LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The West is won.

For the second consecutive year, the California State University San Bernardino men's basketball team has won the West Regional Championship, after the Coyotes defeated Azusa Pacific University 74-67 Monday evening in the Sweet 16 at University Gym.

With the win, the Coyotes advance to the national quarterfinal, which will be played at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana on Tuesday, March 26. They will find out their opponent and seed on Wednesday.

CSUSB went 7-of-14 (50 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half, going ahead by as many as 16 points before the break. Azusa Pacific kept things tight however, finishing the period on a 9-2 run to cut the deficit down to 39-30 heading into the locker room.

Junior Chris Mitchell (Oceanside, Calif.) led the Coyotes with 11 points before the break, going 3-for-5 (60 percent) from three. Senior Jalen Flanagan (Oceanside, Calif.) chipped in 10 points and five boards off the bench for CSUSB.

Azusa Pacific continued to chip away at the CSUSB advantage in the second half, as the Coyote offense quieted. The Coyotes got the lead back to 14 at 60-46 on a Mitchell jumper with 8:51 to play, but APU stormed back with a 15-5 run over the next four minutes to cut the deficit to 63-61 with 3:55 remaining. 

The Yotes answered with a 10-2 run of their own over the next three and a half minutes to seal the championship. 

Mitchell finished as the contest's leading scorer with 25 points in the victory. He was named Tournament Most Valuable Player. He was one of four Coyotes in double figures, as Sedrick Altman (Rialto, Calif.) posted 15 points, while Flanagan and junior Evan Guillory (Springfield, Mo.) each scored 10. 

Guillory joined Mitchell on the All-Tournament team.

It is the second consecutive year the Coyotes will make the trip to Indiana for the Elite Eight.