LA JOLLA, Calif. - In a back-and-forth game that saw 11 ties and seven lead changes, the Tritons could not stop Humboldt State down the stretch as the UC San Diego women's basketball team was defeated by the 25th-ranked Lumberjacks by a narrow three-point margin, 67-64, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup on Saturday at RIMAC Arena.
With their second consecutive loss, UCSD now sits at 7-5 in the CCAA and 9-8 overall while HSU improves to 11-1 in the conference and 15-2 overall.
The Tritons got things going early and grabbed a 10-4 advantage after two three point baskets from Haley Anderson and Beth Mounier. The Lumberjacks countered back and tied the game at 11-11 after a Neika Puryear jumpshot with 11 minutes in the period.
UCSD built a four-point margin, 17-13, after layups from Farrah Shokoor, McKennan Bertsch and Cassie MacLeod. HSU tied the game once again at 17-17 after a good layup from A'Jaee Foster, but Miranda Seto answered back on the next Triton posession with a three-pointer to put her team back on top, 20-17.
The Lumberjacks closed the half on an 11-4 run in the last five minutes as UCSD went into the locker room trailing, 28-24.
HSU's Foster took over to start the second half as she made two layups and a free throw to build her team a nine-point lead, 33-24. The Tritons would go on a run of their own and eventually tie the game up, 37-37, after a Seto three-pointer coming on the tail end of a 13-4 run.
The Lumberjacks would score seven unanswered points to regain the advantage, 44-37, with 11:21 left in the game. UCSD climbed out of the hole once again and tied it 50-50 after a Mounier three-point basket.
The Tritons grabbed their biggest lead of the second half, 58-55, after two Bertsch free throws. However, HSU battled back and scored five consecutive points to grab a two point advantage. A Shokoor layup tied the game at 60-60 for the 11th time with 3:21 on the clock.
UCSD could not get things going offensively down the stretch as they were outscored 7-4 the rest of the game. The Tritons were just limited to a Seto made free throw and a Mounier three-pointer with three seconds remaining as they fell by a narrow three-point margin, 67-64.
Puryear and Foster led the way for the Lumberjacks with 16 and 15 points respectively.
For the Tritons, Dana Webster grabbed her fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Bertsch scored a team-high 14 points and Seto came off the bench to score 12 points.
UCSD continues their homestand as they host Cal State East Bay on Friday, Jan. 30. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m.
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