LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego concludes the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday afternoon when the Tritons welcome Cal Poly to LionTree Arena. The Tritons, who have secured a second-place finish in The Big West standings, will look to get back on track following Thursday's setback against UC Davis. That loss snapped UC San Diego's nine-game home win streak and marked the first game this season in which the Tritons posted a better field goal percentage than their opponents but still lost (now 14-1).
Meantime, Cal Poly is in search of its first Big West win after falling Thursday at UC Irvine. Interestingly, the Tritons and Mustangs have only met once in La Jolla as Big West members. Other scheduled meetings were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Cal Poly is the only Big West team the Tritons have yet to beat in LionTree Arena.
Prior to tip off, UC San Diego will recognize its senior class of
J'Raan Brooks,
Bryce Pope, manager
Jonah Simental, and
Emmanuel Tshimanga. Saturday's game tips at 4 p.m. with live broadcasts on ESPN+ and KSDT Radio, and live stats available on UCSDTritons.com. Tickets can be purchased through
Triton Box Office.
DETAILS
Game 32
UC San Diego (20-11, 14-5 Big West) vs. Cal Poly (4-27, 0-19 Big West)
Saturday, March 9
4 p.m.
LionTree Arena (4,000), La Jolla
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KSDT Radio
Watch |
Listen |
Live Stats
Series Record: Cal Poly leads, 9-3 (Tied 2-2 in Division I)
Last Meeting: UC San Diego 86 at Cal Poly 61 (Jan. 13)
ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 20-11
Big West: 14-5
Home: 13-2
Away: 7-8
Neutral: 0-1
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: L1
TRITONS, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
| Stat |
UCSD |
Opp. |
| Points |
76.2 |
68.6 |
| Field Goal Pct. |
.455 |
.435 |
| 3-Point FG Pct. |
.351 |
.331 |
| Free Throw Pct. |
.753 |
.705 |
| Rebounds |
34.7 |
34.6 |
| Assists |
12.9 |
12.3 |
| Turnovers |
9.7 |
11.9 |
| Steals |
6.4 |
4.5 |
| Blocks |
2.8 |
3.5 |
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 4-27
Big West: 0-19
Home: 3-11
Away: 0-15
Neutral: 1-1
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: L19
WHAT'S NEXT
Saturday's game concludes the 2023-24 regular season.
LAST TIME OUT
In a game that came down to the final minute, UC San Diego (20-11 overall, 14-5 Big West) suffered a 70-63 loss to UC Davis (18-12, 13-6) Thursday night at LionTree Arena.
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones led UC San Diego's scoring with 18 points, accompanied by 16 from
Bryce Pope; Pope also led with 3 assists.
Francis Nwaokorie contributed 11 points and led the defense with 13 rebounds and a block for his third double-double of the season.
LAST TIME VS. CAL POLY (JAN. 13)
Four UC San Diego starters finished in double figures as the Tritons won their fifth straight Big West game, 86-61, inside Cal Poly's Mott Athletics Center. The victory was the 200th in the head coaching career of
Eric Olen.
Bryce Pope led the way in the scoring column with 17.
Hayden Gray scored 14 on a remarkably efficient 6-of-7 shooting.
Francis Nwaokorie scored 13 and
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones added 12 and a game-high seven rebounds. The Tritons controlled the game inside, outscoring the Mustangs 46-22 in the paint.
UC San Diego (11-6, 5-0 Big West) has won three straight road games and four of its last five away from La Jolla. Cal Poly dropped to 4-14 (0-6 Big West) with the loss.
THANK YOU, SENIORS
Prior to Saturday's game, UC San Diego will honor its senior class of
J'Raan Brooks,
Bryce Pope, team manager
Jonah Simental, and
Emmanuel Tshimanga. The on-court presentation will take place at 3:45 p.m.
TENACIOUS ON D
UC San Diego allowed a season-low 46 points in the win over UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 15). The 46 points allowed marked the fewest the Tritons have ever surrendered in a Big West game, and the fewest allowed since an 75-39 win over Saint Katherine on Dec. 23, 2020.
