BOX SCORE

LA JOLLA, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team had its heart broken yet again Friday night, literally letting a chance at victory slip through its fingers in the closing seconds of a 71-67 loss to UC San Diego in RIMAC Arena.

CSUMB (2-11, 1-8 CCAA) overcame a 12-point second half deficit to tie the game at 66-66, then got a crucial defensive stop with 48 seconds remaining for a chance to take the lead in the closing seconds. But Jalen Headspeth lost control of the ball racing upcourt and couldn't recover it before it went out of bounds.
The Otters nearly got a reprieve when UCSD's James McCann also lost the ball driving to the bucket in the final 10 seconds. But fortune smiled on the Tritons this night as McCann not only recovered, but 
made a layup as he was fouled with eight seconds remaining to give UCSD a 69-66 lead.

Brandon Ward made just one of two free throws on CSUMB's ensuing possession before Tyler McGrath salted the game away for the Tritons with two free throws of his own.

The tragic ending overshadowed one of the better CSUMB efforts of the season. The Otters shot 52 percent from the floor and 55 percent from beyond the arc. Junior guard Geoff McIntosh led the way, draining four three-pointers as part of his season-high 19-point effort. The Otters also got 16 points from Brandon Ward and 12 from Derrick Anderson.

McCann and Justin Brue led UCSD (6-9, 2-8) with 19 points apiece.

The Otters will look to rebound with a quick two-game homestand next weekend. CSUMB hosts Cal State Stanislaus Friday, Jan. 20 and Chico State Saturday, Jan. 21. Both games tip-off at 7:30 p.m. as the nightcaps of men's/women's doubleheader action.