SACRAMENTO, Calif. – UC San Diego ran its record to 4-0 on the season as the Tritons rallied for a 71-56 victory at Sacramento State on Saturday night inside The Nest. Despite trailing for nearly the entire first half, UC San Diego pulled away in the final ten minutes to win its sixth straight game dating back to last season.
Four players scored in double figures for the Tritons – who are off to their best start since the 2019-20 team began the program's final Division II campaign with an 8-0 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite building nothing more than a five-point advantage, Sacramento State (2-2) led for most of the first half – nearly 16 minutes – and took a 29-27 lead into halftime.
The Tritons shot a respectable 46% in the first half, led by
Francis Nwaokorie – who scored nine points off the bench. UC San Diego was an uncharacteristic 0-for-5 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.
However, the Tritons struggled to control the ball – committing 11 turnovers in the first half. That led to 11 Hornet points. Sacramento State shot just 37% in the first but took the two point lead into halftime.
Trailing by three midway through the second half, the Tritons used a 15-0 run over a three minute span to build a 58-44 advantage – the largest lead of the night to that point for either team.
UC San Diego continued to roll, building a lead as big as 14 as the Tritons earned the come-from-behind road win.
The Tritons did a much better job of controlling the ball in the second half, committing just five turnovers after halftime.
Toni Rocak was the Tritons' leading scorer with 23 points.
Bryce Pope scored 17,
Jace Roquemore added 14, and Nwaokorie chipped in 13 off the bench.
UC San Diego held a 40-32 rebounding advantage on the night. Rocak grabbed nine boards and Nwaokorie had a career-high eight in the win.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- With Saturday's victory, UC San Diego now has a winning record all-time in Division I (11-10). The Tritons are in their second season of playing a Division I schedule.
- The Tritons hit only two three-pointers on Saturday – their lowest total since Jan. 30, 2016. UC San Diego came into the contest tops in the Big West, averaging 12.3 three-pointers per game.
- The Tritons have now trailed both of their road games at halftime. UC San Diego rallied for an 80-67 victory at Cal (Nov. 9).
- Saturday's 15-point win was the largest road margin of victory for UC San Diego in Division I.
- Saturday marked only the second-ever meeting between the Tritons and Hornets. The only prior matchup was an 18-point Sacramento State victory in 1974.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego travels to Missoula, Montana to take part in the Zootown Classic, hosted by the University of Montana. The Tritons will face the host Grizzlies as well as Southern Miss and UNC Wilmington in the three-day event from Nov. 24-26. The game at Montana (Nov. 24, 6:30 pm PT) will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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.