STARTING OFF STRONG
UC San Diego has used the same starting lineup in each of its first 31 games. Wisconsin is the only other Division I program to utilize the same starting five in each game this season.
20 IN 24
Thanks to a victory at CSUN (March 2), UC San Diego earned its first 20-win season at the Division I level. The Tritons had five consecutive seasons of 20+ victories under head coach
Eric Olen in Division II from 2015-16 through 2019-20.
GOING POLLING
UC San Diego is ranked 25th in this week's Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
TRITONS VS. THE BIG WEST
Here's a look at how UC San Diego has stacked up against conference competition since joining The Big West prior to the 2020-21 season:
| Opponent |
Home |
Road |
Neutral |
Total |
Streak |
| Cal Poly |
0-1 |
2-1 |
0-0 |
2-2 |
W2 |
| Cal State Bakersfield |
2-1 |
1-4 |
0-0 |
3-5 |
L1 |
| Cal State Fullerton |
4-1 |
1-1 |
0-0 |
5-2 |
W2 |
| CSUN |
3-0 |
3-0 |
0-0 |
6-0 |
W6 |
| Hawai'i |
1-2 |
0-3 |
0-0 |
1-5 |
L1 |
| Long Beach State |
1-2 |
1-2 |
0-0 |
2-4 |
L1 |
| UC Davis |
1-3 |
1-2 |
0-0 |
2-5 |
L1 |
| UC Irvine |
1-3 |
1-3 |
0-0 |
2-6 |
W1 |
| UC Riverside |
3-2 |
1-3 |
0-0 |
4-5 |
W2 |
| UC Santa Barbara |
2-1 |
1-4 |
0-0 |
3-5 |
W2 |
SECOND HALF SURGE
In UC San Diego's 92-59 win at UC Davis (Jan. 27), the Tritons outscored the Aggies 54-23 in the second half.
Bryce Pope scored 22 after halftime (29 total) and UC San Diego sank ten three-pointers in the second half.
KNOCKING 'EM DOWN
When UC San Diego shot 60.4% in a win at Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 6), it marked the second time ever in a Big West game – and the first on the road – in which UC San Diego shot 60% or better from the floor against a conference foe. The Tritons also sank 67.9% of their shots in their first-ever win over a Division I opponent (vs. UC Davis, Jan. 21, 2021).
BIG WEST LEADERBOARD
Here's a look at where the Tritons rank in The Big West statistically:
| Category |
Stat |
Rank |
| Scoring |
76.2 ppg |
Third |
| Scoring, Big West games |
76.1 |
Second |
| Scoring margin |
7.6 |
Second |
| Scoring margin, BW games |
7.2 |
Second |
| FG percentage, BW games |
46.1% |
Third |
| 3FG percentage |
35.1% |
Second |
| 3FG percentage, BW games |
35.6% |
First |
| 3FG per game |
8.8 |
First |
| 3FG per game, BW games |
8.6 |
First |
| FT percentage |
75.3% |
Second |
| Turnovers per game |
9.7 |
First |
| Turnovers per game, BW games |
9.3 |
First |
| Assist-Turnover ratio |
1.33 |
Second |
| Assist-Turnover ratio, BW games |
1.35 |
First |
POPE IS BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK (FEB. 26)
Bryce Pope hit a
dramatic buzzer-beater and scored a career-high 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting as UC San Diego moved back into a first-place tie in The Big West with an overtime win against UC Irvine Feb. 24 at LionTree Arena. For the week, Pope averaged 19 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as the Tritons went 2-0.
