LA JOLLA, Calif.—Aishah Brown recorded a career high double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds to lead UC San Diego women's basketball to a 60-57 victory over UC Riverside on Thursday evening in RIMAC Arena.
 
The Tritons (4-6, 1-0 Big West) took their conference opener behind Brown's game highs in points and boards, as well as a season-best 17 points for Sydney Brown and nine points for Ula Chamberlin. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego took the early lead in the contest, led by Chamberlin and A. Brown who each tallied five points in the opening period. The Tritons shot 43 percent (3-of-7) and took a 15-10 lead into the first quarter break.
 
The Highlanders (3-4, 0-1 Big West) rallied on a 8-2 run to take the lead midway through the second quarter, 18-17. A pair of timely threes from Madison Baxter helped swing the momentum back in favor of UC San Diego and the Tritons took a 31-24 lead into the half.
 
UCR came out of the break with renewed energy and put together another run (11-2) to retake the lead, 38-36 with 3:01 remaining in the third period. 
 
With five seconds left in the period, Julia Macabuhay fed the ball in the lane to A. Brown who netted a layup as time expired to give UC San Diego a slim 40-39 lead with one quarter remaining.
 
The teams continued to battle in the final frame, but the clutch play from Sydney Brown and Aishah Brown secured the victory for the Tritons. S. Brown put up nine of UC San Diego's 20 points in the final quarter, while Aishah Brown finished a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line to close out the contest.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Aishah Brown recorded career highs in points (19) and rebounds (16) for her first double-double of the season.
• Sydney Brown tallied a season-best 17 points, her eighth double-figure scoring effort of the season.
• With the win, the Tritons extended a three-game winning streak in the all-time series with the Highlanders.
• It was the sixth game this season decided by 10 or fewer points.
• It was the third different starting lineup for the Tritons—UC San Diego's starters consisted of Madison Baxter, Aishah Brown, Sydney Brown, Julia Macabuhay and Emily Cangelosi

UP NEXT
The Tritons will continue their four-game homestand—their longest of the conference schedule—playing host to UC Irvine on Jan. 11 and Hawai'i on Jan. 13. Both contests are set for a 7 p.m. PT tip. As previously announced, Triton athletic competitions will proceed without spectators for all home games on the UC San Diego campus through Jan. 30. For more information and regular updates regarding attendance at UC San Diego athletic events, please click here.
 
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 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.