LA JOLLA, Calif. – The No. 25 University of California San Diego women's basketball team captured their second-consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament title with a 73-62 win over No. 19 Cal State San Marcos at RIMAC Arena this evening, earning an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship. The Tritons' CCAA Tournament crown is their third in program history.
With the win, the Tritons improve to 25-5 on the season, while the Cougars fall to 25-5.
UC San Diego jumped out to an early lead and held onto it throughout the first quarter. The Tritons knocked down 60% of their shots in the first 10 minutes (9-15) to carry a 20-14 advantage into the second period.
Although the Cougars narrowly outscored the Tritons in the second quarter (13-11), UC San Diego entered halftime with a lead of 31-27.
The Tritons' offense heated back up in the third quarter, putting up 21 points to extend their advantage to 52-42.
In the fourth quarter, the UC San Diego offense stayed hot. Shooting 56% (9-16), the Tritons once again scored 21 points en route to securing the 73-62 victory.
Conference MVP
Julia Macabuhay led the way with a game-high 27 points on the night, knocking down five shots from beyond the arc. Macabuhay also pitched in three rebounds and a pair of assists.
Coming off of a triple-double,
Tyla Turner dazzled once again. Turner finished the evening with 13 points and a game-best 13 rebounds for a double-double. The San Bernardino native's 13 boards tied her career high.
Sydney Brown finished the night with 13 points as well. Brown displayed her accuracy, shooting 86% (6-7). The Rexford, N.Y. product also collected four rebounds in the victory.
Macabuhay, Turner, and Brown all earned spots on the All-Tournament Team, while Turner was named the Tournament MVP.
Senior duo
Sydney Sharp and
Stephanie Moore finished the night with seven points and two steals apiece. Sharp also recorded six boards.
Tomorrow evening, the NCAA will announce the teams joining the automatic qualifiers in the NCAA Championship, as well as the regional locations and seedings. The NCAA selection show will take place at 7 p.m. on NCAA.com.
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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