LA JOLLA, Calif. – Fresh off its largest-ever Big West win on Saturday at UC Davis, UC San Diego returns to LionTree Arena to face CSUN Thursday night at 7 p.m. The showdown marks the end of the first half of Big West action. The Tritons (14-7, 8-1) enter the contest tied for first place atop The Big West standings while boasting a 9-1 mark at home. CSUN (13-8, 4-5) got off to a 4-1 start in conference play but the Matadors have dropped four straight.
Since moving to Division I three seasons ago, the Tritons have won all four meetings over the Matadors – including a pair last season. Thursday's action tips off at 7 p.m. from La Jolla with a live broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats on UCSDTritons.com. Tickets can be purchased through
Triton Box Office.
DETAILS
Game 22
UC San Diego (14-7, 8-1 Big West) vs. CSUN (13-8, 4-5 Big West)
Thursday, February 1
7 p.m.
LionTree Arena (4,000), La Jolla
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KSDT Radio
Watch |
Listen |
Live Stats
Series Record: UC San Diego leads 4-2 (4-0 in Division I)
Last Meeting: at UC San Diego 75, CSUN 62 (Feb. 18, 2023)
ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 14-7
Big West: 8-1
Home: 9-1
Away: 5-5
Neutral: 0-1
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: W3
TRITONS, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
| Stat |
UCSD |
Opp. |
| Points |
76.8 |
67.0 |
| Field Goal Pct. |
.460 |
.430 |
| 3-Point FG Pct. |
.363 |
.339 |
| Free Throw Pct. |
.765 |
.694 |
| Rebounds |
34.8 |
33.4 |
| Assists |
13.2 |
12.8 |
| Turnovers |
9.7 |
12.5 |
| Steals |
6.7 |
4.5 |
| Blocks |
3.0 |
3.3 |
ABOUT THE MATADORS
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 13-8
Big West: 4-5
Home: 7-3
Away: 6-5
Neutral: 0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: L4
WHAT'S NEXT
UC San Diego begins the second half of Big West play on Saturday when the Tritons travel north to visit Long Beach State at Walter Pyramid. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. with a live broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats on UCSDTritons.com.
LAST TIME OUT
Four Tritons scored in double figures and a strong offensive second half led visiting UC San Diego to a convincing 92-59 victory at UC Davis Saturday afternoon in a battle of first place teams in The Big West. The Tritons' victory was the program's first inside University Credit Union Center, and, more importantly, kept UC San Diego (13-7 overall, 8-1 Big West) in a tie atop the conference standings.
Bryce Pope hit four three-pointers and scored 22 second half points to lift the Tritons to the road win. He finished with a game-high 29.
Tyler McGhie matched his season-high with six threes and finished with 18.
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones scored 17 on 7-of-10 shooting and
J'Raan Brooks added ten thanks to a pair of threes.
UC Davis (12-8, 7-2) was led by 22 points from Ty Johnson and 13 from The Big West's leading scorer, Elijah Pepper. Pepper came into the game averaging 21.5 points per game.
LAST TIME VS. CSUN (FEB. 18, 2023)
UC San Diego redshirt junior guard
Bryce Pope scored 24 points and matched his career-high with eight rebounds as the Tritons earned a 75-62 victory over CSUN at LionTree Arena. Pope was one of four UC San Diego players to finish in double figures.
The Tritons snapped a five-game slide – four of the setbacks were by single digits – and improved to 9-18 overall and 4-11 in The Big West. CSUN dropped to 6-21 overall and 3-13 in Big West action.
In addition to Pope's 24,
Roddie Anderson III scored 16 and grabbed six rebounds,
Francis Nwaokorie scored 12 and pulled down eight boards, and
Jace Roquemore chipped in 11.
TAKING NOTICE
UC San Diego is ranked 25th in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll – the first time the Tritons have been ranked at the Division I level.
TRITONS VS. THE BIG WEST
Here's a look at how UC San Diego has stacked up against conference competition since joining The Big West prior to the 2020-21 season:
| Opponent |
Home |
Road |
Neutral |
Total |
Streak |
| Cal Poly |
0-1 |
2-1 |
0-0 |
2-2 |
W2 |
| Cal State Bakersfield |
2-1 |
1-3 |
0-0 |
3-4 |
W1 |
| Cal State Fullerton |
3-1 |
1-1 |
0-0 |
4-2 |
W1 |
| CSUN |
2-0 |
2-0 |
0-0 |
4-0 |
W4 |
| Hawai'i |
1-2 |
0-2 |
0-0 |
1-4 |
W1 |
| Long Beach State |
1-2 |
1-1 |
0-0 |
2-3 |
W1 |
| UC Davis |
1-2 |
1-2 |
0-0 |
2-4 |
W1 |
| UC Irvine |
0-3 |
1-3 |
0-0 |
1-6 |
L1 |
| UC Riverside |
3-2 |
0-3 |
0-0 |
3-5 |
W1 |
| UC Santa Barbara |
1-1 |
1-4 |
0-0 |
2-5 |
W1 |
SECOND HALF SURGE
In UC San Diego's 92-59 win at UC Davis (Jan. 27), the Tritons outscored the Aggies 54-23 in the second half.
