LA JOLLA, Calif. - No. 13 Western Washington netted 12 three-pointers in the first half en route to a 104-81 win over 19th-ranked UC San Diego in non-conference men's basketball action Monday night at RIMAC Arena.
With its first home loss of the season, UCSD fell to 7-2 overall. WWU, one of 15 undefeated NCAA Division II teams in the nation, improved to 8-0.
In the opening half, the Vikings shot 67 percent from behind the three-point line, hitting a dozen treys in 18 attempts. Taylor Stafford had 29 of his game-high 44 points in the half. He sunk six threes while teammate Jeffrey Parker made four shots from long range in the stanza.
The Tritons led by as many as three points early in the first half, but a Parker three-pointer with 15:13 left gave Western Washington the lead for good. Stafford nailed a three at the buzzer to put the Vikings up by 17 points, 63-46, going into halftime.
With 5:37 remaining in the game, WWU pushed its lead to 27 when a Trey Drechsel jumper made the score 96-69. UCSD then went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 17, but the Vikings scored the final six points of the game to seal the victory.
Sophomore center Chris Hansen led the Tritons with 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the year. Sophomore guard Christian Oshita and freshman forward Scott Everman each had 11 points. Everman and junior guard Anthony Ballestero both hit three three-pointers.
The game marked the return of senior guard Aleks Lipovic, who hadn't played for UC San Diego since March 1, 2016, due to injury. He finished with three points, one rebound and one assist in nine minutes of floor time.
The Tritons shot 46 percent (32-70) for the game and made 10 three-pointers.
Parker ended up with 25 points and Drechsel totaled 15 while adding eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Stafford was 7-for-9 on long range shots and 15-for-21 overall.
WWU made three three-pointers in the second half to finish with 15 for the night. Overall, the Vikings shot 60 percent (37-62). They came into the game averaging 91 points per contest, the 17th-best in the country.
The 104 points were the most given up by UCSD since Jan. 12, 2008, when conference rival Cal State LA struck for 111.
UC San Diego returns to California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action on Friday, Dec. 12 as it hosts Cal State San Bernardino (5-2, 1-1). The tip is slated for 7:30 p.m.
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