LA JOLLA, Calif. - Going into the fourth quarter up by only a single point, 49-48, the University of California San Diego women's basketball team outscored No. 23 Saginaw Valley State 33-21 in the final period to earn an 82-69 win on the first day of the UCSD Thanksgiving Classic, Friday at RIMAC Arena.
The Tritons snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 3-2. The Cardinals suffer their first loss of the season and are now 3-1.
UCSD shot 48.1 percent (26-54) from the floor and 30.4 percent (7-23) from behind the arc for the game and limited SVSU to 37.7 percent (23-61) shooting on field goals and 20 percent (2-10) on three-pointers. The Tritons won the rebound battle 44-30, which included 11 UCSD offensive rebounds.
Junior guard Taylor Tanita had 20 points and five assists to lead the Tritons. Junior forward Dalayna Sampton picked up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Cassie MacLeod contributed nine points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Beth Mounier had 16 points.
Katelyn Carriere and Abby Duffy were the Cardinals' leading scorers with 16 and 13 points, respectively.
The Tritons took a 12-9 lead at the end of the first quarter after the Cardinals shot 1-for-9 from the field.
UCSD grabbed a 12-point advantage, 31-19, in the second frame after a three-pointer from MacLeod. SVSU closed the first half on a 5-0 run as the Tritons took a seven-point lead into halftime, 31-24.
The Cardinals outscored UCSD 24-18 in the third quarter and cut the margin to one, 49-48. Carriere capped the run by successfully converting a layup and-one with eight seconds remaining.
SVSU tied the score, twice, in the fourth quarter. With 8:48 left to play and the score tied 53-53, the Tritons went on a 29-13 run the rest of the way to account for the final score. UCSD had a hard time missing in the fourth, shooting 90.9 percent (10-11) from the field, including 3-for-3 from behind the arc, and 90.9 percent (10-11) from the charity stripe.
In the first game of the day, Cal State San Marcos defeated Azusa Pacific, 79-61. Dee Armenta, Ashley Jenkins and Savannah Camp scored 16, 16 and 15 points, respectively for the CSUSM. Abigail Goodsell had 24 for APU.
The UCSD Thanksgiving Classic concludes on Saturday, Nov. 26. The first matchup will feature Saginaw Valley State against Cal State San Marcos scheduled at 1 p.m., followed by the Tritons facing Azusa Pacific at 3 p.m.
#AllForOne
