LA JOLLA, Calif. - Senior guard
Annette Ilg scored a career-high 24 points and hit a clutch runner with 30 seconds remaining to lift the 14th-ranked UC San Diego women's basketball team to an 82-80 double overtime victory over No. 20 Seattle Pacific on the first day of the Triton Holiday Classic Monday night at RIMAC Arena. Ilg was one of five players to score in double figures for the Tritons, who remained perfect on the season with the win.
UCSD improves to 7-0 overall and 3-0 on its home floor in 2009-10. Monday's victory was the program's first over Seattle Pacific in a total of nine meetings as SPU had won eight straight in the series coming in. The Falcons, who fell to 7-2 overall, last defeated the Tritons during the CCAA/GNAC Classic in Bellingham, Wash. last season.
"It was two great teams battling it out tonight," head coach Charity Elliott said. "We came out on top but it was a real fight. Anytime you play someone of Seattle Pacific's caliber - both as a team and a program - you know it's an important game and you'll be facing an opponent that's not going to be easily defeated. Our players showed a whole lot of fire and passion and getting our first win against them was something we needed for our confidence going forward."
After UCSD took a 74-70 lead with 3:36 remaining in the second overtime period, SPU's McKayla Gorman converted a three-point play and Jordan Harazin sank a pair of free throws to give the visitors a one-point lead with 2:48 left to play.
The Tritons came right back to take a 78-75 advantage, as Ilg hit a jumper and Tiffany Hunter made two at the line with 2:12 remaining. After the Falcons scored on consecutive possessions to take the lead back at 79-78, Hunter hit the first of two free throws and Chelsea Carlisle secured the loose ball on the second, setting up Ilg's basket that put UCSD in front for good, 81-79.
Melissa Reich earned a trip to the line on SPU's ensuing possession but managed to make just 1-of-2. Ilg was then fouled with five seconds left and hit the second of two at the stripe to seal the two-point victory.
"Every time we needed to respond, we came up with a basket," Elliott said. "We made big plays when we had to have them and made our free throws down the stretch in overtime."
After hitting just 17-of-31 free throws in regulation, the Tritons converted 10-of-13 at the line in the two overtime periods. Leilani Martin went 4-of-5 at the stripe in overtime, while Ilg and Hunter each went 3-for-4.
Ilg finished 7-for-11 from the field and 9-of-11 at the free throw line to surpass her previous personal best of 23 points that came in the win over Cal State East Bay on December 15. She also finished with five rebounds, four assists, and four steals in 43 minutes.
Carlisle was just 4-of-19 from the field but finished with 15 points and led the Tritons with eight boards. Hunter and Martin scored 11 points apiece and combined for 12 rebounds, while Lauren Freidenberg finished with 10 points and seven boards.
Reich scored 15 points and hauled in 11 boards to lead Seattle Pacific, while Daesha Henderson finished with 14 points and Harazin added 13.
The game was tightly contested throughout, with neither team leading by more than five points. The score was knotted at 32 at halftime, 60 at the end of regulation, and 70 after the first overtime, as the Tritons and Falcons posted identical scoring totals in three consecutive periods.
UCSD will face another tough test in Western Washington on Tuesday to wrap up the Triton Holiday Classic. The Vikings defeated Grand Canyon 81-78 in the first game of the day on Monday.
