LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego women's basketball team extinguished an eight-point deficit after the first quarter to defeat new league member and area rival Cal State San Marcos, 73-60, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup Saturday at RIMAC Arena. The game served as the season opener for both teams.
With the win, the Tritons are now 1-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Cougars drop to 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the CCAA.
UCSD got off to a slow start and allowed five CSUSM three-pointers in the first quarter, including two from Savannah Camp, as the Tritons trailed 21-13 after the first 10 minutes of play.
The Tritons started the second frame on a 16-3 run to take a five-point lead over the Cougars, ignited by a layup from senior forward Farrah Shokoor. During the run, UCSD got two treys from junior guard Beth Mounier and two buckets from senior guard Jamie Katuna.
The Tritons closed out the second frame with another Mounier shot from behind the arc and two good free throws from Katuna. UCSD took an eight-point advantage, 38-30, over CSUSM at halftime.
The Cougars tied the match, 40-40, after outscoring the Tritons, 10-2, out of the gates in the second half. It would be the closest CSUSM would get as UCSD led the rest of the way. From there, the Tritons scored 22 points, including five from sophomore guard Taylor Tanita and six from junior forward Cassie MacLeod, to end the third quarter with a 62-49 advantage.
MacLeod's layup with 4:30 left in the game gave UCSD their biggest lead, 73-51. The Cougars closed the match with nine straight points, but the margin was insurmountable as the Tritons took a 13-point victory over their new conference rivals.
Shokoor nearly recorded a double-double as she paced UCSD with a game-high 19 points and added nine rebounds. MacLeod also narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and a game-best 10 boards. Katuna and Mounier finished with 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Camp led CSUSM with 16 points.
The Tritons travel to Carson to play fellow CCAA member Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
#TritonsRising
