LA JOLLA, Calif. - For the second straight day, the team atop the CCAA standings lost at home, this time it was UC San Diego getting upset by Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday evening by a 61-46 score in RIMAC Arena. With the loss the Tritons fall to 15-7 overall and 11-5 in league play while the Toros improve to 14-8 overall and 9-7 in conference action.
UCSD never led in the game but did force three ties, the last of which came at the 15:22 mark of the second half when the score was knotted at 30 apiece. From that point on, CSUDH put on a clinic, out-scoring the Tritons by a 31-16 margin and leading by as many as 19 points before settling on the 15 point margin of victory.
Jamaal Barnes led three Toros in double figure scoring with his 15 points. Rodney Yearby added a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double while Michael Hernandez chipped in with 10 points.
Seniors Clint Allard and Henry Patterson led the Tritons in scoring during senior night, pouring in 14 and 11 points, respectively. Jordan Lawley was limited to four points but did grab a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.
As a team, CSUDH shot only 40% from the floor but managed to make seven of 16 from 3-point range while also going 14 of 19 from the charity stripe. On the other side, the Tritons made only 34.1% of their shots from the floor, going five for 14 from long range. Head coach Chris Carlson's squad was a woeful 11-for-23 from the foul line in the loss.
UCSD is now in a tie for second place in the league standings alongside Humboldt State, who beat San Francisco State by a 83-68 score. Cal State San Bernardino, one night removed from a 63-60 loss at home to last place Chico State, posted a convincing victory over Cal State Stanislaus to regain sole possession of first place in the CCAA with its 12-4 league mark.
The Tritons will now head out on four-game road trip to conclude their regular season. That trip will begin at Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona next Friday and Saturday evenings. Both contests are slated for 7:30 p.m. starts.
