LA JOLLA, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team picked up the most impressive win of the young Isaac Williams era by taking down defending CCAA Champion UC San Diego in overtime, 78–76, Friday night in RIMAC Arena.

It was an unlikely venue for such a big win. UCSD was 17–3 in its last 20 home games in RIMAC. The Otters, meanwhile hadn't won in La Jolla since the 2010–11 season.

But the Otters got big games from up and down the injury depleted lineup. Sophomore guard Jahvon Johnson (Clovis North HS) led the charge with career highs of 23 points and nine rebounds. None of those points were bigger than the driving layups he made to first force overtime inside the final 30 seconds of regulation and then to break a 76–76 tie with 30 seconds remaining in overtime.

Freshman Koen Sapwell (Adelaide, S. Australia/Trinity College Gawler) matched his career high with 22 points that included six 3–pointers. Junior Gregg Polosky (San Ramon Valley HS) also equalled his career high with 16 points while chipping in a game–high 13 rebounds.

CSUMB trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half and still trailed by seven, 68–61, with less than five minutes remaining. But a traditional 3–point play by Polosky and a long 3–pointer from Sapwell quickly eroded most of UCSD's advantage. CSUMB finally caught the Tritons at 71–71 on a Johnson layup with 21 seconds to play that ultimately forced overtime. 
 

---

THE GAME WAS STATISTICALLY OVER WHEN… Koen Sapwell missed the front end of a one–and–one with two seconds remaining in overtime. Gregg Polosky got the rebound, but everybody, including the players and table crew, thought it was a 2–shot opportunity. After a pause, Polosky tossed the ball to an official. The three officials then huddled before declaring the game over, as the clock should have started when Polosky grabbed the rebound.

MORE DOUBLE TROUBLE… Gregg Polosky claimed his second double–double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds Friday at UCSD. It marked CSUMB's sixth double–double its first 10 games. The Otters posted just seven double–doubles in all 26 games of 2016–17.

LEADERS OF THE RAFT… POINTS: Jahvon Johnson 23; REBOUNDS: Gregg Polosky 13; ASSISTS: Jahvon Johnson 5; BLOCKS: Jonquis Bouyea/Mateo Jones/Gregg Polosky 1; STEALS: Jonquis Bouyea/Brian Garrett/Jahvon Johnson/Koen Sapwell 1.

THE LAST WORD… "Tonight the guys played their most complete game of the season.  I'm very proud of their effort but, more importantly, I'm proud of the way they played as a team from the first minute until the last." – CSUMB Head Coach Isaac Williams

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters return to The Kelp Bed for their final home game of 2017 when they host San Francisco State Sunday (Dec. 17) for a 4 p.m. tip-off. The game will be the second of a men's/women's doubleheader with the Gators.