LA JOLLA, Calif. – First-year Triton
Nordin Kapic scored a season-best 25 points as the Tritons improved to 2-0 in Big West play with an 81-60 victory over Cal State Bakersfield Saturday night at LionTree Arena. Kapic was 7-for-8 from three-point distance in the win – the sixth straight for UC San Diego (8-2 overall, 2-0 Big West).
Hayden Gray added 11 and
Aidan Burke and
Tyler McGhie each chipped in nine in the win.
The Tritons shot a season-best 43% from beyond the arc and UC San Diego forced 21 turnovers leading to 27 points on the other end.
Cal State Bakersfield fell to 4-6 overall and 0-2 in Big West action. CJ Hardy was one of two Roadrunners in double figures, finishing with 11.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal State Bakersfield built a 6-2 lead as the Tritons committed an uncharacteristic five turnovers early. Down 6-2, UC San Diego found its rhythm on the other end of the floor. The Tritons ran out on a 15-0 run over a three-minute span – forcing five 'Runners turnovers in that stretch.
Aidan Burke sank a three-pointer, causing Bakersfield to call timeout. Burke sank another long ball out of the timeout as the Tritons extended their run to 19-2. A three from
Tyler McGhie stretched the UC San Diego lead to 19, 33-14.
The Tritons connected on 58% of their field goal attempts and took a 51-30 lead into the locker room at halftime. UC San Diego was 10-of-18 from distance, including 3-for-4 from both Burke and
Nordin Kapic. Kapic's 11 first half points and three steals were both game highs.
In the second half, the offensive pace slowed for both teams, but the Tritons were able to build upon their lead. Up 67-43,
Justin Rochelin had a tremendous dunk that sent the LionTree Arena crowd into a frenzy.
Kapic was a perfect four-for-four from beyond the arc after halftime in the win.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons are 2-0 in conference play for the third time in the last four seasons.
- After the Roadrunners led for the game's first five minutes and change, UC San Diego was on top for the final 34+.
- Cal State Bakersfield leads the Division I series between these two teams, 5-4. The Tritons have won three of the four meetings in La Jolla.
- The game concluded the conference's new Bold Week initiative with two conference play dates in early December.
- UC San Diego used the same starting lineup for the tenth consecutive game: Gray, Tait-Jones, Chris Howell, McGhie, and Kapic.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will pause for final exams and the Tritons will be back in action on December 15 at Idaho. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. with a live broadcast on ESPN+ and 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.
