SEASIDE, Calif. - Veronica Williams scored 15 points and hit a big three-pointer with 45 seconds left to lead host Cal State Monterey Bay to a 68-57 victory over No. 11 UC San Diego on Saturday night at the Kelp Bed. Tiffany Hunter scored a game-high 18 points and Chelsea Carlisle finished with 17, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Tritons' third loss of the season.

The Otters outscored the Tritons 16-4 over the final 3:15 to earn a split in the season series and hand UCSD its second defeat in the last four games. CSUMB, which clinched a spot in next month's California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament with a 53-43 victory over Cal State East Bay on Friday, improves to 17-7 overall and 13-7 in the CCAA.

UCSD falls to 22-3 overall and 17-3 in conference play with the loss. The Tritons, who had never lost to the Otters in 11 previous meetings, were looking to clinch the top seed in the CCAA Tournament. Head coach Charity Elliott's squad will now come home to face Sonoma State and Humboldt State to wrap up the regular season next week.

UCSD trailed by seven points five minutes into the second half, but rallied to take a 47-46 lead with eight minutes remaining. Hunter led the charge, scoring six points as the Tritons used a 10-2 run to get back in the game.

The two teams traded punches for the next several minutes until Carlisle's second straight basketball gave UCSD a narrow 53-52 advantage with 3:39 left to play.

Michelle Santizo sank a pair of free throws on the Otters' next possession and CSUMB scored six unanswered points to take a 58-53 lead with 1:23 remaining. Carlisle made the second of two at the line to cut the deficit to four, but Williams' triple followed on the ensuing trip and to push the Otters' advantage to 61-54 with 45 second on the clock.

Carlisle got to the rim following a timeout to bring UCSD to within five, but Julie Heurung grabbed an offensive rebound for CSUMB and scored to end any chance of a Triton comeback.

The Otters would sink five free throws in the final 28 seconds to ice the game and record their first-ever victory over UCSD.

Williams led four players in double figures for Monterey Bay, grabbing five rebounds to go with her 15 points. She finished 5-of-15 from the floor and missed nine straight attempts from behind the arc before finally coming through in the waning moments.

Santizo and Lindsay Trout scored 14 points apiece for the home team, while LaShawn Johnson finished with 10 off the bench.

Hunter went 6-of-12 from the floor and 6-for-7 at the free throw line to pace UCSD. She also pulled down nine rebounds and recorded two steals in a game-high 35 minutes.

Carlisle scored 10 of her 17 points in the second half, going 7-of-14 from the field. She also tallied four boards and two steals, but failed to record an assist for the first time this season.

Cal State Monterey Bay shot 40% (25-62) for the game, while UCSD finished at just 36% (20-56) shooting. The Otters held a 43-32 advantage on the glass and outscored the Tritons 24-16 in the paint.

UCSD will now host Sonoma State on Wednesday of next week, before entertaining Humboldt State on Friday.