SEASIDE, Calif. ? The UC San Diego women's basketball team ensured itself a home game in the first-round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament by defeating Cal State Monterey Bay 74-50 on Thursday night at the Otter Sports Center. The Tritons jumped out to a 23-6 lead and led by as many as 25 points in the first-half in the win. Michelle Osier scored 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to pace the Tritons. Alexis Gaskin chipped in with a productive 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Tritons improve to 21-8, 13-6 CCAA, while the Otters season ends at 3-24, 2-18 CCAA.
The Tritons enter the final game of the regular-season on Friday night with a CCAA first-round home game locked up on Tuesday, March 4. The top four teams earn the right to host a first-round CCAA tournament game and the Tritons can finish no lower than fourth.
With Humboldt State upsetting Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday night, CSUSB drops to 14-5 in conference (second-place), one game ahead of Sonoma State and UCSD. The Tritons and Seawolves are now both 13-6 in conference (tied for third-place), entering Friday night's final conference game.
Meaghan Noud added nine points and 10 rebounds, while Erin Noonan scored nine points with seven rebounds.
Trailing 6-5 at the 18:43 mark, the Tritons went on an 18-0 run to take the lead at 23-6 with 13:54 remaining in the first-half. UCSD jumped out to its largest lead of the first-half on a jumper by Noonan at 44-19 with 2:19 remaining in the half. A late lay-up by the Otters made the score 46-27 UCSD at the intermission.
The Otters chipped away in the second-half, getting the deficit down to 11 points on two occasions. CSUMB finally got the UCSD lead under 10 points on a jumper by Brittany Kikuchi, pulling the Otters within 55-46 at the 7:01 mark. UCSD responded with a 13-0 run over the next four minutes to lead 68-46 with 2:58 remaining, locking up the victory.
UCSD managed only one successful three-pointer on the night, in 13 attempts. UCSD held a commanding 61-26 advantage in the rebounding department.
UCSD is back in action Friday night when it takes on San Francisco State in San Francisco at 5:30 p.m.
