POMONA, Calif. - The University of California San Diego women's basketball team opened its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) season Tuesday with a loss, falling on the road at Cal Poly Pomona by a score of 65-56.

With the loss, UC San Diego dropped to 4-3 overall. CPP improved to 3-4. It was the first league game for both teams.

Cal Poly Pomona led for the final 37 minutes. UCSD was ahead by two points very early on, but the Broncos put together an eight-point run and never looked back.

"I thought that Pomona came out and really established a presence both offensively and defensively," said UCSD head coach Heidi VanDerveer. "We struggled offensively and I think that carried over to the defensive end of the floor."

UC San Diego made 35 percent of its shots, while Cal Poly Pomona countered at 52 percent. The Broncos drained seven of their 10 three-point attempts and the Tritons netted eight in 31 tries. CPP turned the ball over 18 times, while UCSD lost it on 13 occasions.

Senior forward Cassie MacLeod led UC San Diego with a game-high 15 points. She was 7-for-14 from the field and added a team-best seven rebounds. Senior guard Beth Mounier hit three three-pointers, while freshman guard Sydney Sharp finished with eight points. Junior guards Taylor Tanita, the reigning CCAA Player of the Week, and Paige Song each had seven points.

Cal Poly Pomona was paced by Chelsea Waddy-Blow and Alyssa Benton, who both poured in 14 points.  

"We need people to really commit to play with a higher sense of urgency defensively," said VanDerveer. "We know that we're an excellent offensive team and if we can challenge people defensively, we'll be much more effective."

UC San Diego hosts CCAA rival Chico State (5-1) on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m.

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