SEASIDE, Calif. — March Madness doesn't officially begin for three more weeks, but the Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team earned a win that was all–but tournament worthy by defeating San Francisco State 72-57 Friday night in The Kelp Bed.

The win pulls CSUMB (10-11, 6-9 CCAA) into a tie with SFSU (8-11, 6-9) as the two teams battle for spots in the CCAA Tournament field. The win was all the more critical for the Otters given SFSU's 73-58 win in their first meeting in The City back in early January.

Alex Fertig (Fresno/Buchanan HS) moved to within striking distance of 1,000 career points by posting a game-high 18 Friday night. He now has 976 points and needs 24 to become the fifth player in CSUMB history to reach 1,000.

Evan Zeller (Mission Viejo HS) added 16 points while Marquise Washington (Los Angeles/Cerritos College) came off the bench to chip in 10. Sophomore Mateo Jones (Victorville/Silverado HS) contributed nine points, three assists, two blocks and two steals in his first collegiate start.

The lead changed hands throughout the first half until a Fertig 3-point play with 1:27 remaining broke a 20-20 tie. Patrick Lefiti (Bay Point/Los Medanos College) knocked down a 30-foot 3-pointer as the first half buzzer sounded to put the Otters up 26-22.

The Gators never possessed the ball within a possession of the lead again.

A Zeller trey gave CSUMB its first double digit lead of the night at 44-33 seven minutes into the second half. An 8-0 run got SFSU back to within 44-41, but a Fertig 3-ball stopped the bleeding as the Otters quickly extended their advantage back to double digits.

The Otters host another game with big postseason implications Saturday when Sonoma State visits The Kelp Bed for a 7:30 p.m. tip. Although the Otters took the first meeting from the Seawolves, 91-82 in Rohnert Park, Sonoma enters the night one game ahead of the Otters in the CCAA standings.