LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego women's basketball team fell to UC Davis, 58-46, at the Pavilion in Davis this afternoon. With the result, the Tritons move to 2-3 both overall and in Big West action, while the Aggies improve to 3-0 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.
UC San Diego struggled to get going offensively in the first quarter. The Tritons out-rebounded the Aggies in the first 10 minutes, 8-7, but UC Davis was able to grab a 21-11 lead.
Both teams were slow out the gate of the second quarter, with neither team scoring until an Aggie pullup jumper at the 6:57 mark. For the Tritons, the scoring drought continued throughout the quarter. UC San Diego put up four points in the period, all from the free throw line. UC Davis added to its advantage, bringing the score to 36-15 at halftime.
The Tritons shook off the sluggish second quarter with a stronger performance in the third quarter. Compiling a 35.7 field goal percentage throughout the period, the Tritons outscored the Aggies, 15-13.
UC San Diego again outscored UC Davis in the fourth quarter, 16-9, which included a 9-0 run in the middle of the quarter.
Tyla Turner led the Tritons' late push in the final 10 minutes with six points and five rebounds.
QUOTABLE
"It was a challenging road trip," said Head Coach
Heidi VanDerveer. "UC Davis is an excellent team. They execute very well, are big, play hard, and are well-coached. It was a great learning opportunity for our team. In both games we struggled earlier but regained our composure in the second half. We learned that you have to play hard and execute both offensively and defensively.
"I thought we battled. Tyla [Turner] and Bri [Claros] at the guard spot with Emily [Cangelosi], I thought they competed. Aishah [Brown] came in and gave us great minutes. We know this is a process and as long as we learn and get better, we'll be right where we want to be."
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons were 16-17 at the charity stripe, putting up their best free throw percentage of the season (94.1).
- Tyla Turner was the Tritons' leading scorer with 16 points. This is the third time this season that the senior has led the team in points. Turner tied with Aishah Brown for a team-high seven rebounds this afternoon.
UP NEXT
Next, the Tritons will return home. They are slated to face Long Beach State at 5 p.m. on Jan. 29 and 30. Catch the action 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 begins a new era in 2020 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.
