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UC San Diego

Homestand Concludes with League-Leading Sonoma State and San Francisco State

Men's Basketball UCSD

Homestand Concludes with League-Leading Sonoma State and San Francisco State

UCSD VITALS
Overall: 5-5
CCAA: 3-3
CCAA Standing: T-7th of 12
Home: 1-2
Away: 3-3
Neutral: 1-0
Streak:
won 1
National Ranking:
n/a

THE SCHEDULE
Game 11
vs. RV Sonoma State (8-2, 5-1 CCAA)
Friday, Jan. 9 • 7:30 p.m.
RIMAC Arena • La Jolla, Calif.
Live StatsLive VideoESPN Radio 1700Tickets

Game 12
vs. San Francisco State (6-4, 4-2 CCAA)
Saturday, Jan. 10 • 7:30 p.m.
RIMAC Arena • La Jolla, Calif.
Live StatsLive VideoTickets

FREE RALLY TOWELS!
The first 1,500 students at RIMAC Arena Friday (the women's game starts at 5:30 p.m.) will receive a FREE UCSD Tritons rally towel!

MAKE-A-WISH
During halftime of Friday night's men's game, the CCAA will recognize UCSD for producing the highest donation total in the league's 2013-14 Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser.

OUT OF THE WATER
Also during Friday's halftime, the UCSD men's water polo team will be introduced. The Tritons won their 17th Western Water Polo Association title and advanced to the NCAA Final Four, which was held right here at Canyonview Aquatic Center.

PROBABLE TRITON STARTERS
G - #1 Aleks Lipovic (So., 6-4/190): 8.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 22 3FGM, 27.6 MPG
G - #13 Adam Klie (So., 6-4/200): 9.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, .529 FG%, 2.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 26.6 MPG
G - #23 Hunter Walker (Jr., 6-4/200): 13.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, .495 FG%, 2.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 28.8 MPG
F - #14 Drew Dyer (Jr., 6-6/215): 13.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, .490 3FG%, .862 FT%, 31.6 MPG
F - #33 Zach McMillan (Jr., 6-7/215): 4.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4 BLK, 17.4 MPG

WEEKLY REWIND
UCSD split a pair of CCAA games at RIMAC Arena, defeating Chico State (69-53) and losing against Cal State Stanislaus (53-48).

In the big win over Chico, Drew Dyer netted a game-high 29 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Hunter Walker had 14 points and four assists. Both teams shot 46%, but the Wildcats turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 19 points for the Tritons.

UCSD shot just 18% in the first half against Stanislaus and went 0-for-8 from behind the three-point line. The Tritons upped their shooting to 46% in the second half, but it wasn't enough. Walker had a game-high 21 points and Zach McMillan led the Tritons with seven boards.

IN THE CCAA
Standings
1. Sonoma State: 5-1, 8-2
2. Cal Poly Pomona: 4-2, 8-3
2. Cal State Stanislaus: 4-2, 7-4
2. Chico State: 4-2, 7-4
2. San Francisco State: 4-2, 6-4
2. Cal State San Bernardino: 4-2, 4-5
7. Cal State Monterey Bay: 3-3, 7-5
7. UC San Diego: 3-3, 5-5
9. Humboldt State: 2-4, 8-4
9. Cal State L.A.: 2-4, 4-6
11. Cal State East Bay: 1-5, 3-9
12. Cal State Dominguez Hills: 0-6, 4-8
Team Stats
Individual Stats

DREW WITH A SLEW
In last Saturday's win against Chico State, Drew Dyer amassed 29 points, not only a game high, but also a season high for the junior forward. Dyer was 11-for-17 from the floor and hit four three-pointers. His total was just one point off his career best of 30, recorded at Cal State East Bay in January of 2013. Dyer has the top-three highest point-scoring performances of any Triton this season.

MEET THE TREYTONS
Through 10 games, UCSD has knocked down 89 three-pointers, which ranks second among all CCAA teams. The team's 8.9 threes/game average is 47th nationally. The Tritons are shooting 38.7% from deep, second in the league and 56th in the country. UCSD netted a season-high 16 threes against Fort Lewis on Nov. 29, the most since hitting 17 against San Francisco state on Feb. 21, 2014. The Tritons are also effective guarding against the three as they lead the CCAA, having given up just 46 treys to opponents.

UCSDefense
The Tritons are holding opponents to 63.4 points/game, the 25th-best scoring defense in the country. Interestingly enough, that number ranks fifth in the CCAA.

HOLDING ON
To the ball that is. UCSD is turning the rock over just 11.9 times a game, the lowest average of all CCAA teams. Four times this season the Tritons have had 10 or less turnovers.

POLL POSITION
In the most recent NABC national poll (Jan. 6), West Liberty held on to the top spot and is followed by Colorado-Colorado Springs and Tarleton State. From the CCAA, Sonoma State is receiving votes.

