SAN DIEGO – In a game that featured six ties and eight lead changes, UC San Diego hung with host San Diego State, but the Aztecs outlasted the Tritons, 63-58, in the season opener for both teams Wednesday night in front of a sellout crowd of 12,414 at Viejas Arena. UC San Diego senior
Tyler McGhie led all scorers with 21 points on five-of-nine shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Miles Byrd scored 20 points to pace the Aztecs, who remained unbeaten all time against UC San Diego.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego got an early three-pointer from
Tyler McGhie to take a 6-2 lead. But the Aztecs responded with a 12-0 run to go on top 14-6 as the Tritons struggled to hit shots. That changed with a big transition three from McGhie to cut the deficit to five, 14-9.
San Diego State refused to let the visitors build momentum, immediately responding with a 7-0 run to go up 21-10 and force a Triton timeout with 5:31 to play in the half. Aztec seven-footer Magoon Gwath was a defensive force in the first half, credited with three blocked shots.
UC San Diego remained composed and responded with a 10-0 spurt of its own. Senior guard
Hayden Gray grabbed a rebound, drove up the floor, and fed a cutting
Nordin Kapic who scored a bucket and drew the foul.
The Tritons closed the first half on a 12-2 run, with San Diego State holding a 24-22 advantage at the break. McGhie drained three from long distance and led all scorers with nine first half points. UC San Diego was down only a bucket despite connecting on just 6-of-33 shot attempts. The Triton defense limited the Aztecs to just 32% shooting. UC San Diego newcomer
Nordin Kapic had a game-high seven rebounds through 20 minutes.
In the second half, the Triton offense began to find its rhythm. McGhie remained scorching from distance and senior
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones got going. Up three, first-year Triton
Milos Vicentic knocked down his first long ball of the night and the Tritons were up six, 48-42, with 9:08 to play.
After that made three, the Aztecs went on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to go back on top, 54-50, at the final media timeout. San Diego State connected on five of its final seven field goal tries to earn the home victory.
QUOTABLE
"We have an older group, and they know what we're trying to do on the floor. They're just good basketball players," said UC San Diego head coach
Eric Olen. "I know not everybody in the building expected us to play well, but we expect to have success when we take the floor. Our guys put a lot of work in so when they go compete, they expect to have success."
"We worked all summer and all fall for this, and I think we can compete with anyone," said senior
Tyler McGhie. "My teammates were getting me open looks and I'm thankful for them. The ball was just going in."
TRITON TIDBITS
- Tyler McGhie finished with a game-high five three-pointers. Last year he had seven games with five or more.
- After shooting just 18% in the first half, UC San Diego shot 48% after halftime.
- The meeting was the fourth Division I showdown between the two schools (14th overall).
- UC San Diego used a starting lineup of Hayden Gray, Tyler McGhie, Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, Chris Howell, and Nordin Kapic.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays its home opener at LionTree Arena Saturday night against Pepperdine on Homecoming. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a free t-shirt. Tickets can be purchased through the
Triton Box Office. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available on 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Divisions I and II.
