FULLERTON, Calif.—UC San Diego women's basketball fell to Cal State Fullerton, 60-46, on Saturday afternoon in Titan Gym. The Tritons (10-15, 6-8 Big West) moved to 4-4 in the all-time series with the Titans (8-16, 4-10 Big West).
 
Denali Pinto led the team with 13 points and six rebounds, while Emma Svoboda added eight points and six rebounds (4 offensive) as well. Parker Montgomery and Sumayah Sugapong also tallied eight points apiece. Eri Blithikioti and Izzy Forsyth led the team with two assists each, while Montgomery and Katie Springs collect two steals apiece.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal State Fullerton took an early 6-0 lead in the contest before the Tritons were able to get on the board with Sugapong jumper with 7:03 on the clock. UC San Diego was hampered by a handful of early turnovers before the Tritons began to find their rhythm in the back half of the quarter. The Tritons put together a 9-1 scoring run—highlighted by threes from Gallegos and Montgomery—to close out the period and take the lead, 11-10.
 
UC San Diego extended its lead early in the second quarter, knocking down two more timely threes by Pinto and Sugapong to make it, 19-14. Then the Titans took control, putting together a 19-3 scoring run to retake the lead, 31-22, with a minute to play. Emma Svoboda hit a layup in the paint and Pinto was fouled in the final second—making all three of her free throws—to close out the period trailing, 31-27.
 
After the Titans opened the second half with a three, UC San Diego put together a 13-2 scoring run to retake the lead, 40-36, midway through the quarter. Cal State Fullerton responded by outscoring the Tritons, 11-4, to close out the period. Forsyth sunk a layup in the final 30 seconds to keep it a one-possession game but the Tritons still trailed 47-44 heading into the final period.
 
Both offenses stalled to begin the fourth quarter before Sugapong ended the drought with a reverse layup to pull the Tritons within one point with 7:39 to play. However, this proved to be the final basket for UC San Diego in the period. The Titans went on to score 13 unanswered to close out the contest and secure the victory, 60-49. 
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Denali Pinto recorded double-figure points for the 15^th time this season.
• Transfer Emma Svoboda matched her UC San Diego career high with eight points.
• Cal State Fullerton had the edge in points off of turnovers (20-11), second chance points (11-2), bench points (10-6), points in the paint (30-18), rebounds (33-25) and fast break points (10-3).
• The Tritons shot 36 percent (16-of-45) from the field with six threes, compared to 44 percent (21-of-48) with four threes for CSUF.
• UC San Diego starters were Gracie Gallegos, Parker Montgomery, Denali Pinto, Sumayah Sugapong and Emma Svoboda. 
• The Tritons are now 4-4 in the all-time series with Cal State Fullerton.

UP NEXT
The Tritons will return home to host UC Riverside next Thursday (Feb. 22) in their Play4Kay Game. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics 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 Conference 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 83 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.