RENO, Nev. – Two Tritons scored in double figures, but host Nevada fought off a hard-charging UC San Diego squad for a 64-56 victory in front of 6,693 inside Lawlor Events Center on Wednesday night. Neither team led by more than six points all night until a pair of Wolf Pack free throws in the game's final seconds.
Bryce Pope scored 14 and
Francis Nwaokorie scored a season-high 13 for the Tritons (4-6).
The Wolf Pack remained unbeaten at home (5-0) while improving to 9-3 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than five. The first 20 minutes featured four ties and eight lead changes.
UC San Diego led by two late in the first half. After a missed shot with time winding down,
Francis Nwaokorie corralled the offensive board, kicked it out to
Jace Roquemore who fired it into the corner for a
Bryce Pope three with 8.4 seconds on the clock. That bucket gave the Tritons a 34-29 lead at the half.
Pope led all scorers with 11 in the first half. Although UC San Diego connected on just 36% of its shots, the Tritons hit 6-of-14 from beyond the arc to build the halftime advantage. Roquemore had three first half assists, and the Tritons as a team turned the ball over just once.
Nevada began the second half on a 6-0 run to go up 35-34 at 18:01, forcing a Triton timeout. UC San Diego quickly regrouped and went back on top thanks to a fast break dunk from
Emmanuel Tshimanga. Moments later, the Wolf Pack retook the lead, but a big three-point play from Nwaokorie drew UC San Diego back within one.
Nevada built a six-point advantage, but UC San Diego continued to battle. The Tritons drew to within four on a bucket in the paint from Nwaokorie with 42.2 left. The home team hit free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Kenan Blackshear led all scorers with 19 points in the win.
QUOTABLE
"I thought we played really good basketball for big portions of the game, and it was the response we were looking for [after Monday's loss at San Diego]," said UC San Diego head coach
Eric Olen. "JD [
Justin DeGraaf], Francis, and E [
Emmanuel Tshimanga] all had four fouls and they did a good job. It's a physical game and they're gonna get some [fouls], but we can live with that. I'd rather that than they shy away from the contact."
TRITON TIDBITS
- The game featured seven ties and 15 lead changes.
- The Tritons are now 2-1 on the road this season when leading at the half.
- UC San Diego used a starting lineup of Roddie Anderson III, Bryce Pope, Jace Roquemore, Francis Nwaokorie, and Emmanuel Tshimanga for the second straight game. It's the third lineup the Tritons have used through ten games.
- Roquemore finished with nine points and four assists for UC San Diego.
- Justin DeGraaf logged a career high 23 minutes off the bench for UC San Diego.
- Wednesday was the first meeting between the Tritons and Wolf Pack.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego returns home for its final non-conference game in LionTree Arena when the Tritons host Occidental for a Saturday matinee. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m. with a live broadcast on ESPN+.
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 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 earned 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.
