LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego women's basketball team fell to Long Beach State, 74-53, at RIMAC Arena this evening. With the outcome, the Tritons move to 2-5 on the season and in Big West Conference action, while the Beach improves to 9-1 overall and 8-0 in conference play.
 
As with yesterday, the Tritons had early success from beyond the arc. UC San Diego knocked down just under half its shots in 3-point territory during the first quarter (4-9), and a pair of free throws by Aishah Brown brought the Tritons to 14 points in the first 10 minutes. Although Long Beach State trailed for the majority of the quarter, an 8-0 run in the final three minutes allowed them to grab a 16-14 lead.
 
The Beach kept their momentum going into the second period, outscoring the Tritons 15-6 up until the 1:53 mark. This time, however, it was the Tritons' turn for a late 8-0 run. A pair of shots from behind the arc by Parker Montgomery plus a jumper from Emily Cangelosi helped the Tritons pull within a basket of the Beach (31-28).
 
Following halftime, both teams came out strong. The Tritons put up 18 points on 7-17 shooting, but the Beach was red hot, knocking down half their field goal attempts (10-20) en route to 26 points and a 57-46 lead.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Beach was able to pull away. UC San Diego struggled to get going offensively, scoring seven points compared to the Beach's 17. Ultimately, Long Beach State nabbed a 74-53 win.

QUOTABLE

Head Coach Heidi VanDerveer spoke after the game.



TRITON TIDBITS

• Tyla Turner dished out eight assists, a season high, and led the team with 16 points.
• Parker Montgomery finished the night with 10 points for her third double-digit showing of the season.
• Sydney Brown collected eight rebounds, a team best. 

UP NEXT 

Next, the Tritons will travel to Hawai'i. UC San Diego is slated to face the Rainbow Wahine at 9 p.m. on Feb. 5 and 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 in Honolulu.
 
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.