CARSON, Calif. - The fifth-ranked UC San Diego women's basketball team took care of business in its California Collegiate Athletic Association opener on Friday, coasting to a 79-54 triumph over Cal State Dominguez Hills at the Torodome in Carson.
UCSD was outstanding on both sides of the ball, shooting 52% from the field, while holding CSUDH to just 34.5% on the other end en route to its seventh straight victory. The Tritons (7-0, 1-0 CCAA) have now defeated the Toros (1-6, 0-1) 16 straight times dating back to the 2004-05 season.
Senior point guard Chelsea Carlisle scored 14 points for the Tritons, who led by as many as 27 points in the game. The reigning CCAA Player of the Week, Carlisle finished 6-of-8 from the floor and also finished with four rebounds and game-highs of six assists and four steals in just 26 minutes.
Senior center Lauren Freidenberg added 13 points and four boards, while junior guard Emily Osga finished with 11 points and a pair of rebounds. Freidenberg was 5-of-8 from the floor, while Osga converted 5-of-7 shots.
Siedah Wilson led all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting for the Toros, but no other player finished with more than seven points for the home team.
The Triton starters shot a combined 54% from the field, converting 20-of-37 attempts from the field. UCSD's starting five outscored the Dominguez starters 55-34, while the Triton bench outscored the Toro reserves 24-14.
"I thought our starting group really set the tone on the defensive end and then our bench came in and played very solid," head coach Charity Elliott said. "We have to keep working on playing with intensity for a full 40 minutes. We're not there yet, but we're getting better."
UCSD took control early on, scoring 10 unanswered points to take a 15-7 lead with 13 and a half minutes remaining in the opening period. Erin Dautremont scored inside to start the run and Carlisle put in five points for the Tritons.
The Toros cut the deficit to 18-12 on a jumper by Lyndsay Heard, but Osga answered with a layup and then hit a pair of free throws to put the Tritons on top by 10 with 9:40 left.
A 9-0 UCSD spurt made it 33-17 in favor of the Tritons four minutes later and a three-pointer by Nicole Anderson-Jew gave UCSD a 44-26 advantage just before halftime.
The Tritons outscored the Toros 13-6 over the first 6:31 of the second half to extend their lead to 57-34 and the Toros would get no closer than 18 the rest of the way. UCSD took its biggest at 77-50 with 1:48 remaining.
UCSD converted 26-of-50 shots overall, while holding CSUDH to 20-of-58 shooting. The Tritons finished with 17 assists on their 26 field goals.
UCSD will shoot for season victory No. 8 against Cal State L.A. at the Eagles Nest on Saturday in Los Angeles. The Tritons have won 11 straight meetings with the Golden Eagles.
Cal State L.A. defeated Cal State San Bernardino 79-56 on Friday.
