LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego women's basketball fell in a double-overtime battle with Saint Mary's, 74-65, on Thursday morning in LionTree Arena. The Tritons (1-3) moved to 0-3 in the all-time series with the Gaels (2-1).
Sumayah Sugapong led the Tritons with 15 points, while
Kayanna Spriggs finished with 13 and
Nicki Polocheck added nine with a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Spriggs finished just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds and
Gracie Gallegos added seven. Three Tritons had three assists each, including
Eri Blithikioti,
Sabrina Ma and
Parker Montgomery. Three Tritons also had three steals, including Ma, Montgomery and Spriggs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams got off to a slow start, with the first points scored at 5:21 in the opening quarter. After an early 4-0 lead by Saint Mary's, the Tritons put together a five-point run to take the lead with 1:52 to play. The teams traded points down the stretch and UC San Diego took a 9-8 lead into the first quarter break.
After the Gaels took the lead, 11-9, in the opening minutes. UC San Diego then scored eight unanswered, including threes by Polocheck and Montgomery to lead, 17-11. Another three by Polocheck and a layup by
Emma Svoboda gave the Tritons their largest lead of the first half, 22-15. A four-point run for SMC, followed by three made free throws by Smith made it 25-19 at halftime. The defensive battle in the first half saw a combined 25 turnovers, including 10 steals.
The Tritons extended their lead to nine with a three-point play by Spriggs in the opening minutes of the second half to make it, 30-21. SMC went on a 10-2 run midway through the quarter to make it a one-point game, 34-33. The Gaels took the lead with a three-pointer, 38-37, with 2:26 on the clock. A timely three by Polocheck kept UC San Diego in the lead late and a three by Sugapong with five second remaining gave the Tritons a 43-40 advantage at the final quarter break.
The Gaels opened with a 9-2 scoring run to pull in front, 49-45, midway through the quarter. UC San Diego used a five-point run to pull even once again at 51-all with under two minutes in regulation. Three made free throws gave SMC the advantage, 54-51, with 1:06 on the clock. A made free throw and a jumper by Sugapong pulled the Tritons even in the final seconds to force overtime, 54-54.
Saint Mary's took the lead to start overtime with a five-point run to lead, 63-59. A three by Ma and two made free throws by Sugapong gave UC San Diego the advantage, 64-63, with 2.4 to play. The Gaels took the lead once again with .8 on the clock, drawing a foul on the make to lead, 65-64. SMC missed the free throw and Tritons rebounded for one final chance with .5 remaining. Spriggs was fouled on the inbound play and was awarded two free throws. She made the first to tie but missed the second for the win and the teams headed into their second overtime period, 65-65.
It was all Saint Mary's in the final quarter, shutting out the Tritons 9-0. UC San Diego was 0-for-7 from the field in the final period and SMC secured the victory, 74-65.
TRITON TIDBITS
UP NEXT
The Tritons will remain home to host Fresno State on Sunday at 2 p.m. 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 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
