LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego women's basketball team narrowly fell to Long Beach State, 54-50, in the first-ever meeting between the two teams at RIMAC Arena tonight. With the outcome, UC San Diego moves to 2-4 on the season with the same record in conference play, while the Beach improves to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in Big West action.
It was all the Tritons in the game's early minutes. UC San Diego started the game with 10 unanswered points before the Beach scored their first points of the game with 2:25 to go in the first quarter. Long Beach State managed to start to close the gap in the final two minutes though, ultimately finishing the first period with eight points on 3-of-16 shooting as the Tritons led 13-8.
With 3-point baskets from
Madison Baxter,
Parker Montgomery, and
Emily Cangelosi in the first four minutes of the second quarter, the Tritons were able to extend their lead to 10 points (22-12). However, the Beach responded with a 10-0 run to even the score. A pair of shots from behind the arc from Cangelosi and
Brianna Claros in the final three minutes of the period allowed the Tritons to carry a one-point lead (28-27) into halftime.
Coming out of halftime,
Sydney Brown led off the third quarter with a jumper, but then Long Beach State went on another 10-0 run to grab the lead. For the final 4:07 of the quarter, the teams traded baskets, and the Tritons narrowly trailed 43-39 heading into the final period.
Putting up six unanswered points early in the fourth quarter, the Tritons quickly regained the lead (45-43). However, the Beach tied things up with a little under six minutes to go. The teams battled, as neither team was able to gain more than a one-basket advantage until the final second of the game. Scoring the game's final seven points in the last 1:09, the Beach came away with a 54-50 win.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- Sydney Brown's 15 rebounds were a new career high. With a game-high 23 points as well, Brown's double-double was her second of the season.
- Tyla Turner's five assists were a game best.
- UC San Diego out-rebounded the Beach, 42-36.
- The Tritons shot 8-15 from behind the 3-point arc in the first half.
UP NEXT
Next, the Tritons and Beach will be back in action for a rematch tomorrow evening. The teams will battle at 5 p.m. at RIMAC Arena. 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.
