FULLERTON, Calif. – The UC San Diego women's basketball team capped the season with a thrilling overtime win in Fullerton this evening, as
Sydney Brown's buzzer-beater propelled UC San Diego to a 68-66 victory. With the win, UC San Diego finishes the season at 6-9 both overall and in Big West Conference action, while Cal State Fullerton falls to 3-17 on the season and 2-14 in conference play.
With a little over a second to go in overtime, the Tritons trailed 66-65 after a three-point basket by the Titans.
Brianna Claros then inbounded the ball to
Sydney Brown, who drained her shot from behind the arc as time expired.
While it was an ending full of fireworks, it was a slow start to the game offensively for the Tritons, as they were only able to score eight points in the first 10 minutes. They faced a 12-8 deficit at the end of the first quarter.
In the next quarter, UC San Diego battled back. With the score at 15-11, still in the Titans' favor, UC San Diego responded with eight unanswered points.
Parker Montgomery led the charge with six of those points, giving UC San Diego its first lead of the night. Cal State Fullerton then answered by upping its own offensive efforts, and the Titans recaptured the lead to take a 32-24 advantage into halftime.
The Tritons were hot coming out of halftime. They chipped away at the Titans' lead, tying the game, 39-39, with a free throw by
Tyla Turner with 3:43 left in the third quarter. Cal State Fullerton regained the lead on a layup shortly after, but it was short lived as the Tritons recaptured the lead and took a 47-41 advantage into the fourth quarter. UC San Diego outscored the Titans, 23-9, throughout the third period.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Titans went on a 10-0 run to take back the lead, 51-47. The Tritons showed their determination, fighting back to regain the lead not long after, but the teams went back and forth trading baskets. Although the Titans narrowly trailed late, they were able to make a free throw with four seconds left to tie the game, 61-61, and send it to overtime.
Brown, who ultimately had the game-winning basket, was responsible for more than half of UC San Diego's overtime points, scoring five of the Tritons' seven points in the final five minutes. It was the first overtime contest for the Tritons this season, as they close their first season of the Division I era with a 68-66 win.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach
Heidi VanDerveer and
Sydney Brown spoke after the game.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Coming off of a career-high 16 points in yesterday's game, Emily Cangelosi had another big night. Her 11 rebounds were a career best, and with 10 points as well, she recorded a double-double.
- Four Tritons finished the night with double-digit points: Sydney Brown (18), Parker Montgomery (13), Emily Cangelosi (10), and Tyla Turner (10).
- Nine Tritons put up points in the game.
UP NEXT
The Tritons begin year two of their four-year transition to NCAA Division I with the expected season opener in November. Follow @ucsdwbb on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the latest schedule and program information.
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 began a new era in 2020 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 III and II and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America accolades, while 37 have received 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.
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.
