RIVERSIDE, Calif. - A strong second half by UC Riverside doomed the UC San Diego men's basketball team, which suffered a 75-52 exhibition loss at SRC Arena Saturday in front of 2,341 fans.
UCR made 68 percent of its shots in the second stanza, draining 15 of its 22 attempts. The Highlanders made good on five of eight three-pointers and 11 of 14 free throws in the half.
Trailing by just five points, 29-24, at halftime, UCSD was out-scored 46-28 in the second frame by its NCAA Division I opponent.
For the game, UC Riverside shot 57 percent from the field compared to UC San Diego's 37 percent. The home team made nine of 18 three-pointers, while the Tritons struggled from deep, hitting just three of their 12 long-range shots.
"We have to use this an opportunity to learn and grow as a team," said UCSD head coach Eric Olen. "We had some good moments and we struggled at times. We will try to build on the positives and improve on our weaknesses."
For UCSD, 13 of its 14 rostered players saw time on the floor. Junior guard Treavon Francis led the Tritons with 10 points, while sophomore guard Adam Klie chipped in with nine. Klie also grabbed a team-best five rebounds.
Taylor Johns had a solid all-around performance for the Highlanders, finishing with 18 points, six boards and five blocks, all game-highs. Jaylen Bland totaled 17 points and made four three-pointers, while Nick Gruninger amassed 15 points in 23 minutes of play.
After Johns made a layup to start the game, UCSD took its only lead of the night when Drew Dyer hit a three with the assist going to true freshman George Buaku. However, Gruninger answered with a three of his own to put the Highlanders up, 5-3, and they would not surrender their lead again.
A Dyer layup with 3:58 left in the first half got the Tritons within a point at 25-24, but that would be as close as UCSD would get.
UCR led by 29, its largest advantage of the game, when Steven Jones made a layup at the 2:08 mark of the second half to put the score at 75-46.
Though it was an exhibition for UC San Diego, the game was the regular season opener for UC Riverside.
UCSD tips off its regular season next week at Academy of Art on Nov. 19 (1 p.m.).
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