LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego men's basketball team is back at LionTree Arena for the first time in nearly three weeks when the Tritons welcome the Bethesda Flames for a non-conference game Friday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the game televised on ESPN+.
The Tritons (3-4) will look to even their record with a third consecutive victory. Last time UC San Diego faced Bethesda, the Tritons earned a 101-64 victory in La Jolla in Feb. 2021. That afternoon, UC San Diego set a Big West record for most three-point field goals in a single game, sinking 22 from beyond the arc.
DETAILS
Game 8
UC San Diego (3-4, 0-0 Big West) vs. Bethesda (2-10, 0-0 NCCAA)
Friday, December 2
7 p.m.
LionTree Arena, La Jolla, Calif.
TV: ESPN+
Watch |
Live Stats
Series Record: UC San Diego leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: at UC San Diego 101, Bethesda 64 (Feb. 7, 2021)
ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 3-4
Big West: 0-0
Home: 1-2
Away: 2-1
Neutral: 0-1
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: W2
TRITONS, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
| Stat |
UCSD |
Opp. |
| Points |
64.9 |
70.9 |
| Field Goal Pct. |
.426 |
.432 |
| 3-Point FG Pct. |
.297 |
.389 |
| Free Throw Pct. |
.679 |
.738 |
| Rebounds |
35.6 |
34.4 |
| Assists |
11.6 |
14.4 |
| Turnovers |
12.4 |
10.6 |
| Steals |
5.7 |
6.0 |
| Blocks |
2.0 |
2.9 |
ABOUT THE FLAMES
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 2-10
National Christian College Athletic Association: 0-0
Home: 0-0
Away: 2-8
Neutral: 0-2
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: L1
LAST TIME OUT
UC San Diego guard
Bryce Pope scored 20 points and center
Emmanuel Tshimanga pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds as the visiting Tritons earned a 66-63 victory over host Eastern Michigan inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. on Sunday afternoon.
UC San Diego (3-4) won its second straight road game while the Eagles fell to 1-6.
LAST TIME VS. BETHESDA | FEB. 7, 2021
UC San Diego drained a season-best 22 three-point field goals as the Tritons rolled to a 101-64 victory over visiting Bethesda inside then-RIMAC Arena. The 22 made threes also established a new Big West single game record.
UC San Diego built a 50-23 lead at halftime, with 12 of its 17 first-half field goals consisting of the three-point variety. The Tritons registered 14 first-half assists on those 17 field goals, led by four from senior
Mikey Howell.
POPE NAMED UCU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (NOV. 28)
Redshirt junior guard
Bryce Pope had a memorable week in lifting the Tritons to a pair of road victories. On Nov. 22 at George Washington, Pope scored a career-high 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting. On Nov. 27 at Eastern Michigan, Pope scored a game-high 20. For the week, he averaged 25.5 points, connecting on 5-of-11 three-point tries while shooting 52.9% (18-34) overall.
POPE POURS 'EM IN
Bryce Pope's 31-point game in the win at George Washington (Nov. 22) was second-most in a single game scored by a Triton during the program's Division I era. He currently ranks second in The Big West in scoring with 19.3 points per game.
UC San Diego 30-Point Games, Division I
| Name |
Date |
Opponent |
Points |
Game Score |
| Toni Rocak |
Dec. 30, 2021 |
vs. UC Santa Barbara |
34 |
W, 85-83 (OT) |
| Bryce Pope |
Nov. 22, 2022 |
at George Washington |
31 |
W, 75-70 |
TSHIMANGA POSTS UP
Junior transfer
Emmanuel Tshimanga pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, blocked a pair of shots, and scored six points over 21 minutes in the Tritons' win at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 27).
POPE PUTS IT AWAY
In UC San Diego's victory over Cal (Nov. 15),
Bryce Pope hit a contested three-pointer with just 10.9 second to play, lifting the Tritons to a 64-62 win. This wasn't the first Time the shooting guard came up big late in a game. Last season at CSU Bakersfield, Pope hit the game winning jumper in the paint with 1.4 seconds on the clock (March 3).
