CHICO, Calif. – Senior Beth Mounier scored a career-high 24 points as the University of Califorinia San Diego women's basketball team extended its win streak to 12 games after defeating Chico State, 68-48, at Acker Gymnasium Saturday night.
UC San Diego owns a 16-3 overall record while moving to 12-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), remaining at the top of the conference standings. UCSD is closing in on two months without a loss, their last coming on Nov. 29.
“I am very excited about our win tonight,” said UCSD head coach Heidi VanDerveer. “We made some big plays early and had several different players step up and contribute. Our defense really kicked into gear in the second half and we were able to end the game on a great run.”
In her highest-scoring game as a Triton, Mounier shot 52.9 percent (9-17). She also finished 6-for-10 from three-point range.
Cassie MacLeod also helped to power the UCSD offense as the senior finished 6-for-10 with 13 points. MacLeod also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while junior Dalayna Sampton tallied seven. Marcella Hughes and Mikayla Williams totaled nine points each.
As a team, the Tritons finished with a 43.9 shooting percentage and held the hosts to just 32.7 percent.
The first quarter saw three ties and lead changes as neither team gained more than a three-point advantage and remained tied, 11-11, after 10 minutes of play.
The teams continued to exchange points back and forth early in the second frame, before the Tritons used a five-point run to gain a slight lead. Mounier made back-to-back threes to make it a 24-19 game. Two layups from Macleod in the final minutes of the quarter left UCSD with a seven-point lead heading into halftime.
UC San Diego extended its lead, 34-24, with 8:21 showing in the third quarter. However, the Wildcats outshot the visitors 15-5 down the stretch to take over the lead, 40-39 with 3:30 on the clock. A 9-0 run from the Tritons gave them their lead back, 48-40, as time expired.
The momentum remained in the hands of UCSD during the fourth quarter as the Tritons scored 12 unanswered points to gain a 20-point lead. Mounier made a layup followed by a three-pointer to seal the win.
Whitney Branham led the Wildcats with 13 points, while Sherise Porchia tallied four rebounds.
Chico State fell to 12-7 overall and 7-6 in the CCAA.
UC San Diego returns home Friday, Feb. 3 for a CCAA game against Cal State Monterey Bay at 5:30 p.m. It's also Spirit Night for the Tritons.
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