AZUSA, Calif. – The UC San Diego women's basketball team never trailed as the Tritons defeated Seattle Pacific, 79-60, in a non-conference matchup at the West Region Crossover Classic, hosted by Azusa Pacific, Friday at Felix Event Center.
With the win, the Tritons improve to 2-1 overall in the young 2015 campaign. The Falcons suffer their first loss of the season and fall to 2-1.
Four Tritons scored in double figures with senior guard Jamie Katuna leading the way with 22. Junior forward Cassie MacLeod chipped in 13, sophomore guard Taylor Tanita added 12 and freshman guard Joleen Yang came off the bench with 10. Tanita also had a game-best six assists. Senior forward Farrah Shokoor controlled the boards with a game-high 12 rebounds.
UCSD started the game on fire, scoring eight unanswered points that included two three-pointers from Tanita and MacLeod. After a Falcon bucket, the Tritons hit two more from long distance as MacLeod and junior guard Beth Mounier each buried a shot from behind the arc to lead, 14-2. UCSD ended the first quarter with a 17-point advantage, 29-12.
Katuna and Yang took over the second period as they combined for 15 of UCSD's 20 points in the quarter. Yang scored eight points, including two treys, and Katuna pitched in seven, even converting an and-one opportunity, as the Tritons led 49-36 at halftime.
UCSD's defense came alive in the third period as the Tritons limited Seattle Pacific to only 10 points. UCSD led 68-46 heading into the final quarter.
The Tritons grabbed their biggest lead of the match, 70-46, after Shokoor made a layup to start the fourth frame. UCSD ended the game with a 6-0 run to earn a 19-point victory.
“We're very excited about beating a very good Seattle Pacific team,” said UCSD head coach Heidi VanDerveer. “We had contributions from a variety of people who stepped up and played with a lot of energy. We had a great sense of urgency, hitting big shots in big spots.”
Courtney Hollander and Stacey Lukasiewicz led the Falcons with 13 points each.
UCSD will close out the West Region Crossover Classic on Saturday, Nov. 21, squaring off against Western Washington. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
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