MOSCOW, Idaho – Tyler McGhie and
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones each scored a game-high 21 as the Tritons used a second half surge to down Idaho, 80-56, Sunday afternoon inside Idaho Central Credit Union Arena.
Hayden Gray finished with a season-high five steals, scoring 11 points in the win.
After leading by eight at halftime, UC San Diego outscored the Vandals, 41-25, in the second half. The win was the seventh in a row for the Tritons (9-2), who outrebounded Idaho, 40-29. UC San Diego outscored the Vandals in the paint, 32-14.
Tyler Mrus finished with 20 for Idaho, as the Vandals fell to 4-7 with Sunday's setback.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Idaho hit a pair of three-pointers to get things started, giving the Vandals a quick 6-0 lead. UC San Diego answered with an 11-2 run to forge ahead.
Tyler McGhie drained a three and a step back jumper as the Tritons took the lead.
Idaho hung around and briefly regained the lead as the Vandals continued to shoot the ball well from beyond the three-point arc. The Vandals went on a 10-2 run to go back in front. Idaho was 7-for-12 from distance in the first half, accounting for 24 of its 31 points.
UC San Diego answered with seven straight – including another McGhie three – to go up 36-28, its largest lead of the half. Point guard
Hayden Gray continued to showcase his defensive prowess. The nation's leader in steals per game entering Sunday, Gray had four more in the first half alone. First-year Triton
Chris Howell was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe – a career-high in both makes and attempts – in the first half.
UC San Diego held a 39-31 lead at the game's halfway point. McGhie scored 11 with
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones and Howell contributing eight each. The Tritons held an 18-14 lead on the glass, and scored 16 points off Idaho turnovers.
After halftime, UC San Diego extended its lead despite connecting on just three of its first 12 three-point attempts. Tait-Jones had a pretty and-one as the Tritons stretched their advantage.
A 21-4 spurt by UC San Diego over a seven-and-a-half-minute stretch pushed the lead to 24 – 71-47 – the Tritons' largest of the afternoon to that point. Tait-Jones had a steal and drove to the bucket for the three-point play.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- The seven-game win streak is UC San Diego's longest since moving to Division I in 2020.
- UC San Diego's victory was its first-ever over Idaho. The Vandals now lead the all-time series, 3-1 (2-1 in Division I).
- Nordin Kapic matched his season-high with ten rebounds.
- The game featured three ties and five lead changes – all in the first half.
- This was the Tritons' first game on a Sunday since Nov. 26, 2023, at Seattle U.
- UC San Diego used the same starting lineup for every game so far this season: Gray, Tait-Jones, Howell, McGhie, and Kapic.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego continues its road trip Tuesday night at unbeaten Utah State (10-0). Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT from Logan, Utah. Links to a live broadcast and live stats can be found 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.
