TURLOCK, Calif. - Behind a stellar performance from the field, the seventh-ranked UC San Diego women's basketball team opened up a big first half lead and went on to defeat Cal State Stanislaus 83-60 on Friday night at Warrior Arena. UCSD shot a season-best 59.6% for the game, including a blistering 69% in the opening period to turn away the Warriors and sweep the season series.
Chelsea Carlisle scored a game-high 17 points and
Annette Ilg finished with 13 to lead the Tritons, who improved to 20-1 overall and 15-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Friday's victory was UCSD's sixth in a row since suffering its only loss of the season - an 84-80 setback at Humboldt State on January 21 - and seventh in eight road contests this season.
UCSD has now won 20 or more games each of the last five seasons, beginning with the 2005-06 squad that went 23-5. The Tritons have averaged more than 25 wins over that span and, with six games remaining in the regular season, head coach
Charity Elliott's team is poised to hit that mark again in 2009-10.
UCSD hit 15 of its first 19 shots in the game, building a 37-18 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half. The Tritons converted eight straight at one point, turning an 18-11 advantage into a commanding 19-point cushion. Carlisle's three-pointer with 3:21 left in the period made it 43-20 and
Leilani Martin's layup a minute and a half later gave UCSD a 26-point lead at 48-22.
The Tritons dropped 18-of-26 shots in the first 20 minutes, by far their highest shooting mark for a half this season at 69.2%. Carlisle hit five of her eight attempts in the period, including 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc, while Ilg and Martin each went 3-for-4 from the floor.
UCSD's lead would swell to as much as 32 points in the second half and the Warriors would get no closer than 21 the rest of the way.
While the Tritons "cooled off" to 50% shooting in the second half (13-26), they still managed to finish at just under 60% for the game. That figure easily surpassed the team's previous high of 56% that came in a 69-55 victory at Cal State San Bernardino on December 4. The UCSD offense - which began the week averaging a league-high 72.9 points per game - has been firing on all cylinders lately, as the Tritons have now scored at least 80 points in two of their last three games.
Carlisle finished 5-of-9 overall, while tallying three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Ilg missed just one of her six shots and finished with five boards, while Martin,
Lauren Freidenberg, and
Charity Smith combined to go 12-for-17 from the field and finished with eight points apiece.
UCSD scored 27 points off 24 Cal State Stanislaus (5-16, 4-13 CCAA) turnovers and held a commanding 42-22 advantage in the paint.
Alishea Kelly scored 17 points to lead the Warriors, who shot 35% (23-66) for the game. Katie Busi finished with 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Christin Gowan added 10 points and four assists.
The Tritons have now won the last 14 meetings with the Warriors dating back to the 2003-04 season. UCSD's last loss to Stanislaus was on February 8, 2003.
The Tritons will go for the season sweep of Chico State on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Acker Gymnasium.