TRAVEL LOG
UC San Diego concluded a stretch of four consecutive games in the Eastern time zone on Sunday with a 2-2 mark. This year's schedule features games in five states plus Washington, D.C.
TIME TRAVEL
The Nov. 18 game at Navy marked UC San Diego's first in the Eastern time zone since the then-Division II Tritons played an exhibition game at Pittsburgh in October 2013. That game marked
Eric Olen's first as Tritons' head coach.
PRODUCTION OFF THE BENCH
In UC San Diego's season opener vs. Seattle U (Nov. 7), the Tritons received a combined 25 points off the bench from a pair of newcomers: freshman point guard
Roddie Anderson III scored 10 while adding six rebounds and five assists in his first collegiate game. Playing his first game as a Triton, junior center
Emmanuel Tshimanga added 15 points and a pair of blocked shots over 15 minutes.
KOS AND EFFECT
Junior forward
Jake Kosakowski led the nation in three-point field goal percentage last season, connecting on 47.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc. His 70 made threes led The Big West. He knocked down a career-best eight at Long Beach State (Feb. 24).
MAKING THEIR MARK FROM DISTANCE
UC San Diego led The Big West in three-point field goals (265) and three-point field goal percentage (.370) last season.
A BIG WELCOME TO NWAOKORIE
Sophomore forward
Francis Nwaokorie was a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award in 2022, given to the nation's top Division I freshman. In his first season at UC San Diego, Nwaokorie made quite an impact. He started 24 games, averaging 11.8 points and 5.8 boards per contest. In a win over then-first place Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 26, he scored a career-high 23 points while grabbing nine rebounds.
Nwaokorie was named to the
Zootown Classic All-Tournament Team and at season's end, he was named the
top freshman in the Big West by the web site hoopshd.com.
HEAD COACH ERIC OLEN
In his tenth season as head coach,
Eric Olen has transformed the program. In the team's second Division I season, the Tritons strung together 13 victories, including a season-opening win at Cal – UC San Diego's first triumph over a Pac-12 opponent.
In Division II, Olen led the Tritons to three California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season titles, four consecutive CCAA tournament crowns over seven seasons. In Division II, he posted a .740 winning percentage, and he was named NABC West Region Coach of the Year for the first time in 2019-20 after leading the Tritons to a 30-1 record and the top seed in the NCAA West Region.
Olen's career coaching record stands at 182-86 (.679).
WHAT'S NEXT
UC San Diego takes a break for Final Exams next week. The Tritons will return to the hardwood on Monday, Dec. 12 at San Diego. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m. from USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion.
NEW LOOK TO BIG WEST STANDINGS
Now in year three of its four-year NCAA reclassification to Division I, UC San Diego will be included in The Big West standings for the first time. The conference elected to exclude the Tritons from the standings and conference statistics in each of the last two seasons.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Returners
J'Raan Brooks, Sr., F
Fallou Cisse, R-Fr., F
Justin DeGraaf, So., F
Jake Kosakowski, Jr., F
Francis Nwaokorie, So., F
Michael Pearson Jr., So., G
Bryce Pope, Jr., G
Jace Roquemore, Jr., G
Vuk Vulikic, Jr., G
Newcomers
Roddie Anderson III, Fr., G
Camden McCormick, Fr., G
Quin Patterson, Fr., G/F
Cade Pendleton, Fr., F
Emmanuel Tshimanga, Jr., C (UC Irvine)
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
This year's Tritons squad boasts scholar-athletes from three foreign countries:
Fallou Cisse, Senegal
Emmanuel Tshimanga, Canada
Vuk Vulikic, Serbia
SEVEN NAMED TO NABC HONORS COURT FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Seven UC San Diego men's basketball scholar-athletes were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court for excelling in the classroom.
J'Raan Brooks,
Matt Gray,
Jake Killingsworth,
Jake Kosakowski,
Justin Pratt,
Jace Roquemore and
Lunden Taylor represent the Tritons on this year's Honors Court. UC San Diego is also a recipient of the 2021-22 NABC Team Academic Excellence Award.
