LA JOLLA, Calif. – For the second straight day, the UC San Diego men's basketball team was firing on all cylinders from the jump. The Tritons cruised to a 75-39 win over visiting Saint Katherine Wednesday afternoon at RIMAC Arena. Grad transfer
Jake Killingsworth paced UC San Diego, scoring 13 in the victory.
The Tritons (2-0) quickly created a 9-2 advantage thanks to a pair of three-pointers from Killingsworth and
Hugh Baxter, and a three-point play from
Gabe Hadley. UC San Diego connected on 9 of its first 15 shot attempts and led 25-9 less than 12 minutes into the game. The Tritons scored 14 points in the paint and limited the Firebirds to 30% shooting in the first half.
UC San Diego led 40-15 at halftime.
In the second half, the Tritons extended their lead thanks to a barrage of three-pointers. UC San Diego connected on eight more after halftime to put the game out of reach.
Killingsworth's 13 points led all scorers. Point guard
Mikey Howell added 10 with five assists and five steals, and newcomer
Toni Rocak added 10 points and six rebounds in the win.
The Tritons shot 44% while limiting Saint Katherine to 34% from the floor. UC San Diego forced 24 turnovers, leading to 26 Triton points.
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"I thought our focus was good," said UC San Diego head coach
Eric Olen. "We scheduled the same team back-to-back with some intention knowing what the [Big West] Conference schedule is going to look like, so it was good for us to get that experience and make some adjustments and apply them on a quick turnaround against the same opponent."
VIDEO: Postgame Interviews with
Eric Olen and
Hugh Baxter
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego's 39 points allowed Wednesday are the fewest in a game since the Tritons allowed 36 in a win at Notre Dame de Namur on Nov. 28, 2015.
- Wednesday's win was the Tritons' largest margin of victory since a 52-point victory vs. Cal State Monterey Bay on Feb. 28, 2019.
- The Tritons finished calendar 2020 with a perfect 21-0 record. The only other Division I school that was unbeaten this year is New Mexico State (18-0). Like the Tritons, the Aggies are also 2-0 this season.
- Going back to their final Division II season, the Tritons have now won 24 games in a row. UC San Diego hasn't lost since Dec. 5, 2019.
- Playing the same opponent on consecutive days, the Tritons sported their traveling blue uniforms at RIMAC.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego begins Big West Conference play for the first time on Jan. 1, when the Tritons visit Cal Poly. Game time is set for 4 p.m. from the Mott Athletic Center in San Luis Obispo, and the contest will be broadcast on BigWest.TV.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
