LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego junior Toni Rocak scored 19 points off the bench and senior Mikey Howell dished out a season-high 11 assists, but it wasn't enough as visiting UC Riverside hung on for an 81-75 victory at RIMAC Arena on Friday. The Tritons are now 4-8 on the season while the Highlanders improved to 10-5.
 
UC San Diego built an early 10-5 lead over the Highlanders, but the visitors used a 12-4 run to take 17-14 lead with 12:51 left in the first.
 
The Tritons got hot from beyond the arc, knocking down three of four from long range to go in front, 23-22, with 9:41 left in the half.
 
The Highlanders responded with a 14-3 run to go up by 10, 36-26, with 4:35 left in the first.
 
UC San Diego closed the first half on 6-0 run to draw within eight at the half, trailing 44-36. Hugh Baxter led all scorers in the first period, scoring 12 on 5-of-8 shooting. Gabe Hadley added seven, Jake Killingsworth six, and Mikey Howell registered eight assists and a pair of steals.
 
The Tritons shot 45.5% in the first half, but UC Riverside connected on 59% of its shots, including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc (61.5%).
 
Rocak exploded in the second half, scoring 17 after the break. His second half was punctuated by a thunderous dunk.
 

Toni with the ??!https://t.co/7AcZvVrJON pic.twitter.com/96AjMZaRSK

— UC San Diego Men's Hoops (@UCSDmbb) February 20, 2021

Trailing by nine, the Tritons drained back-to-back three-pointers to draw within three, 68-65, with just under eight minutes to play.
 
A driving layup from Hadley with 1:36 left drew UC San Diego to within three, at 78-75, but UC Riverside free throws down the stretch sealed the road win.
 
Rocak's 19 points came on 7-of-13 shooting. Hadley was 6-of-12, scoring 17 points, and Baxter added 15.
 
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TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego turned the ball over a season-low six times, including just twice after halftime.
• The Tritons entered Friday's game leading the Big West Conference in three-pointers per game (10.6). UC San Diego hit 10 on Friday.
• Friday was Mikey Howell's ninth career game with 10 or more assists.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego and UC Riverside square off once again on Saturday at RIMAC Arena. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. PT and the game will air live 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.