cougar in double figures–and 3 blocked shots.
• Bryson had 9 points and a team-high 7 rebounds.
• Azusa Pacific narrowly won the rebounding battle, 31-30.
• San Marcos shot 57% from the field in the second half, including 8-13 from beyond the arc.
• The San Marcos bench contributed 27 points, to Azusa Pacific's 17.
• Azusa Pacific leads the all-time series 7-4.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (1-2) will come back to the Event Center floor on Saturday when they host Cal State San Bernardino.  Tipoff against the Coyotes is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.