Bryce Pope scored 22 after halftime (29 total) and UC San Diego sank ten three-pointers in the second half.
KNOCKING 'EM DOWN
When UC San Diego shot 60.4% in a win at Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 6), it marked the second time ever in a Big West game – and the first on the road – in which UC San Diego shot 60% or better from the floor against a conference foe. The Tritons also sank 67.9% of their shots in their first-ever win over a Division I opponent (vs. UC Davis, Jan. 21, 2021).
SHARPSHOOTERS
UC San Diego leads The Big West from beyond the arc, knocking down 9.0 three-pointers per game. In addition, the Tritons are shooting 76.5% from the free throw line – also tops in the conference. During Big West play, the Tritons are averaging a league-best 77.2 points per game. UC San Diego is shooting 48.1% overall and 39.0% from distance – both second best in the conference.
STINGY ON D
The Tritons rank second in The Big West, allowing opponents to score just 65.6 points per game during conference play.
POPE EARNS SECOND BIG WEST WEEKLY HONOR IN THREE WEEKS
For the second time in the last three weeks,
Bryce Pope earned Big West Player of the Week honors on Jan. 29. With his team leading by two at halftime in a battle of first place teams at UC Davis, Pope took over in the second half Saturday. Pope scored 22 after halftime – nearly outscoring the Aggies (23 points) – as the Tritons earned a
92-59 win, the program's first Big West victory in Davis. Pope finished with 29 points, matching his season high, as the Tritons improved to 8-1 in conference action. For the week, Pope averaged 22 points on 47% shooting with seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and only one turnover in a pair of UC San Diego victories.
AWARD WINNERS
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, Big West Player of the Week, Nov. 13
Bryce Pope, UCU Athlete of the Week, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Jan. 2, Jan. 8, Jan. 29
Tyler McGhie, UCU Athlete of the Week, Dec. 26
Bryce Pope, Big West Player of the Week, Jan. 15, Jan. 29
Francis Nwaokorie, UCU Athlete of the Week, Jan. 15
TY'S THE GUY
In his UC San Diego debut,
Tyler McGhie scored 22 points and knocked down six three-pointers in the Tritons' win at Sacramento State (Dec. 18). The six made three-pointers are the most by a Triton in a game so far this season. McGhie also hit six from distance in the win at UC Davis (Jan. 27).
TAIT-JONES DELIVERS STRONG DEBUT
Newcomer
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was voted Big West Men's Basketball Player of the Week as announced by the conference office on Nov. 13. Playing his first two games as a Triton, the junior transfer finished one assist shy over a triple-double in UC San Diego's opener, then followed that up with a 21-point night in a win over USD.
1,000-POINT SCORERS
In the Tritons' win at Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 6),
Tyler McGhie became the latest UC San Diego player to score 1,000 career points. Here are the program's top all-time scorers:
UC San Diego All-Time Scoring Leaders (includes games played at other institutions)
| Name |
Years |
Games Played |
Points |
| Paul Trainer |
1971-75 |
104 |
1,930 |
| Matt Aune |
1993-97 |
100 |
1,780 |
| Mike Wall |
1995-99 |
100 |
1,700 |
| Greg Kaminsky |
1983-87 |
104 |
1,588 |
| Tim Rapp |
1987-91 |
75 |
1,556 |
| Adam Klie |
2013-17 |
118 |
1,524 |
| Christian Oshita |
2016-20 |
100 |
1,505 |
| Chris Hansen |
2015-20 |
113 |
1,418 |
| Bryce Pope |
2020-pr. |
93 |
1,413 |
| Rick Batt |
1988-92 |
106 |
1,410 |
| Jordan Lawley |
2006-10 |
110 |
1,398 |
| James McCann |
2010-14 |
107 |
1,339 |
| Drew Dyer |
2012-16 |
108 |
1,333 |
| Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones |
2020-pr. |
83 |
1,312 |
| Clint Allard |
2004-08 |
112 |
1,150 |
| Tyler McGhie |
2020-pr. |
81 |
1,076 |
| Francis Nwaokorie |
2021-pr. |
79 |
965 |
UC San Diego 30-Point Games, Division I
| Name |
Date |
Opponent |
Points |
Game Score |
| Toni Rocak |
Dec. 30, 2021 |
vs. UC Santa Barbara |
34 |
W, 85-83 (OT) |
| Bryce Pope |
Nov. 22, 2022 |
at George Washington |
31 |
W, 75-70 |
HEAD COACH ERIC OLEN
When UC San Diego won at Cal Poly (Jan. 13), the victory marked the 200th in the career of Triton head coach
Eric Olen. In his 11th season as head coach, Olen has transformed the program. He is the program's all-time leader in victories.
