LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 21st-ranked UC San Diego women's basketball team came back from a 12-point deficit and took down Cal State L.A. 73-64 in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup Saturday at RIMAC Arena.
With the win, the Tritons improve to 15-3 overall and 10-2 in conference play. The Golden Eagles drop to 4-13 overall and 2-9 in the CCAA.
Five UCSD players scored in double figures with senior forward Farrah Shokoor and senior guard Jamie Katuna leading the way with 16 points each. Sophomore guard Taylor Tanita, junior guard Beth Mounier and junior guard Haley Anderson each chipped in 10. Anderson also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to record her first career double-double. Franeka Hall paced CSULA with 14 points.
The Tritons scored five straight points, all from Mounier, to start the game. UCSD stretched its lead to 12 points, 16-4, after a layup from Shokoor. The Golden Eagles would then go on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to three. Katuna was able to hit a layup with five second remaining as the Tritons led 20-15 at the end of the first quarter.
UCSD expanded the margin to as much as nine, twice, in the second period. Anderson knocked down a shot from behind the arc to give the Tritons their second nine-point advantage of the frame, 32-23, with 2:38 remaining before the intermission. CSULA closed out the quarter with two layups as UCSD went into halftime up five, 32-27.
A jumper by Bree Parsons gave the Golden Eagles their first lead of the game in the third period. CSULA's Hall hit a three-pointer with 14 ticks left as the Tritons trailed by nine, 51-42, going into the final quarter.
With 8:40 remaining, Rikki Fabricius gave the Golden Eagles a 12-point advantage off of a jumper. UCSD would go on a 14-0 run to take over the lead. The Tritons evened the score when Shokoor grabbed an offensive rebound and found the cutting Katuna with a bounce pass in the lane. The Tritons didn't give up the edge and made all 10 free throws in the final minute to win by nine.
UCSD will travel to Arcata for its next contest against Humboldt State on Thursday, Jan. 28. The Tritons will then have a day off before taking on Cal Poly Pomona in a road contest on Saturday, Jan. 30. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
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