SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – UC San Diego senior Toni Rocak scored 24 and freshman Francis Nwaokorie added 21 but it wasn't enough as host Cal Poly rallied for an 80-76 victory over the Tritons in front of 1,642 at the Mott Athletics Center Saturday night. The loss snapped the Tritons' two-game win streak.
 
As a team, the Tritons were a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line on the night but they couldn't hold the lead down the stretch.
 
The Tritons wrap up the regular season with a record of 13-16 overall and 7-11 against Big West opponents. Cal Poly improved to 7-20 overall and 4-12 vs. Big West foes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons started off on fire offensively, knocking down five of their first seven three-point tries. UC San Diego used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to go up 23-16 on the Mustangs. Meantime, Cal Poly was held scoreless for nearly five minutes.
 
UC San Diego led by as many as 10 on the way to a 38-30 halftime lead. The Tritons hit 54% of their field goal tries in the first half (13-24) including 6-of-10 from distance.
 
Toni Rocak led the Tritons in the scoring column with 12 first half points while Francis Nwaokorie added 11 and Jake Kosakowski six. That trio was a perfect 5-of-5 in three-point tries.
 
The Tritons held a slim 14-13 edge in first half rebounds, and each team had 14 points in the paint.
 
Trailing by 10 midway through the second half, Cal Poly used a 6-0 spurt to draw within four, 61-57, with 7:45 to play. With 3:29 left, Camren Pierce scored on a layup to give the Mustangs a 68-67 lead – their first since 16-13 less than seven minutes into the game.
 
The Tritons quickly answered with a three from Kosakowski to go up a bucket, 70-68. But the Mustangs hit 9 of their final 10 shots from the floor and made their free throws down the stretch to win 80-76.
 
After shooting 54% in the first half, UC San Diego shot just 33% after halftime.
 
Kosakowski was 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, finishing with 15 points.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Rocak registered his ninth game of 20 or more points (seventh vs. a Big West opponent).
• This was the fourth consecutive game and the 16th time this season the Tritons have made 10 or more three-point field goals
• Kosakowski finished with five three-pointers and he led the conference with 70 makes from beyond the arc.
• UC San Diego was 12-for-23 from beyond the three-point arc on the night. Last month when these teams met at RIMAC Arena, the Tritons connected on just eight of 30 tries from long range.
• For the 12th consecutive game, the Tritons' starting lineup consisted of Jace Roquemore, Bryce Pope, Jake Killingsworth, Rocak, and Nwaokorie.

 
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.