LA JOLLA, Calif. – Four UC San Diego players scored in double figures – and three established new career highs – as the Tritons rolled to an 89-69 victory over visiting UC Davis inside RIMAC Arena on Friday evening. The Tritons improve to 3-3 overall and earn their first win over a Big West opponent.
Playing for the first time since Dec. 4, the Aggies fall to 2-3 overall and 0-1 against Big West opponents.
Senior
Gabe Hadley poured in a career high 29 points on 10-13 shooting, while senior
Hugh Baxter (21 points) and redshirt freshman
Jace Roquemore (12) also tallied personal bests.
The Tritons shot the lights out in the first half, connecting on a season-best 71% of their first half shots. UC San Diego was sharp from beyond the arc as well, connecting on 7-of-10 from long range in the first half.
With the Aggies out in front 9-7 early, the Tritons went on a 7-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Hadley to take a 14-9 lead. UC San Diego extended its lead to nine at 24-15 when redshirt freshman
Jace Roquemore hit a jumper and Baxter followed that up with a three.
Baxter poured in 15 in the first half on 6-of-8 shooting and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Hadley was also 3-3 from three, adding 13 first half points.
As a team, the Tritons had 13 assists on 17 first half buckets and out-rebounded the Aggies, 14-10. UC San Diego scored 18 points in the paint over the first 20 minutes.
In the second half, the Tritons used an early 16-3 run over 3:40 to take a 60-36 lead with 14:25 left and put the game out of reach.
Redshirt senior
Mikey Howell dished out 10 assists for UC San Diego in the win. As a team, the Tritons registered 28 assists on 36 field goals.
UC San Diego shot 68% overall and 52% (11-21) from beyond the three-point arc.
In addition to his career high on the scoreboard, Baxter also pulled down a personal best seven rebounds in the win.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons' 89 points, 36 field goals and 28 assists are all season highs.
- UC San Diego's 67.9% field goal percentage Friday was the best single game effort since Coach Eric Olen took over the program in 2013-14.
- The Tritons and Aggies had not met since they were Division II conference foes back in 2004.
- Friday's game was the annual UC San Diego Spirit Night. Eleanor Roosevelt College won the Cup of Cheer.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego and UC Davis will meet again on Saturday afternoon inside RIMAC Arena at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
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.
