LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego men's basketball team held a five-point halftime lead, but ultimately dropped a 59-49 decision to visiting Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday night at RIMAC Arena. Freshman guard
Jake Tarabilda scored a season-high 15 points for the Tritons, but it wasn't enough to overcome the stiff Bronco defense.
UCSD (4-11, 3-9 CCAA) hit 5-of-7 three-pointers in the opening half to take a 25-20 advantage into the locker room, but the conference's top defensive unit put the clamps down in the second period, outscoring the Tritons 39-24 over the game's final 20 minutes.
Austin Swift scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Cal Poly Pomona (10-5, 8-4 CCAA), while Dahir Nasser put in 14. Swift hit 5-of-10 shots from the field and Nasser connected on 6-of-9.
Tarabilda was tremendous in a losing effort for the Tritons, converting 6-of-9 shots from the floor, including 3-of-5 from the three-point arc. He also finished with four assists and two rebounds in 31 minutes. His previous high mark for the season was eight points on three occasions.
Jordan Lawley, who entered Thursday's game averaging 20.2 points per game, finished with just 11, converting 4-of-13 shots from the floor. The Broncos held the CCAA's leading scorer was to just five points until late in the second half and he needed to score six points down the stretch to reach double figures for the 12th consecutive game.
Pomona shot 52% in the second half and finished at 42% for the game, while limiting UCSD to just 31% in the second stanza and 33% overall. The Broncos - who entered the game allowing a league-low 54.4 points per game - held the Tritons to 49, which was their lowest output since scoring 46 in a 22-point loss in the first meeting of the year between the two teams on December 5.
Tarablida and Tyler Acevedo hit two threes apiece to help UCSD build a sizable advantage in the early going. Trailing 15-13 with 8:39 remaining in the half, the Tritons answered with a 12-2 run over the next seven minutes to take a 25-17 lead with 1:15 left in the period. Christian Hatch converted three free throws during the stretch and Acevedo hit back-to-back triples as UCSD looked to pull away.
It was all Pomona in the second half however, as the visitors opened the period on a 22-9 run to take a 42-34 lead with 6:23 remaining.
The Tritons closed to within six, but the Broncos scored the next six points to take their biggest lead at 49-37 with 1:34 on the clock.
Pomona's defense held UCSD to just three field goals through the first 18:35 of the half, until Tarabilda's three-pointer at the 1:25 mark made it 49-40.
Things don't get any easier for the Tritons on Saturday, as first place Cal State San Bernardino pays a visit to RIMAC Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m.
