LA JOLLA, Calif. – For the first time this season, the fourth-ranked UC San Diego men's basketball team came up on the short end of the scoreboard. The Tritons fell to visiting Chico State, 81-73, at RIMAC Arena, snapping UC San Diego's eight-game win streak which began the season.
 
"It was a little bit of a slow start for us against a good team," said UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen. "We had a hard time getting stops in the first half, and we had some missed assignments defensively – but they played really well and kept us off-balance in the first half."
 
UC San Diego (8-1, 2-1 CCAA) played without senior captain Chris Hansen, who missed the game with a foot injury.

Playing with a different starting lineup for the first time this season, the Tritons struggled to get going out of the gates. Chico State (6-2, 2-1 CCAA) led for nearly the entire first half, and the Wildcats built their largest lead of the first frame in the closing moments to take a 46-32 lead into the locker rooms.
 
Chico State connected on eight of its 14 3-point field goal tries in the first half, while the Tritons were just 3-of-16 from beyond the arc.
 
On a brighter note for the home team, junior forward Marek Sullivan scored eight first half points and grabbed six first half rebounds making his first career start.
 
In the second half, Chico State built a 52-35 advantage with 17:04 to play. The Tritons whittled the lead and drew within six at 75-69 with 2:54 left. However, the Wildcats held on down the stretch to earn the road win.
 
UC San Diego senior forward Christian Oshita (22 points) and sophomore guard Tyrell Roberts (20 points) were the game's leading scorers. Sullivan finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards. His 11 rebounds established a new career high.
 
Chico State was led by 15 points apiece from Joshua Hamilton and Kevin Warren. The 73 points marked a season low for UC San Diego.

UC San Diego will break for final exams before returning to action on Tuesday, December 17, when the Tritons travel to Carson to face Cal State Dominguez Hills. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
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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