LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego men's basketball team picked up its fifth-straight victory while also posting a season sweep over Sonoma State, beating the Seawolves by an 82-61 margin on Saturday evening in RIMAC Arena. With the win the Tritons improve to 14-6 overall and 10-4 in CCAA play while dropping SSU to 9-11 overall and 5-9 in conference action.
In a game that was a part of the NCAA Division II National Broadband Broadcast schedule in conjunction with CSTV, the Tritons never trailed and led by as many as 23 in the second half. UCSD blistered the nets throughout the night, making 31 of 49 from the floor (63.3%) and an even more impressive 12 of 16 (75.0%) from behind the 3-point line. Conversely, the Seawolves made only 42.6% (23 of 54) from the floor, including an 0-for-8 performance from long range.
Alan Husted scored a career-high 17 points to lead four Tritons in double figure scoring. His career night came in only 17 minutes of play off the bench, making five of six from beyond the arc. Henry Patterson added a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double that included a thunderous dunk with 4:07 remaining in regulation. Jordan Lawley contributed 14 points while Andrew Hatch rounded out the UCSD players in double digits with his 12 points off the bench.
Steve Cornett scored a game-high 20 points in the loss for the Seawolves, going 10-for-15 from the floor while also grabbing 10 rebounds for the solid double-double performance. Keither Garner chipped in with 19 points in 26 minutes of play off the bench. SSU leading scorer, Andrew Kochevar was limited to 10 points on the night, more than four below his season average.
The win keeps UCSD within striking distance of CCAA leader Cal State San Bernardino who posted an 80-70 win at Cal State L.A. on Saturday evening. The Coyotes hold a one-game advantage over the Tritons in league action with their 11-3 mark in CCAA play.
First year head coach Chris Carlson and his squad will conclude their 2007-08 home regular season next weekend, hosting Cal State L.A. on Friday evening and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday night. Both games are slated for 7:30 p.m. tip-offs.