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize men's basketball programs that completed the 2021-22 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2021-22 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
OUR HOME HAS A NEW NAME!
UC San Diego's basketball home has been named
LionTree Arena in recognition of a $5 million gift for scholar-athletes from LionTree, an independent investment and merchant bank with expertise in technology, media and the digital economy. LionTree was founded by UC San Diego alumnus Aryeh B. Bourkoff, who also serves as the firm's CEO. LionTree's gift is the largest ever received by UC San Diego Athletics, establishing the LionTree Endowed Scholarship Fund to support scholar-athletes. The gift total contributed to the
Campaign for UC San Diego, which concluded on June 30, 2022. Bourkoff also served as co-chair of the Campaign for UC San Diego Cabinet.
DIVISION I FIRSTS
| First Season |
2020-21 |
| First Game |
Dec. 22, 2020 vs. Saint Katherine |
| First Win over Division I Opponent |
Jan. 22, 2021 vs. UC Davis |
| First Basket vs. D1 Opponent |
Jace Roquemore (1/8/21) vs. UC Irvine |
| First Division I Road Win |
Nov. 9, 2021 at Cal |
| First Big West Road Win |
Feb. 3, 2022 at CSUN |
WHY THE TRITONS?
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
TRITON BOX OFFICE
Single game tickets to UC San Diego basketball home games are now on-sale. For more information or to purchase,
click here. Currently enrolled UC San Diego students are provided free admission by showing a valid campus ID at the arena entrance.
GAME DAY HAS A NEW LOOK
Triton fans now have a whole new way to access game day information, as game programs have gone digital! Fans can visit
UCSDTritons.com/MBBgameday from their smart phone or scan the QR code at the entrance to LionTree Arena for everything they need to know about each home game, including updated rosters, schedules, and stats for each team, as well as links to watch on ESPN+.
COVERING THE TRITONS
Media members wishing to cover a UC San Diego game in-person at LionTree Arena must notify a member of the Athletics Communications staff no later than 24 hours prior to the game.
Following the conclusion of each home game, a video highlight melt and video postgame interviews will be made available for media members to download.
ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program is in its third year of a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of
The Big West for the 2024-25 academic year. At that time, all sports will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.
UC SAN DIEGO ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Most UC San Diego home men's and women's basketball games, men's and women's soccer matches, men's and women's volleyball matches, baseball and softball games are broadcast live on ESPN+. For more information on where to watch UC San Diego soccer, visit
UCSDTritons.com/live.
HOOPS TALK ON UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS' PODCAST
As part of UC San Diego's transition to Division I, the Athletics Department launched a weekly podcast,
Tritoncast. Produced by UC San Diego Athletics Communications, Tritoncast features in-depth interviews with UC San Diego personalities including scholar-athletes, alums, coaches, and administrators. Triton fans will get an inside look at the UC San Diego Athletics Department as the program transitions to NCAA Division I and The Big West. New episodes of Tritoncast are available each week on the most popular podcasting apps. In addition, each episode can be heard and downloaded on UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow Tritoncast on Twitter
@Tritoncast.
MEN'S BASKETBALL ON TRITONCAST
| Episode |
Published |
Guest(s) |
Listen Link |
| 08 |
8/19/20 |
Adam Klie '17, program's D2 leading scorer |
Listen |
| 13 |
9/23/20 |
John Saintignon, impact of John Wooden |
Listen |
| 23 |
12/02/20 |
Jordan Lawley '10, NBA training center |
Listen |
| 30 |
1/20/21 |
Gabe Hadley '21, pro in Australia |
Listen |
| 67 |
11/02/22 |
Head Coach Eric Olen, season preview |
Listen |
GET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO HOOPS
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through
Twitter,
Facebook, and
Instagram. The team's handle is @ucsdmbb.
FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the
Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!
GEAR
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories,
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 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.
