LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 19th-ranked UC San Diego women's basketball team started postseason play by knocking out Cal Poly Pomona by a final score of 71-60 in the first round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament Tuesday at RIMAC Arena.
Senior guard Jamie Katuna led UCSD with a game-high 29 points, aided by four three-pointers. Junior guard Beth Mounier chipped in 13 points. Senior forward Farrah Shokoor nearly came away with a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Four Broncos scored in double figures as Jordyn Shane, Priscilla Brooks, Erin Hagan and Mary Williams scored 20, 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Now a winner of 10 straight, the second-seeded Tritons improve to 24-3 on the season. This is UCSD's longest streak since the incredible 26-gamer to begin the 2011-12 campaign. Seventh seed CPP ended the year at 11-17.
UCSD struggled early as the Broncos grabbed their biggest advantage of the game, 18-9. The Tritons were able to get a layup from Katuna to close the first quarter trailing by seven, 18-11.
UCSD started the second frame with a trey from Mounier and a tip-in from junior forward Cassie MacLeod to cut the margin to two. CPP answered back and stretched the lead to seven, 29-22. Katuna ended the second period with a successful layup and-one with two seconds remaining as the Tritons went into halftime down by four, 29-25.
Katuna dominated the third quarter scoring 19 of UCSD's 26 points. UCSD limited the Broncos to 11 points in the period. Katuna ignited the Tritons by hitting back-to-back three-pointers to start the second half. UCSD grabbed its first lead of the contest, 36-35, after a layup from MacLeod. The Tritons took an 11-point lead, 51-40, into the final frame after redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Tanita was fouled while making a basket and converted the ensuing free throw with two ticks remaining.
UCSD grabbed the largest advantage of the game, 62-44, after starting the fourth quarter on an 11-4 run, capped off by a MacLeod bucket. CPP made it an eight-point game with 1:58 remaining, but the Triton lead was insurmountable as UCSD prevailed by 11.
The Tritons advance to the CCAA Tournament semifinals, held at Stockton Arena, where they will take on No. 3 seed Cal State East Bay on Friday, March 4, at 8 p.m. The Pioneers were 57-51 home victors for their 12th in a row, over sixth-seeded Humboldt State Tuesday. UCSD took the only matchup between the teams, 56-54, in Hayward earlier this season on Jan. 15.
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