LACEY, Wash. – UC San Diego redshirt sophomore guard Tyrell Roberts scored a game-high 20 points and knocked down a career-high six three-pointers to lead the fifth-ranked Tritons to an 88-55 victory over Saint Martin's on Monday night at Marcus Pavilion. The Tritons never trailed in the game, as they complete their season-opening road trip with a perfect 3-0 mark, while the Saints fall to 0-1.
 
"Coming off big win [Saturday at Western Washington] and playing our third game in four days, it would've been easy for us to come out flat," said UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen. "We've been in a hotel for what seems like forever, and I thought it was a mature response from our guys tonight. We were ready to go. We played strong defense early which created some offensive opportunities, and we were not fazed by facing a tough zone."
 
Playing their third game away from home since Friday, the Tritons scored the first seven points of the game, thanks to a pair of jumpers from redshirt senior guard Christian Oshita and a fast break three from senior forward Scott Everman. UC San Diego led 7-0 just 2:15 into the game.
 
Up 17-9 halfway through the first, the Tritons hit four from beyond the arc – including three from Oshita – in a two-minute span to build a 29-9 advantage at the 7:42 mark. In all, UC San Diego went on a 19-5 run over 4:26 to take a 36-14 lead.
 
UC San Diego started just 1-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc, but the visitors connected on 9-of-18 for the remainder of the half. Thanks to the long ball barrage, the Tritons raced into halftime with a 48-21 lead.
 
Despite picking up two quick fouls, Oshita led all scorers with 13 first half points on 5-5 shooting. Hansen added nine, and Everman and Roberts contributed six points apiece. The Tritons shot 48.6%, while limiting the Saints to just 23.1% from the floor. UC San Diego also controlled the glass, posting a 26-15 rebound advantage.
 
Saint Martin's started the second half on a 12-4 run of its own, cutting the UC San Diego lead to 19, at 52-33. However, the Tritons responded with an immediate 12-2 run of their own, and the Saints were unable to draw closer.
 
Roberts led all scorers with 20, adding four rebounds and three assists. Oshita added 17 on 7-of-9 shooting, with five boards and five assists. Redshirt senior center Chris Hansen contributed 13 points and 7 boards.
 
The Tritons shot 50% for the game (33-66), and drained 17-of-39 three-point tries (43.6%). UC San Diego had 25 assists on its 33 made field goals, including six from junior guard Mikey Howell.
 
Saint Martin's connected on just 34.6% of its shot attempts on the night, though Marky Adams was 5-for-7 and scored 11 points.
 
No. 5 UC San Diego heads home and will open its home slate on Tuesday, November 19, when the Tritons host Point Loma Nazarene. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from RIMAC Arena, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country.  The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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