LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego redshirt senior forward Christian Oshita posted a double-double and tied his career high with 15 rebounds, and redshirt junior guard Mikey Howell had a personal best 12 assists with just two turnovers to lead the fourth-ranked Tritons to an 88-63 win over No. 24 Point Loma on Tuesday night at RIMAC Arena. The Tritons improve to 4-0 on the season, while the Sea Lions suffer their first setback and drop to 3-1.
Playing their home opener and first game in eight days, the Tritons came out with another fast start. UC San Diego connected on nine of its first 14 field goal attempts, taking a 24-17 lead halfway through the first.
The Tritons added a 9-0 run in the final minutes of the first half to build a 42-30 advantage going into the locker room. Oshita posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and redshirt senior center Chris Hansen led all scorers with 17 first half points on 7-of-10 shooting. Howell registered seven first half assists.
UC San Diego shot 52% in the first half, while limiting the Sea Lions to 34% from the floor. In all, nine Tritons saw game action in the first half of play.
The home team began the second just like it ended the first – with a strong offensive output. UC San Diego hit six of its first eight shots in the second half to build a 56-38 lead with 15:14 to play. At the 14 minute mark, back-to-back threes from redshirt sophomore guard Tyrell Roberts and Oshita pushed the advantage to 21, at 62-41.
The Tritons stretched the lead to 30, at 86-56, with two minutes to go as they picked up their first home win and their first victory against a top 25 opponent this season in convincing fashion.
For the game, the Tritons shot 53% (34-64), and out-rebounded the visitors, 46-29. UC San Diego had 34 points in the paint and got 24 points from its bench.
Point Loma shot 38% for the game (25-66) and was led by 16 points from Kaden Anderson.
No. 4 UC San Diego begins CCAA play on Thursday night, when the Tritons host local rival Cal State San Marcos. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 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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