LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 21st-ranked UC San Diego women's basketball team fell to Cal State Dominguez Hills 89-82 in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup Friday at RIMAC Arena. The contest was on Spirit Night, the culmination of Spirit Week on the UCSD campus with 1,674 attendees.
The Tritons drop to 14-3 overall and 9-2 in CCAA play. The two conference losses for UCSD have come against the Toros. CSUDH stays perfect 10-0 in the league and is 12-6 overall.
The UCSD trio of sophomore guard Taylor Tanita, senior guard Jamie Katuna and junior guard Beth Mounier scored 21, 18 and 17 points, respectively. Two Toros recorded double-doubles. Monay Lee had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Kielyn Wilson scored 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Imari Brown put away a game-best 24 points.
The Tritons could not get anything going in the beginning and trailed 12-0 to start the game. UCSD scored nine straight, capped off by a layup from sophomore forward Gigi Olelewe, to cut the margin to three, but CSUDH pulled away and led 26-18 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Tritons went on a 10-0 run, ignited by a Katuna jumper, to begin the second period to take over. UCSD pushed to a six-point advantage, 38-32, after a three-pointer from sophomore guard Paige Song. With the time winding down before the intermission, the Toros' Wilson hit a near half-court buzzer beater as the Tritons took a narrow 43-42 advantage into halftime.
CSUDH dominated in the second half of the game. After Femi Hamilton was able to evened the score in the middle of the period, Brown gave the Toros the lead for good with a mid-range basket. CSUDH ended the third frame with a seven-point advantage, 63-56.
The Toros expanded its lead to 12 after a free throw from Wilson. UCSD would try to mount a comeback and got as close as five with 12 seconds left after a Katuna trey, but ultimately fell, 89-82.
Congratulations to Roosevelt College for winning its first Spirit Night trophy since 2013.
The Tritons will play Cal State L.A. on Saturday, Jan. 23 in another conference matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
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