LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego redshirt senior Mikey Howell scored a season-high 18 points and redshirt freshman Bryce Pope added 16, but it wasn't enough as visiting UC Davis outlasted the Tritons, 78-71, Saturday afternoon inside RIMAC Arena. The Tritons fell to 3-4 overall while the Aggies improved to 3-3.
 
After shooting nearly 68% in Friday's win, the Tritons were unable to replicate that success on Saturday. The Tritons shot a respectable 41% over the first 20 minutes but were just 2-for-10 from three as the Aggies built a 32-27 halftime lead.
 
Howell paced the Tritons over the first period, scoring 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting. Senior Hugh Baxter scored four and pulled down five rebounds, while senior Gabe Hadley scored five and grabbed four boards.
 

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The second half started with both teams trading back-to-back three-pointers. Midway through the half, UC Davis built its largest lead of the game, 60-48. The Tritons battled back and got to within five on a Pope three-pointer with 22 seconds to play, but the Aggies sealed the victory at the free throw line.
 
The Tritons shot 56% after halftime and 48% for the game. UC San Diego held a 36-28 advantage on points in the paint.
 
UC Davis' Elijah Pepper scored a game-high 20 points in the win.
 
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TRITON TIDBITS

• Saturday marked the first time this season UC San Diego matched its opponent in rebounding. Each team was credited with 29.
• Hadley played a career-high 35 minutes on Saturday.
• The Tritons wore their traveling blue uniforms on Saturday.
• UC San Diego is now 0-3 when trailing at halftime.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hits the road next weekend for a pair of games at Walter Pyramid against Big West foe Long Beach State. Tip-off both Friday and Saturday will be at 4 p.m., and both games 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.