LA JOLLA, Calif.— UC San Diego women's basketball was unable to overcome a slow first half, falling to CSUN, 53-45, on Thursday evening in RIMAC Arena.
 
The Tritons (9-9, 6-3 Big West) were led by Sydney Brown with 13 points and eight rebounds. Parker Montgomery also scored in double-figures with 11 points and along with Ula Chamberlin, recorded a team-high four assists. Emily Cangelosi and Chamberlin each chipped in seven rebounds as well.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams got off to a slow start, scoring just one three-point basket each in the first 9:30 of the opening quarter. The Matadors (7-11, 3-5 Big West) sank back-to-back shots in the final 30 seconds to take a 7-3 lead into the first period break. 
 
CSUN opened up the second quarter with a 6-0 run to extend its lead, while the Tritons' offensive struggles continued. Montgomery tallied five-straight points to keep UC San Diego in the game, but the Matadors took a 17-8 lead into the halftime break. 
 
It was a tough first half statistically for both teams. The Tritons tallied 16 turnovers, compared to 11 for CSUN and UC San Diego shot 2-of-23 from the field compared 8-of-25 for the Matadors.
 
CSUN extended its largest lead of the game to open the second half, leading 25-11 with 5:58 to play in the quarter. The Tritons then went on an 8-0 run sparked by tough play in the paint from Sydney Brown, who tallied six-straight points. UC San Diego found a bit of offensive rhythm, shooting 54 percent from the field with 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, but the Tritons still trailed 36-27 at the end of the third quarter.
 
The Tritons continued to battle in the final period, eventually cutting the lead down to three with 3:17 remaining in the contest. UC San Diego had several good looks down the stretch but the offense went cold, hitting just 1-of-6 in the final 45 seconds to effectively end the comeback.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Sydney Brown scored in double-figures for the 12th time this season, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
• The Tritons were held to their lowest first-half point total of the season, scoring 8 points on 2-of-23 from the field.
• With the loss, the Tritons moved to 0-2 in the all-time series with CSUN.
• UC San Diego's starters consisted of Madison Baxter, Sydney Brown, Emily Cangelosi, Brianna Claros and Bridget Mullings.  

UP NEXT
The Tritons will remain home to play host to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT in RIMAC Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via 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 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.