In Division II, Olen led the Tritons to three California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season titles, four consecutive CCAA tournament crowns over seven seasons. In Division II, he posted a .740 winning percentage, and he was named NABC West Region Coach of the Year for the first time in 2019-20 after leading the Tritons to a 30-1 record and the top seed in the NCAA West Region.
Olen's career coaching record stands at 203-109 (.650).
10 EARN SPOT ON BIG WEST ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL
Ten Tritons earned spots on the Big West Academic Honor Roll following last season. Five captured Highest Honors (grade point average of 3.51-4.00):
J'Raan Brooks,
Justin DeGraaf,
Jake Kosakowski,
Quin Patterson, and
Jace Roquemore. Two more were recognized With Honors (3.21-3.50 GPA):
Michael Pearson Jr. and
Emmanuel Tshimanga, and three Tritons garnered Honor Roll (3.00-3.20 GPA) recognition:
Francis Nwaokorie,
Bryce Pope, and
Vuk Vulikic.
FOUR NAMED TO NABC HONORS COURT FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Four UC San Diego men's basketball scholar-athletes were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court for excelling in the classroom.
J'Raan Brooks,
Jake Kosakowski,
Jace Roquemore and
Emmanuel Tshimanga represent the Tritons on this year's Honors Court. UC San Diego is also a recipient of the 2022-23 NABC Team Academic Excellence Award.
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize men's basketball programs that completed the 2022-23 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2022-23 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
DIVISION I FIRSTS
| First Season |
2020-21 |
| First Game |
Dec. 22, 2020 vs. Saint Katherine |
| First Win over Division I Opponent |
Jan. 22, 2021 vs. UC Davis |
| First Basket vs. D1 Opponent |
Jace Roquemore (1/8/21) vs. UC Irvine |
| First Division I Road Win |
Nov. 9, 2021 at Cal |
| First Big West Road Win |
Feb. 3, 2022 at CSUN |
HADLEY INKS DEAL WITH BRISBANE BULLETS OF AUSTRALIA'S NBL
Former Triton Gabe Hadley signed to play for the Brisbane Bullets of Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). First tipping off in 1979, the NBL is the highest level of pro ball in Australasia, with nine teams in Australia and one in New Zealand. Hadley, 25, averaged 24.7 points per game playing for Geelong United of the NBL1 this season.
As a Triton, Hadley averaged more than 12 points, three rebounds and two assists per game as a senior, starting every contest during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. The All-Triton Scholar-Athlete Team selection may be best remembered for hitting a fadeaway three-pointer with seconds remaining to send a game against UC Riverside to overtime. Then, in the extra session, he drained the game-winning three-pointer in the final moments.
Hadley has played professionally in his native Australia since graduating from UC San Diego in 2021.
WHY THE TRITONS
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
Single game tickets to UC San Diego basketball home games are now on-sale. For more information or to purchase,
click here. Currently enrolled UC San Diego students are provided free admission by showing a valid campus ID at the arena entrance.
GAME DAY GOES DIGITAL
Triton fans can access game day information from their smart phones by visiting
UCSDTritons.com/MBBgameday or scanning the QR code at the entrance to LionTree Arena for everything they need to know about each home game, including updated rosters, schedules, and stats for each team, as well as links to watch on ESPN+.
COVERING THE TRITONS
Media members wishing to cover a UC San Diego game in-person at LionTree Arena must notify a member of the Athletics Communications staff no later than 24 hours prior to the game.
Following the conclusion of each home game, a video highlight melt and video postgame interviews will be made available for media members to download.
ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program is in its final year of a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of
The Big West for the 2024-25 academic year. At that time, all sports will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.
UC SAN DIEGO ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Most UC San Diego home men's and women's basketball games, men's and women's soccer matches, men's and women's volleyball matches, baseball and softball games are broadcast live on ESPN+. For more information on where to watch UC San Diego basketball, visit
UCSDTritons.com/live.
HOOPS TALK ON UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS' PODCAST
As part of UC San Diego's transition to Division I, the Athletics Department launched a weekly podcast,
Tritoncast. Produced by UC San Diego Athletics Communications, Tritoncast features in-depth interviews with UC San Diego personalities including scholar-athletes, alums, coaches, and administrators. Triton fans will get an inside look at the UC San Diego Athletics Department as the program transitions to NCAA Division I and The Big West. New episodes of Tritoncast are available each week on the most popular podcasting apps. In addition, each episode can be heard and downloaded on UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow Tritoncast on X
@Tritoncast.
MEN'S BASKETBALL ON TRITONCAST
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 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 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.
