SAN DIEGO (AP) - Ross DeRogatis scored 16 of his game-high 18 points in the second half and led a key scoring run as San Diego defeated UC San Diego 74-69 Monday night.
DeRogatis scored 14 of his second-half points during a 26-14 run that propelled San Diego into a 68-61 lead with just less than five minutes left. Kyle Price hit a pair of free throws at the 8:09 mark to put the Toreros ahead at 57-56.
DeRogatis capped the run with a 3-pointer.
San Diego (1-1) had to hold off the crosstown Division II Tritons, who cut the lead to 72-69 on Jordan Lawley's basket with 16.5 seconds remaining. Lawley was fouled on the play but missed the free throw, and the Tritons could not get closer.
It was San Diego's 19th win in 20 games against UC San Diego.
UC San Diego, which played the game as an exhibition, took a 34-33 halftime lead on Robby Peters' 3-pointer at the buzzer. It was his fifth 3-pointer.
Peters finished with 17 points, but had just two in the second half.
Gyno Pomare scored 15 points and had four blocked shots for San Diego, which made 26-of-37 free throws.
UCSD forward Henry Patterson scored 14 points while fellow sophomore Darryl Lawlor added 12. Junior Clint Allard rounded out the Triton players in double digits with 11 points.
The Tritons open up their regular season on Wednesday evening, November 15, taking on its third-straight NCAA D-I foe, San Diego States at 7 p.m. in Cox Arena. SDSU enters its home-opener with a 3-0 record on the season.
Following that contest, UCSD will travel to for its first of 26 contests against Division II opponents, playing at Grand Canyon University on Monday evening, November 20. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at Antelope Gymnasium in Phoenix, Ariz.
