LA JOLLA, Calif. - A solid all-around performance drove the sixth-ranked UC San Diego men's basketball team to a 70-55 victory against league rival Stanislaus State Saturday evening at RIMAC Arena.
With the win, UCSD moved to 19-4 overall and 14-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), earning the right to host a first round game in the eight-team CCAA Tournament on March 1.
The 19 victories are the most for the Tritons since moving to NCAA Division II status for the 2000-01 season. Their 14 conference wins equal the team's high mark, set last season (14-8).
UC San Diego, which led wire-to-wire, made 41 percent of its three-point shots on the night, draining 11 of 27 attempts. The Tritons also owned the boards, holding a 45-28 advantage in rebounds, which included a 13-2 dominence on the offensive glass. They turned the ball over just nine times while forcing 14 out of the Warriors.
Aleks Lipovic led UCSD offensively, finishing with 15 points. For the third straight game, he netted four three-pointers. The junior guard also added five rebounds and a pair of assists.
Adam Klie had 12 points, five boards, three assists and a steal, while Drew Dyer chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. The five helpers matched a career-high for the senior forward. Anthony Ballestero totaled nine points on a trio of treys and Kenny Fraser had a team-best six rebounds.
The Tritons led by 16 at the half, 37-21. A Lipovic three at the 15:42 mark of the second stanza gave them a 19-point cushion, 48-29, their largest lead of the game.
The Warriors made it interesting, cutting their deficit to just seven points on two occasions, the last coming with 9:24 left on the clock. However, UCSD out-scored Stanislaus State 15-7 the rest of the way to ice the big win.
Christian Bayne had a game-high 21 points for Stanislaus, which lost its 11th consecutive contest and dropped to 5-16 on the season and 4-12 in the CCAA.
UC San Diego remains in second place in the league behind Chico State (20-3, 14-2), which defeated Cal State San Bernardino in overtime Saturday.
The Tritons have three regular season games remaining, starting with a jaunt up the 5 Freeway to visit fellow San Diego County school Cal State San Marcos on Feb. 18. UCSD defeated CSUSM, 69-65, on Dec. 20 in La Jolla.
#TritonsRising
