LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego's
Toni Rocak scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and
Francis Nwaokorie finished with nine and nine – but it wasn't enough as visiting UC Irvine picked up a 56-50 victory over the Tritons in front of 1,753 on Spirit Night at RIMAC Arena.
The Tritons fell to 11-13 overall and 5-8 vs. Big West opponents. With the win, UC Irvine is now 12-7 and 7-3 against Big West foes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a fast start offensively for both sides. Four quick field goals from each team gave UC Irvine a 10-9 lead.
Toni Rocak's three-point play drew the Tritons to within one, and a three-pointer from
Jake Kosakowski gave UC San Diego its first lead of the night at 15-14.
UC San Diego led 18-14 before a 9-0 spurt from the visitors put the Anteaters on top, 23-18. During the stretch, the Tritons were held scoreless for almost seven minutes. UC San Diego ended the drought on a three-point play by
Francis Nwaokorie.
The Tritons scored seven in a row to go back on top, 25-23, with just over 90 seconds left in the half. DJ Davis buried a three-pointer for the Anteaters as time expired, giving the visitors a three-point lead at the half, 28-25.
Both defenses kept the opposing offense in check. UC Irvine hit 38% of its shot attempts and the Tritons made 35%. Rocak led all scorers with nine in the first half.
UC Irvine held a slim edge on the glass in the first half, outrebounding the Tritons, 19-17.
After halftime, the game remained a defensive battle. The teams combined to hit five of their first 25 attempts after halftime.
UC Irvine built a 50-41 lead with two minutes to play, but the Tritons battled back.
In the end, not enough shots fell for the Tritons, who shot 31% (18-for-59). The Anteaters hit 18-of 53 (37.9%) in the win.
The two teams each grabbed 37 rebounds on the night and the Tritons scored 20 points in the paint to 16 for the Anteaters.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- Tuesday's crowd of 1,753 was UC San Diego's second largest of the season.
- The score was UC Irvine 28, UC San Diego 25 in each half.
- Jake Killingsworth scored eight, grabbed five rebounds, dished out four assists without committing a turnover for the Tritons.
- This was the only meeting between these two teams in 2022. Last season, the Anteaters won all three games.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego wraps up its three-game stretch at home Thursday night when the Tritons host Hawai'i at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at
UCSDTritons.com/tickets. The game will also air live on ESPN+ and KSDT Radio.
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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
