IRVINE, Calif. – UC San Diego built a 10-point lead midway through the first half, but the Tritons' offense went cold as host UC Irvine rallied for an 80-55 victory inside Bren Events Center Friday afternoon.
The Tritons are now 5-9 overall (2-7 vs. Big West schedule) while UC Irvine improves to 13-8.
The game got started off on the right foot for UC San Diego. Senior
Hugh Baxter and senior
Gabe Hadley both hit a couple of early three-pointers to put the Tritons on top out of the gates, 12-5, with 14:27 left in the half.
UC San Diego built a 10-point lead soon after, 17-7, when Baxter knocked down a pair of free throws.
But the Anteaters responded with a 22-3 spurt over a nine-minute stretch to take their first lead of the game, 34-24, with 1:30 left in the half. A floater in the paint from redshirt freshman
Bryce Pope with 55 seconds left squelched the UCI momentum.
The Anteaters led 36-26 at halftime.
Baxter and Hadley each scored eight in the first half for the Tritons, with Pope adding five. Despite boasting a much bigger lineup, the Anteaters held a slim 20-18 edge on the glass in the first half.
In the second half, UC Irvine scored the first six points of the period, building a 42-26 lead. The Anteaters at one point connected on 17-of-18 shots – including their first nine of the second half.
Baxter led the Tritons with 11 points, while
Toni Rocak added 10 points and a team-high six rebounds off the bench for UC San Diego. As a team, the Tritons shot 33% (20-for-60) while the Anteaters connected on 60% of their shots (37-of-62).
Collin Welp scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for UC Irvine in the win.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego came into Friday's game leading the Big West and ranking fourth nationally in three-pointers with 10.5 per game.
- UC Irvine boasts six players on its roster listed at 6-9 or taller. The Tritons have three players listed at 6-8.
- All 14 Tritons saw action on Friday, playing at least three minutes.
UP NEXT
The Tritons play their final road game of the season on Saturday when they once again face UC Irvine. Tip-off is set for 4 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.
Return To Sport…Safely
In order for UC San Diego scholar-athletes to be permitted to return to training and competition safely and within federal, state, local, and university guidelines, the athletic department implemented a number of measures designed to complement and enhance the university's highly-successful Return To Learn program. Notable actions include being physically distanced when practical, including during out-of-season training sessions; wearing masks, except when undergoing physically strenuous exercise; and maintaining proper hygiene. Athletes, coaches, and staff are testing at a higher frequency than the campus population, teams adhere to CDC, NCAA, and Big West Conference guidelines, and department officials participate in regular meetings with conference and university-affiliated physicians and the UC San Diego emergency operations staff.
