SEATTLE – UC San Diego got off to a sluggish start and was unable to recover as Seattle U knocked off the Tritons, 73-51, inside Climate Pledge Arena Sunday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Seattle U (8-3) came out firing and the Tritons found themselves trailing 13-2 just eight minutes into the contest. To that point, UC San Diego (5-3) committed six turnovers and was just 1-for-7 shooting (0-of-4 from beyond the arc).
The Redhawks built a 19-2 advantage at the midway point of the half before the visitors finally began to find their rhythm. UC San Diego used an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 21-10.
Darrion Trammell paced Seattle U in the first half, scoring 22 points on 9-11 FG. Trammell's efforts helped the Redhawks take a 37-23 lead at the half – the Tritons largest halftime deficit of the season.
UC San Diego was plagued by 11 first half turnovers.
Vuk Vulikic led the Tritons with eight first half points off the bench.
Bryce Pope chipped in seven.
After halftime, Seattle U picked up where it left off, generating a 21-point lead, 51-30, with 13:34 left. UC San Diego responded with an 8-0 run over the next four minutes to close to within 13 at 51-38.
However, the Tritons were able to get no closer as Seattle U stretched the lead.
Trammell finished with a season-high 29 for the Redhawks in the win. UC San Diego was led by Vulikic and Pope's eight points each.
The Redhawks out-rebounded the Tritons, 33-23, and Seattle U held a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint.
QUOTABLE
"We weren't as sharp as we'd like to be, particularly in that first ten minutes," said UC San Diego head coach
Eric Olen. "You can't dig yourself that kind of hole and expect to have success. But they deserve credit, too, a couple of their guys played really well and made some difficult shots."
TRITON TIDBITS
- For the second straight game, UC San Diego played without leading scorer and rebounder Toni Rocak due to injury.
- The Tritons scored a season-low 51 points.
- When the Redhawks built a 19-2 lead at the 10:00 of the first half, that became the largest deficit UC San Diego has faced this season.
- This was the first-ever meeting between the Tritons and the Redhawks.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego continues its road swing with a Wednesday game at Denver. The contest will be televised by Altitude and is scheduled for a 7 p.m. MST tip.
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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
