LA JOLLA, Calif. – Four Tritons scored in double figures as UC San Diego outlasted visiting USD, 69-63, in front of 2,038 inside LionTree Arena on Saturday night. The victory was the 800th in the history of the UC San Diego basketball program.
After notching a double-double in Monday's win,
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the Tritons in the win over the Toreros (2-1).
The Tritons improved to 2-0 for the third time in their four Division I seasons.
Hayden Gray scored 18,
Bryce Pope notched 15, and
Francis Nwaokorie chipped in 13 in the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams came out shooting well but combined for nine early turnovers. With his team trailing by five, UC San Diego guard
Hayden Gray came up with a steal near midcourt and drove down the floor for the transition bucket. Gray had a game-high 12 in the first half.
The Tritons tightened up defensively, forcing a pair of Torero shot clock violations in the first half. A driving layup from Pope with just five seconds remaining in the first half gave UC San Diego a 29-27 lead at the game's midpoint.
The Tritons had a 22-18 advantage in first half points in the paint, but USD had all 12 of the game's bench points over the first 20 minutes. The first 20 minutes saw five ties and three lead changes.
After halftime, the see-saw battle continued, and the Tritons forged ahead. Tait-Jones had an impressive move to the basket late.
UC San Diego built its biggest lead of the game to this point, 55-50, with three minutes to go on a driving layup from Nwaokorie.
The Tritons finished 19-for-23 at the free throw line (83%) in the win.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- Saturday was the second meeting between these foes as Division I programs. The series is now even at 1-1.
- The game featured seven ties and 13 lead changes.
- Until a Camden McCormick layup with 1:02 to play, all 59 of the Tritons' points to that moment had come from four of UC San Diego's starting five.
- For the second consecutive game, UC San Diego used a starting lineup of Hayden Gray, Bryce Pope, Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, Francis Nwaokorie, and J'Raan Brooks.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts La Verne Monday night. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and the contest will have live broadcasts on ESPN+ and KSDT Radio. Tickets can be purchased through
Triton Box Office.
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 84 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.
