LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 20th-ranked UC San Diego women's basketball team won its eighth straight, 63-40, over San Francisco State in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup Friday at RIMAC Arena.
With the victory, the Tritons improve their record to 22-3 overall and 17-2 in conference play. They move into a three-way tie atop the league standings with Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State East Bay, each with one game left to play on Saturday. The Gators are now 9-17 overall and 6-13 in the CCAA.
Senior forward Farrah Shokoor recorded her 15th double-double of the season, tying her mark from last year, with 19 points and 13 rebounds in one final appearance against her former team. She had her double-double at the half, with 17 and 10, before needing to play just seven minutes after the intermission. Redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Tanita was the only other Triton in double figures with 10 points and also added seven assists. Naila Washington and Tatsiana Dashkevich were San Francisco State's top scorers with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Kiara Ginwright, the leading shot blocker in the nation, finished with seven blocks.
The Tritons raced out to an early 8-0 lead, ignited by a three-pointer from junior guard Beth Mounier just five seconds into the game. The Gators came back and cut the margin to three, 16-13, with a layup from Lauryn Catching at the end of the first quarter.
San Francisco State started the second period with two jump shots to take the lead. UCSD closed out the frame on an 18-3 run, capped off by two Shokoor free throws, to take a 34-20 advantage at halftime.
The Tritons kept increasing the lead in the second half. With four seconds left in the third quarter, Tanita hit a layup as UCSD grabbed a 54-33 advantage with one period to go.
The Tritons scored only nine points, but limited the Gators to seven in the fourth quarter to take a 23-point victory, 63-40.
Junior forward Cassie MacLeod returned to the court after missing 10 games, and contributed four points and two assists in 15 minutes off the bench.
UCSD closes out the regular season with a conference game against Sonoma State on Saturday, Feb. 27. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m., after a ceremony recognizing Shokoor and Jamie Katuna on Senior Night at RIMAC Arena. With a win, the Tritons are guaranteed at least a share of the CCAA regular-season title. Cal State East Bay hosts Cal State Monterey Bay, and Cal State Dominguez Hills is on the road at Stanislaus State, both also at 5:30 p.m. Catch the action from RIMAC at UCSDtritons.tv, and follow the other two contests via the CCAA's live scoreboard.
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