LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego men's basketball team fell to visiting Hawai'i, 62-49, in the Tritons Big West home opener Thursday night at LionTree Arena.
Bryce Pope returned to action after missing the team's most recent game and scored 16 points for UC San Diego (6-9, 1-2 Big West).
The Warriors (12-3, 3-0 Big West) remained tied for first atop The Big West standings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hawai'i came out fast, building a quick 11-4 lead five minutes into the game. The Tritons responded with a 6-0 run in less than a minute to close within one, 11-10, with just over 13:00 left in the half. Up two, 19-17, the Rainbow Warriors sprinted out on a 10-0 spurt to go up 29-17 with 8 minutes on the clock. Pope briefly quelled the visitors' momentum with a driving layup.
Pope led all scorers with 12 first half points on 6-of-8 shooting, but Hawai'i took a 35-21 lead into halftime. The visitors shot 52% in the first half led by eight points apiece from Kamaka Hepa and Bernardo da Silva.
Emmanuel Tshimanga grabbed six first half boards for the Tritons, but he was limited to just 11 minutes of action due to foul trouble.
UC San Diego came out of the locker room with renewed energy, opening the second half on an 8-0 run to draw to 35-29, forcing a UH timeout. UC San Diego's defense was strong, forcing the Warriors into back-to-back shot clock violations. Meanwhile, the Triton offense continued to whittle the Hawai'i lead.
Roddie Anderson III came up with a steal leading to a breakaway dunk, drawing the Tritons to within four, 42-38, with 10:30 left.
Hawai'i hit seven straight field goals to hold on down the stretch for the win, finishing on a 9-0 run.
Da Silva scored a game-high 20 and was one of four UH players in double figures. Pope paced the Tritons with 16 with Anderson adding 15. Tshimanga grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego out-scored Hawai'i, 28-27, after halftime.
- The Tritons turned the ball over just three times in the second half after 10 in the first.
- Each team scored 24 points in the paint.
- With the setback, the Tritons saw their three-game home win streak snapped. Hawai'i played its first true road game.
- The Tritons are now 0-5 all-time vs. Hawai'i, including 0-2 in this building as Big West members.
UP NEXT
Following a bye this weekend, the Tritons return to action Wednesday, Jan. 11 when they host UC Riverside. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from LionTree Arena in La Jolla. Tickets can be purchased through the Triton Box Office, and the game can be seen live on ESPN+ with Steve Quis and Martin Bahar calling the action.
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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Divisions I and II.
