SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Redshirt senior guard Christian Oshita scored a season-high 34 points to lead No. 4 UC San Diego to an 86-77 win at Cal State San Bernardino in CCAA action Sunday at Coussoulis Arena. With the victory, the Tritons move to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play, while the Coyotes fall to 3-2, 1-1.
 
Oshita's 34 point effort was one shy of his career high, set in 2018 when he scored 35 in a win over Saint Martin's. His final stats on Sunday included 10-of-15 field goal shooting, 6-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc, and 8-of-9 at the free throw line.
 
"Christian was outstanding, and he knocked down some big shots early on a night we didn't shoot well," said head coach Eric Olen. "Guys did a good job finding [Oshita], and he made his free throws. The way he played made Chris [Hansen's] 22-10 look quiet, but both of those guys carried us."
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair which featured eight lead changes. Trailing 34-32 with four minutes remaining in the first half, the Tritons went on a quick 7-0 spurt punctuated by a three-pointer from redshirt junior guard Mikey Howell to regain the lead, 39-34, with 2:13 to play.
 
That two-point edge at 34-32 was the final time the Coyotes held the lead in the game. UC San Diego led 39-36 at the break, continuing its run of holding a lead or being tied at halftime in each game this season.
 
Oshita knocked down four three-pointers in the first half, finishing the stanza with 17 points. The Coyotes out-rebounded the Tritons 22-13 in the first 20 minutes.
 
The Tritons began the second half with a jumper from Oshita, a layup from senior forward Scott Everman, and a bucket from redshirt senior center Chris Hansen to build a 45-38 lead. Oshita continued to knock down shots, and with five minutes left, the Tritons went on a 9-2 run to take a 74-57 lead and secure the road victory.
 
UC San Diego finished with 17 fast break points, and, for the second consecutive outing, the Tritons shot 48% from the field. Redshirt sophomore guard Tyrell Roberts dished out a personal-best eight assists. Hansen notched his second double-double of the season with 22 points and ten rebounds.
 
Cal State San Bernardino shot 42% for the game and the Coyotes were led by 23 points from Daytone Jennings. The Coyotes out-rebounded the Tritons, 41-33, marking just the second time this season UC San Diego has been out-rebounded.
 
Next up, No. 4 UC San Diego heads north to take part in the NDNU Thanksgiving Classic in Belmont next weekend. The Tritons will take on Holy Names on Friday at 5 p.m. before facing host Notre Dame de Namur at 7 p.m. Saturday.
 
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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