LA JOLLA, Calif. – Playing its first-ever Division I game, UC San Diego led for 25 minutes against the defending Big West champs, but UC Irvine rallied for a 79-65 win over the Tritons on Saturday afternoon at RIMAC Arena. Redshirt freshman guard Bryce Pope (21 points) and junior forward Toni Rocak (20) each posted career-highs in scoring for UC San Diego.
 
Saturday's contest was the first game for the Tritons since Dec. 23 and the first for the Anteaters (6-4) since Dec. 28 due to COVID-related cancelations from the opposition.
 
The game began as a defensive struggle as both teams took some time to shake off their layoffs and settle in. The Tritons (2-1) scored their first Division I points on a driving layup from redshirt freshman point guard Jace Roquemore – who was making his first career start – two minutes in to take an early lead. UC San Diego extended its advantage, building as much as a nine-point lead on a jumper from Rocak. That put the Tritons up, 11-2, with 13:31 on the clock.
 
The Anteaters battled back to tie the score at 20, but UC Irvine did not lead in the first. Rocak led all Tritons in the first half, scoring nine points off the bench on 4-of-7 shooting.
 
UC San Diego led 28-24 at halftime.
 
In the second half, the Anteaters pulled ahead taking their first lead of the game on a Jeron Artest three-pointer with 14:46 left. The Tritons held UC Irvine to an 0-8 mark from beyond the arc in the first half, but the Anteaters connected on 9-of-13 in the second half from long range to pull away.
 
Both teams shot the ball better after halftime, with the Anteaters connecting on 69% and the Tritons 50% after intermission. For the game, UC Irvine held a 34-25 advantage in rebounding.
 
QUOTABLE

 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Saturday's game was considered a non-conference game. The two teams will meet again for a pair of Big West games in Irvine beginning Feb. 26.
• UC San Diego was without redshirt senior point guard Mikey Howell, who missed the game with a non-COVID related illness.
• The Tritons and Anteaters played for the first time in the regular season since 2000.
• UC San Diego has led at halftime in all three games this season.
• Saturday's loss snapped UC San Diego's 24-game win streak dating back to Division II last season. The Tritons hadn't lost since Dec. 5, 2019.

Bryce Pope has a career-high 14 (and counting...)

We're on ESPN3 ?? https://t.co/NbDZqsMSXG#GoTritons pic.twitter.com/TCsRFjvI9z

— UC San Diego Men's Hoops (@UCSDmbb) January 10, 2021

UP NEXT
UC San Diego once again attempts to begin Big West Conference play for the first time on Jan. 15, when the Tritons visit UC Santa Barbara for the first of a two-game weekend series. Game time is set for 5 p.m. from the Thunderdome, and the contest 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.