LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego men's basketball team won its third straight game Saturday, defeating league opponent San Francisco State, 71-58, at RIMAC Arena.
Both team entered the game with identical California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) records. UCSD improved to 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the conference, while SFSU dropped to 6-6 and 4-4.
The Tritons moved into a tie for third place in the league with the victory.
Adam Klie paced the UCSD offense with a game co-high 20 points. He drained six of his seven shots from the field and also collected a game-best eight rebounds. Drew Dyer finished with 18 points and Jeff Van Dyke (Carlsbad/La Costa Canyon HS) had 12. Van Dyke canned four three-pointers and Hunter Walker handed out four assists.
Overall, the Tritons made 54 percent (22-for-41) of their shots, which included nine three-pointers. It was a season-best shooting percentage.
For San Francisco State, Bren Haley had 20 points, four rebounds and four assists. Udun Osakue registered 14 points and seven boards.
The Gators led 7-5 early, but the Tritons exploded for a 13-0 run and led by a score of 18-7 with 12:09 left in the first half. Klie and Dyer hit back-to-back-back treys during the run and the duo accounted for all 13 points.
SFSU led again briefly before halftime as it chipped away at the Triton lead. With 1:53 left, a three by Jon McMurry put the Gators up by one at 26-25. However, UCSD had a 30-28 advantage at the break and the home team would not trail again.
At the 13:52 mark of the second half, San Francisco State tied it at 37-37, but Van Dyke drilled a three to put the Tritons ahead for good. UCSD would lead by as many as 14 when a pair of Klie free throws made the score 57-43 with 6:35 left.
After playing its last five games at home, UCSD returns to the road next week at Cal State L.A. on Jan. 16 and at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Jan. 17. Both games are slated for 7:30 p.m. starts.
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