AGAINST THE RANKED
UC San Diego is 1-1 against nationally-ranked teams so far this season. On Nov. 22, the Tritons defeated No. 19 Cal Poly Pomona, 69-66, on the road. On Dec. 12, they fell at No. 17 California Baptist, 76-70. CBU is the highest-ranked squad UCSD has played since Feb. 9, 2013, when it lost, 73-50, to fourth-ranked Cal Poly Pomona at RIMAC Arena.

BRONCO BUSTING
On Nov. 22, UCSD busted a 12-game losing slide against No. 19 Cal Poly Pomona with a 69-66 win on the road. The Tritons' previous victory against the Broncos came on March 8, 2008, in the CCAA Championship Tournament title game (64-56). The last time UCSD topped a nationally-ranked opponent was Feb. 18, 2011, when the Tritons dispatched No. 13 Cal State Dominguez Hills, 61-59, in Carson.

LISTEN UP
For the fourth straight year, UCSD men's basketball games will be broadcast by ESPN Radio 1700. A total of eight regular season games will be aired on the radio and online. Jordan Carruth will handle play-by-play duties and various former Tritons will join him as color commentators. Seven of the games will be broadcast live including 1/9 vs. Sonoma State (7:30 p.m.), 1/30 vs. Cal State East Bay (7:30 p.m.), 2/20 vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (7:30 p.m.) and 2/21 vs. Cal State L.A. (7:30 p.m.). The 1/23 game vs. Cal State San Bernardino will be a delayed broadcast (time to be announced). Former player Tyler Acevedo (2006-10) will be doing color commentary for this week's game against Sonoma State.

WATCH THIS
Every home game this season will feature a live video stream with audio. In addition, all home games will be covered by live stats.

COACH WITH COACH
Second-year UCSD head coach Eric Olen will have a weekly segment on the Mighty 1090's "Coach" Kentera Show. Olen will join host John Kentera live every Wednesday at approximately 8:30 p.m. Fans can hear the show on the radio as well as online.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND ...
Including two exhibition games, UCSD played its first nine contests of the season on the road. To kick off the 2005-06 campaign, the team played 12 straight away from home, which included three exhibitions.

WHAT DO THE COACHES THINK?
UC San Diego was picked to finish ninth in the 2014-15 CCAA standings according to a preseason poll of the league's coaches, released on Nov. 12. Cal Poly Pomona topped the list and was followed by Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Stanislaus, Chico State, Humboldt State, Cal State L.A., San Francisco State, Cal State Monterey Bay, UCSD, Sonoma State, Cal State East Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills. CSUSB is the reigning CCAA champion, while the Tritons placed seventh last season.

WHO'S BACK, WHO'S NOT SNAPSHOT
UCSD does not have a single senior on its 14-player 2014-15 roster. The Tritons return four starters from last season's team that fell one game short of a second successive CCAA Tournament berth. They finished 15-11 overall and an even 11-11 in league play.

Drew Dyer is back after averaging 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds a game a year ago. Fellow junior Hunter Walker more than doubled his minutes played from his rookie season and was a stat-sheet stuffer, now as UCSD's leading returner in assists (tied-38), steals (26) and blocks (15) while having averaged 9.2 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. Adam Klie (10.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg) was the 2013-14 CCAA Freshman of the Year, while sophomore Aleks Lipovic averaged 9.9 ppg and held a .434 three-point field goal percentage.

Junior Zach McMillan (5.1 rpg) is expected to be in the starting lineup this season. Junior Treavon Francis (3.9 ppg) returns as well.

The Tritons lost their leading scorer and rebounder to graduation in James McCann and MacKenzie McCullough, respectively. McCann (15.6 ppg), a two-time All-CCAA selection as UCSD's point guard, left the program as the top assists man for the Division II era (469). He now plays professionally in England for the Leeds Force while pursuing a graduate degree. McCullough contributed 10.6 points and 6.0 boards per game before suffering a season-ending injury at SF State on Jan. 18. The other departed four-year Triton is guard Matt Bailey.

EIGHT NEWCOMERS DON THE BLUE AND GOLD
Among eight newcomers to the UCSD program this year are six true freshmen: George Buaku, Jordan Flannery, Kenny Fraser, Grant Jackson, Chase Ogden and Brett Oosdyke. Jeff Van Dyke is a sophomore transfer from Division I Pepperdine, and Tony Morman is a junior arrival from Ventura College. Van Dyke and Ogden hail from nearby Carlsbad in San Diego's North County.

