LA JOLLA, Calif. - Overcoming a late run, the University of California San Diego men's basketball team held on for a 70-67 win against Azusa Pacific Saturday in CCAA/PacWest Challenge play at RIMAC Arena.
Adam Klie finished with 20 points for UC San Diego. The senior guard was 9-for-14 shooting while also adding seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block. His assist total matched a career-high. Sophomore center Chris Hansen had 16 points and junior guard George Buaku totaled 10.
Azusa Pacific led by eight, its largest advantage of the night, when a layup by Joey Schreiber made it 16-8 at the 11:22 mark of the first half. UC San Diego worked to tie it at 26-26 on a three by Ben Rico with just under four minutes left in the stanza. A Klie layup at 2:36 put the Tritons ahead for good. They led 34-29 at halftime.
UCSD scored the first eight points of the second half, six of those coming on three-pointers by Buaku and Eric Patton, to lead by 13 (42-29), its largest spread. However, the Cougars rallied late, out-scoring the Tritons 16-9 over the final 5:21. Connor Peterson drilled a trey with just three seconds on the clock to get APU within a point at 68-67, but Buaku sealed the Triton victory by making a pair of free throws with one tick left.
UC San Diego shot 49 percent (25-51) for the game, while Azusa Pacific finished at 42.1 percent (24-57). The Cougars out-rebounded the Tritons 36-28.
APU's Petar Kutlesic led all players with 26 points. Schreiber ended up with 15 and Cory Langerveld had 10. Kutlesic and Langerveld each had a game-high six rebounds.
UC San Diego improved to 2-0 while APU dropped to 2-3. Both teams are receiving votes in the NABC's preseason national poll.
It was the first meeting between the Tritons and Cougars since 1996.
In Saturday's first game, Cal Poly Pomona topped Dixie State, 82-74. CPP's Jordan Ogundiran led all players with 24 points and Jeremy Dennis followed with 21. DSU got 18 points from Brandon Simister.
Over the two-day tournament, UCSD went 2-0, Azusa Pacific and Cal Poly Pomona were 1-1 and Dixie State was 0-2.
Klie was tabbed the tourney's Most Valuable Player and he and Hansen were named to the all-tournament team. Klie led all players with 5.5 assists per game while averaging 18.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. Hansen averaged 15.0 points and 7.5 boards.
UC San Diego plays three games next week. First up, the Tritons host crosstown foe Point Loma on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. They then face their first road trip of the season, competing at Western Oregon's DoubleTree Shootout, Nov. 18-19.
MVP
Adam Klie: Sr., G, UC San Diego
All-Tournament Team
Jeremy Dennis: Jr., G, Cal Poly Pomona
Chris Hansen: So., C, UC San Diego
Adam Klie: Sr., G, UC San Diego
Petar Kutlesic: Jr., F, Azusa Pacific
Quincy Mathews: So., F, Dixie State
Friday, Nov. 11
Azusa Pacific 73, Cal Poly Pomona 60
UC San Diego 62, Dixie State 55
Saturday, Nov. 12
Cal Poly Pomona 82, Dixie State 74
UC San Diego 70, Azusa Pacific 67
#AllForOne
