SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. ? The UC San Diego women's basketball team got a game-high 19 points from Meaghan Noud, including the winning basket with just over a minute remaining, lifting the Tritons to a 57-55 win over Sonoma State in the the first semifinal game of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament Friday afternoon at Coussoulis Arena. Sonoma State (20-8) had two chances to tie the contest in the final five seconds, but a three-point shot by Chelsey Armacost and shot attempt by Genny Anderson at the buzzer were off the mark.
UC San Diego (24-8) advances to the CCAA title game where it will play the winner of the Chico State-Cal Poly Pomona semifinal that tips off at 3 p.m.
The Tritons had to battle from behind for most of the contest as they trailed by as many as nine points in the first-half and rallied from a seven-point deficit with 8:26 remaining.
“I really felt it was a gutsy performance by our team,” said Head Coach Charity Elliott. “We had to fight and battle from the get-go. It seemed like nothing was going smoothly and we just had to keep battling back. Our team had that look in it's eyes that said ?we're not going to lose this game.'
Noud's layup with 1:13 remaining gave UC San Diego a 56-55 lead and Michelle Osier made one of two free throws with :47 remaining to make it a 57-55 game.
Joining Noud in double figures for the Tritons were Michelle Osier, who scored 12 points, and sophomore forward Erin Noonan who added 13.
“One big sequence for us came in the second half when Alexis Gaskin hit a huge basket and then on our next possession got an offensive board off a missed free throw,” said Elliott.
“That was a very key moment. And Erin Noonan, coming off her injury Tuesday night, gave an incredibly gutsy performance and played some tough defense.”
Senior guard Danae Wellander scored a game-high 21 points to lead Sonoma State and Armacost added 16 points for the Seawolves.
Noud's two three-pointers gives her 76 this season, building on a single-season UCSD record. Osier's double-double was 18th of the season.
