Concordia University-Irvine continues to prove it can play with the big boys as evidenced by its hard-fought 80-74 victory over host Cal State San Bernardino Saturday night before 502 fans in Coussoulis Arena. 
    Junior Justin Johnson, a transfer from Citrus College, went around and through the Coyotes for a game-high 28 points while Cameron Glidden bombed CSUSB from three-point range, hitting six of seven from beyond the arc for 18 points. 
    The victory improved the Eagles to 7-0 on the season while the Coyotes are 0-2 as they prepare to open California Collegiate Athletic Association play next Friday at home against UC San Diego. 
    Concordia-Irvine, a member of the Golden State Athletic Conference, is off to a fast start this season, exposing UCLA in a one-point exhibition loss to the Bruins, defeating Big West Conference member UC Irvine and shutting down two other CCAA members – Humboldt State and Sonoma State in back-to-back fashion. 
    The Coyotes, playing only nine men for the second straight game because a handful of potential players won't be eligible until mid-December, hung with the depth-laden Eagles and even led late in the second half, but couldn't stop Johnson and Gliddon. 
    Senior Lawrence Tyson paced the Coyotes with 22 points, two assists and three steals in 38 minutes.     Junior guard Aaron Hill had 19 points and three assists in 35 minutes. Graduate Bryan LeDuc helped out with 12 points in 32 minutes. Senior Greg Williams came off the bench to score 10 points and grab six rebounds. 
    Johnson, the team's leading scorer at 15.7 points a game coming in, hit 10 of 14 from the field, hit both of his threes and was six-for-six at the foul line. He also came up with a pair of steals. 
    The Eagles shot 52 percent (27 of 52) and were 48 percent from the three (10 of 21). The Coyotes shot 51 percent (27 of 53) but made only four of 12 threes. Irvine was 88 percent from the foul line (16 of 18) while CSUSB fared well at 80 percent (16 of 20). 
    CSUSB was hurt by 19 turnovers, but outrebounded the visitors 31-21. 
    The Eagles led at the half 43-37. 
    The Coyotes trailed until a three-pointer by Tyson knotted the game at 54-all with 11:55 left in the game and Davon Davis put CSUSB in front 56-54 with a jumper 20 seconds later. 
    The score was tied three times and the lead changed hands four times in the second half. 
    After being tied at 63 on a pair of free throws by LeDuc, Concordia pulled away 70-65 on a jumper by Simon Austin. Trailing 76-73, the Coyotes' Hill missed the second half of a two-shot foul and Johnson converted a layup at the other end for a 78-74 lead with 12 seconds left. Johnson then stole the ball after the inbounds pass and iced the game with another layup.