LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego knocked down eight first half three-pointers and four Tritons scored in double figures on the way to a 75-55 victory over visiting George Washington in front of 2,415 inside RIMAC Arena on Saturday night. The Tritons are off to a 2-0 start for the fourth consecutive season (second in Division I).
George Washington falls to 1-2 with the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego was hot from beyond the arc from the jump. The Tritons' first seven field goals were all three-pointers.
Jake Kosakowski hit three quick threes off the bench, as did
Francis Nwaokorie.
UC San Diego used an 11-0 run – part of a 20-4 spurt, to build a 28-12 lead with 4:36 left in the first half.
UC San Diego led for more than 17 minutes in the first half, taking a 30-19 advantage into the locker room. Although they shot just 34% overall, the Tritons hit 8-of-18 three-pointers in the first half – good for 44% from beyond the arc.
Thanks to Kosakowski and Nwaokorie, UC San Diego got 18 points from its bench.
In the second half, the Tritons expanded their lead to as many as 22 on the way to the win.
UC San Diego finished with 39 bench points, compared to just 11 for GW.
Both Nwaokorie (19 points) and Koskakowsi (12) posted career highs in scoring.
Toni Rocak added 11 points and 7 rebounds, with
Matt Gray chipping in six points and seven boards.
Jace Roquemore scored 11 and dished out five assists.
QUOTABLE WITH COACH ERIC OLEN AND JAKE KOSAKOWSKI
HIGHLIGHTS
TRITON TIDBITS
- This was UC San Diego's first home game with fans in attendance since the Tritons won the CCAA (Division II) conference championship on March 7, 2020 –617 days ago.
- Saturday's attendance was 2,415 – the 16th-largest in UC San Diego men's basketball history, and the largest at RIMAC Arena since February 2018.
- Saturday's 20-point win matched the largest margin of victory for UC San Diego over a Division I opponent.
- For the second straight contest, UC San Diego's starting five consisted of Bryce Pope, Jake Killingsworth, Rocak, Roquemore, and Gray.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts San Diego Christian on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in RIMAC Arena. Tickets can be purchased at UCSDTritons.com/tickets. The game will be streamed on UCSDTritons.com.
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 38 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.
