LA JOLLA, Calif. – Five players scored in double figures as fourth-ranked UC San Diego downed Cal State Dominguez Hills, 88-73, at RIMAC Arena Thursday night.
 
The victory was UC San Diego's 15th straight. As importantly, senior center Chris Hansen returned to the lineup for the Tritons after missing the last 15 games due to injury.
 
UC San Diego improved to 23-1 overall and 17-1 in CCAA play, while the Toros fell to 10-13 overall and 6-11 in CCAA action.
 
Playing its first game in a week, UC San Diego came out firing. Junior guard Mikey Howell scored five quick points and the Tritons built a 10-2 lead at the 16:35 mark. At that point, Hansen made his return to the floor for UC San Diego for the first time since Nov. 30.

In case you're wondering...

We were 14-1 while Chris was injured, outscoring our opponents by 15 points per game.

But...it's always nice to have the reigning conference Player of the Year back on the floor.

— UC San Diego Men's Hoops (@UCSDmbb) February 14, 2020

 
At 11:25 in the first, senior forward Christian Oshita buried a three-pointer and the Tritons went out in front, 20-13. UC San Diego built an 8-point lead when junior forward Marek Sullivan found Howell who promptly knocked down a three.
 
The Toros responded, going on a 14-0 run of their own to pull out in front.
 
With time winding down in the first, Howell kicked it out to sophomore guard Tyrell Roberts. He buried a three-pointer as time expired, and the Tritons led 38-36 at the half.
 
Oshita was the leading scorer for the Tritons in the first half, scoring 11 on three 3-pointers. Howell added nine points and four assists. Sullivan contributed eight points and seven rebounds. The Tritons shot just 35% in the first half but connected on eight from beyond the arc to take the halftime lead.
 
The Tritons again opened strong in the second half, connecting on four of their first seven shots. With 11:55 left, junior guard Gabe Hadley drained a three and the Toros took timeout. With that shot, UC San Diego led 58-50.
 
The Tritons punctuated a 9-2 run with a thunderous dunk from Sullivan with 9:16 left. That gave the home team a 67-54 lead – the Tritons' largest of the night to that point.
 
The Toros battled foul trouble down the stretch and the Tritons extended the lead. UC San Diego shot 93% (13-14) from the free throw line in the win. Oshita led the Tritons with 22 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Roberts scored 17 and Sullivan posted his fourth double-double with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Howell finished with 11 points and eight assists and Hadley added 12 off the bench in the victory.
 
UC San Diego will take on Cal State LA on Saturday night in La Jolla in the Tritons' final home game of the regular season. The game will tip at 8:02 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Prior to the game, the UC San Diego's four seniors will be honored.
 
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.

Follow The Tritons
For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDtritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@ucsdtritons), Instagram (@ucsdtritons) and Facebook (ucsdtritons).