LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego drained a season-high 16 three-pointers and the Tritons rolled to a 91-55 victory over visiting Occidental Saturday afternoon at LionTree Arena.
Bryce Pope scored a game-high 20 and
Jake Kosakowski scored 18 and knocked down a season-high six from beyond the arc in the victory for the Tritons (5-6).
Francis Nwaokorie scored 16 and grabbed nine rebounds for UC San Diego, which snapped a two-game slide.
The Tigers fell to 3-5 with the Saturday setback.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The home team got off to a fast start, beginning the game with a 9-0 run over the first two and a half minutes. UC San Diego took advantage of hot shooting inside the paint and from distance to build a 32-7 lead at the 8:31 mark on a
Vuk Vulikic layup.
Quin Patterson had a strong half off the bench for the Tritons. He sank a pair of three-pointers and grabbed a pair of rebounds over seven minutes.
Pope converted a three-point play in the final seconds of the half as UC San Diego took a 54-25 lead into halftime – its largest lead of the season to that point.
The Tritons were 8-of-19 from beyond the arc in the first half (42%) and 18-for-33 (55%) shooting overall. Pope led all scorers with 12, with
Francis Nwaokorie adding 9 points and five rebounds.
Emmanuel Tshimanga chipped in eight points and five boards.
The Tritons came out of the locker room and continued to build upon their lead. Up 57-30, UC San Diego used an 11-0 run over a two-minute span to take a commanding 68-30 advantage with 13:06 remaining.
Tshimanga finished with 12 rebounds to go with his eight points over 19 minutes. UC San Diego got 36 points off the bench, led by Kosakowski's 18.
The Tritons hit 50% of their shots (29-58) and 44% from distance. UC San Diego enjoyed a 39-28 advantage on the glass.
QUOTABLE with Jake Kosakowski
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons' 54-point first half was their largest offensive output in any half so far this season and the 91-point effort marked a season high.
- UC San Diego improved to 2-0 this season in day games.
- UC San Diego's 36-point margin of victory was its largest of the season and the third-highest in the program's NCAA Division I era (2020-21 to present).
- UC San Diego used a starting lineup of Roddie Anderson III, Bryce Pope, Jace Roquemore, Francis Nwaokorie, and Emmanuel Tshimanga for the third straight game.
- Saturday was the first meeting between the Tritons and Tigers since UC San Diego competed in Division III in 1998.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego wraps up non-conference play on Tuesday night, when the Tritons visit crosstown foe San Diego State. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Viejas Arena with a live broadcast on FS1. Live stats will be available on UCSDTritons.com.
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.
