LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego senior
Toni Rocak scored a career-high 34 points as the Tritons rallied for an 85-83 overtime victory over defending Big West champ UC Santa Barbara inside RIMAC Arena on Thursday night in a Big West matchup. Sophomore guard
Jake Kosakowski hit a well-defended three-pointer from the corner as time expired to send the game to the extra period.
Both teams are now 7-5 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 12-4, UC San Diego used a 6-0 run to draw within two with 10:50 left in the first half. The Tritons' spurt was punctuated by a thunderous dunk from
Francis Nwaokorie.
Shortly thereafter, a three from
Matt Gray gave the Tritons their first lead of the night, 17-16, at the 9:09 mark.
It was a back-and-forth affair for the remainder of the half with a pair of ties and five total lead changes.
Toni Rocak scored 12 on 4-of-5 shooting as the Tritons took a 28-27 lead into halftime. As a team, UC San Diego shot 42% and just 3-of-11 from distance.
The Gauchos held a 19-15 advantage in rebounding during the first 20 minutes. Each team scored 16 points in the paint.
Early in the second half, the Tritons built a 46-41 lead as Pope connected on three consecutive three-pointers.
The Gauchos led 71-68 with less than a second to play.
Jake Kosakowski drained a contested three in the corner as time expired, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, Rocak scored nine quick points before fouling out. With the game tied at 83 and two seconds remaining, Pope hit a pair of free throws to seal the win.
Rocak scored 22 points after halftime. Pope added 22 for the game, and
Jake Killingsworth chipped in 10.
The Tritons shot 57% (20-of-35) after halftime in the win.
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TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego is 2-0 in overtime as a Division I program. The only other OT game was a buzzer-beating 83-82 victory over UC Riverside at RIMAC Arena in February.
- Rocak's 34-point effort was the most points by a Triton since Tyrell Roberts scored 45 in a CCAA Tournament (Division II) semifinal on March 6, 2020.
- In regulation, the Tritons' largest lead was five, 46-41.
- For the second straight game, UC San Diego used a starting lineup of Jace Roquemore, Pope, Killingsworth, Rocak, and Nwaokorie.
- UC San Diego earned its first win in three tries against the Gauchos. All three meetings have come in 2021 with the prior two at UCSB in January.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts Big West foe CSUN on Saturday, Jan. 1 at 7 p.m.
Spectators will not be permitted to attend, but the game 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 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.