HEAD COACH ERIC OLEN
Eric Olen is in his second season in charge of the UCSD men's basketball team. He led the Tritons to a 15-11 overall record and an 11-11 mark in the CCAA in 2013-14. Olen had previously served nine seasons as a Triton assistant before being named the program's 12th head coach on Oct. 1, 2013. Olen joined the Tritons as a second assistant for the 2004-05 season and was promoted to first assistant the next season. He was on the bench during the 2007-08 campaign when UCSD won its first CCAA tournament title and earned its first berth in the NCAA Division II Championship. As a player at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., Olen helped the Badgers to three straight appearances in the NAIA National Tournament, including trips to the NAIA Elite Eight in 2000 and 2001.

FAMILIAR FACE BACK ON TRITON BENCH
Former UCSD standout and assistant coach Clint Allard is back in La Jolla this season. Allard was the Tritons' point guard from 2004-08 and remains No. 4 on the all-time assists chart with 414, and No. 2 for the Division II era behind only the just-graduated James McCann. He was previously on the UCSD coaching staff for four seasons from 2008-12. Having spent 2012-13 and 2013-14 at CCAA foe Cal Poly Pomona, Allard returned to his alma mater in late April as the program's associate head coach.

ABOUT THE SEAWOLVES
Sonoma State is having a productive season thus far and comes into Friday night at 8-2 overall and alone in first place in the CCAA at 5-1. The Seawolves have won seven of their last eight games, their only loss coming at home against Cal State Monterey Bay (91-82) on Jan. 2. SSU leads the league in FG% (.496), 3PT FG% (.418) and FT% (.752). Individually, James Davis is third in the CCAA in scoring (15.9 PPG) and second in 3PT FG% (.500) and FT% (.892). JJ Mina leads the team in rebounding (4.8 RPG) and is followed closely by Mike Harris (4.8).

SERIES HISTORY
Sonoma State holds a sizable 18-9 lead in the all-time series against UC San Diego. The Seawolves have won the last three meetings, with UCSD's last victory coming on Jan. 26, 2013 in Rohnert Park (85-65).

ABOUT THE GATORS
San Francisco State enters the week with a 6-4 overall record and sits in a five-way tie for second place in the CCAA at 4-2. The Gators are on a modest two-game win streak, defeating Cal State Monterey Bay (73-58) and Cal State East Bay (70-57) at home last week. In the league, the team ranks second in steals/game (9.0) and third in assists/game (13.5). Nationally, the Gators are fifth in scoring defense, allowing just 59.6 points a game. Udun Osakue leads SFSU in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.3 and 4.9. Bren Haley is dishing out 4.5 assists/game, the second-best average among all CCAA players.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series against San Francisco State by a 16-11 count. The two squads split games last season, each winning on their home floor.

GEAR HERE
UCSD Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online to provide a web-based, on-demand option for UCSD apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products that can be processed and shipped within 24 hours. Visit the site at UCSDTritonsGear.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA - #TritonsRising
UCSD Athletics on Facebook (UCSDtritons)
UCSD Athletics on Instagram (UCSDtritons)
UCSD Athletics on Twitter (UCSDtritons)
UCSD Athletics on YouTube (UCSDathletics)
Head Coach Eric Olen on Twitter (CoachEricOlen)
Associate Head Coach Clint Allard on Twitter (CoachAllard)
UCSD Men's Basketball on Facebook (UCSD-Mens-Basketball)

UP NEXT
UCSD heads back out on the road, playing at Cal State L.A. on Jan. 16 and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Jan. 17. Both games tip at 7:30 p.m.

#TritonsRising

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Players Mentioned

Matt Bailey

#13 Matt Bailey

G
5' 10"
Freshman
James McCann

#10 James McCann

G
5' 10"
Freshman
MacKenzie McCullough

#11 MacKenzie McCullough

G/F
6' 4"
Freshman
Drew Dyer

#14 Drew Dyer

F
6' 6"
Freshman
Treavon Francis

#24 Treavon Francis

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Aleks Lipovic

#15 Aleks Lipovic

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Zach McMillan

#33 Zach McMillan

C/F
6' 7"
Freshman
Hunter Walker

#23 Hunter Walker

G/F
6' 4"
Freshman
Adam Klie

#12 Adam Klie

G
6' 4"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Matt Bailey

#13 Matt Bailey

5' 10"
Freshman
G
James McCann

#10 James McCann

5' 10"
Freshman
G
MacKenzie McCullough

#11 MacKenzie McCullough

6' 4"
Freshman
G/F
Drew Dyer

#14 Drew Dyer

6' 6"
Freshman
F
Treavon Francis

#24 Treavon Francis

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Aleks Lipovic

#15 Aleks Lipovic

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Zach McMillan

#33 Zach McMillan

6' 7"
Freshman
C/F
Hunter Walker

#23 Hunter Walker

6' 4"
Freshman
G/F
Adam Klie

#12 Adam Klie

6' 4"
Freshman
G

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