POMONA, Calif. - Four players registered double-digit point totals and the UC San Diego men's basketball team drained 13 three-pointers en route to a 69-66 upset of 19th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action Saturday at Kellogg Gym.
UCSD improved to 2-0 on the young season, while CPP fell to 2-1. It was the CCAA opener for both squads. The win snapped a 12-game losing streak against the Broncos.
"I'm really proud of the way we played tonight," said UCSD head coach Eric Olen. "We competed for 40 minutes and showed a lot of resiliency and mental toughness during periods where we weren't having success."
Aleks Lipovic poured in 15 points to pace the Tritons. He was followed by Hunter Walker (12), George Buaku (11) and Adam Klie (11).
Five of UCSD's three-pointers came from Lipovic and Buaku made all three of his long-range attempts. Overall, the Tritons launched 30 treys.
Drew Dyer and Zach McMillan each grabbed a game co-high seven rebounds.
For the Broncos, Terrence Drisdom led all players with 20 points and was 9-for-12 from the field. Jordan Faison finished with 12 points and seven boards.
CPP out-shot UCSD, 55 percent to 45 percent.
UCSD led for most of the game, except for a short period in the opening half. With 3:23 left until the break, a three by CPP's Jordan Finn tied it at 29-29. The Broncos pushed their lead to four points, but the Tritons had it even at 34-34 heading into the locker room.
A layup by Walker 45 seconds into the second half put UCSD up for good. The Tritons led by as many as 14 points when a Walker three with 8:45 left in the game gave them a 65-51 advantage.
The Broncos chiseled away and got within two points, 68-66, with just four seconds left. Two seconds later, Walker was fouled and made one of two free throws. With a chance to tie it, Faison's three-point attempt at the buzzer was in and out of the bucket.
UC San Diego had lost its previous 12 meetings against Cal Poly Pomona with its last win coming on March 8, 2008, in the CCAA Tournament title game (64-56).
The Broncos were picked to top the 2014-15 CCAA standings, while the Tritons were selected ninth in the league's preseason coaches poll.
"Beating a really good team on the road is a great way to start CCAA play," said Olen. "But, the most important thing is for us to continue improving."
The last time UC San Diego defeated a nationally-ranked team was Feb. 18, 2011, when the Tritons downed No. 13 Cal State Dominguez Hills, 61-59, in Carson.
UCSD, which plays its first seven games of the season on the road, heads to Denver, Colo., next week. The Tritons will take on Colorado School of Mines on Nov. 28 and Fort Lewis on Nov. 29.
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