AWARD WINNERS
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, Big West Player of the Week, Nov. 13
Bryce Pope, UCU Athlete of the Week, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Jan. 2, Jan. 8, Jan. 29, Feb. 26
Tyler McGhie, UCU Athlete of the Week, Dec. 26
Bryce Pope, Big West Player of the Week, Jan. 15, Jan. 29, Feb. 26
Francis Nwaokorie, UCU Athlete of the Week, Jan. 15
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, UCU Athlete of the Week, Feb. 12
1,000-POINT SCORERS
In the Tritons' win over UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 15),
Francis Nwaokorie became the latest UC San Diego player to score 1,000 career points. Here are the program's top all-time scorers:
UC San Diego All-Time Scoring Leaders (includes games played at other institutions)
| Name |
Years |
Games Played |
Points |
| Paul Trainer |
1971-75 |
104 |
1,930 |
| Matt Aune |
1993-97 |
100 |
1,780 |
| Mike Wall |
1995-99 |
100 |
1,700 |
| Bryce Pope |
2020-pr. |
103 |
1,589 |
| Greg Kaminsky |
1983-87 |
104 |
1,588 |
| Tim Rapp |
1987-91 |
75 |
1,556 |
| Adam Klie |
2013-17 |
118 |
1,524 |
| Christian Oshita |
2016-20 |
100 |
1,505 |
| Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones |
2020-pr. |
93 |
1,476 |
| Chris Hansen |
2015-20 |
113 |
1,418 |
| Rick Batt |
1988-92 |
106 |
1,410 |
| Jordan Lawley |
2006-10 |
110 |
1,398 |
| James McCann |
2010-14 |
107 |
1,339 |
| Drew Dyer |
2012-16 |
108 |
1,333 |
| Tyler McGhie |
2020-pr. |
91 |
1,217 |
| Clint Allard |
2004-08 |
112 |
1,150 |
| Francis Nwaokorie |
2021-pr. |
89 |
1,063 |
UC San Diego 30-Point Games, Division I
| Name |
Date |
Opponent |
Points |
Game Score |
| Toni Rocak |
Dec. 30, 2021 |
vs. UC Santa Barbara |
34 |
W, 85-83 (OT) |
| Bryce Pope |
Feb. 24, 2024 |
vs. UC Irvine |
32 |
W, 92-88 (OT) |
| Bryce Pope |
Nov. 22, 2022 |
at George Washington |
31 |
W, 75-70 |
HEAD COACH ERIC OLEN
When UC San Diego won at Cal Poly (Jan. 13), the victory marked the 200th in the career of Triton head coach
Eric Olen. In his 11th season as head coach, Olen has transformed the program. He is the program's all-time leader in victories.
In Division II, Olen led the Tritons to three California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season titles, four consecutive CCAA tournament crowns over seven seasons. In Division II, he posted a .740 winning percentage, and he was named NABC West Region Coach of the Year for the first time in 2019-20 after leading the Tritons to a 30-1 record and the top seed in the NCAA West Region.
Olen's career coaching record stands at 209-113 (.649).
DIVISION I FIRSTS
| First Season |
2020-21 |
| First Game |
Dec. 22, 2020 vs. Saint Katherine |
| First Win over Division I Opponent |
Jan. 22, 2021 vs. UC Davis |
| First Basket vs. D1 Opponent |
Jace Roquemore (1/8/21) vs. UC Irvine |
| First Division I Road Win |
Nov. 9, 2021 at Cal |
| First Big West Road Win |
Feb. 3, 2022 at CSUN |
GAME DAY GOES DIGITAL
Triton fans can access game day information from their smart phones by visiting
UCSDTritons.com/MBBgameday or scanning the QR code at the entrance to LionTree Arena for everything they need to know about each home game, including updated rosters, schedules, and stats for each team, as well as links to watch on ESPN+.
COVERING THE TRITONS
Media members wishing to cover a UC San Diego game in-person at LionTree Arena must notify a member of the Athletics Communications staff no later than 24 hours prior to the game.
Following the conclusion of each home game, a video highlight melt and video postgame interviews will be made available for media members to download.
ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program is in its final year of a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of
The Big West for the 2024-25 academic year. At that time, all sports will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.
UC SAN DIEGO ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Most UC San Diego home men's and women's basketball games, men's and women's soccer matches, men's and women's volleyball matches, baseball and softball games are broadcast live on ESPN+. For more information on where to watch UC San Diego basketball, visit
UCSDTritons.com/live.
HOOPS TALK ON UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS' PODCAST
As part of UC San Diego's transition to Division I, the Athletics Department launched a weekly podcast,
Tritoncast. Produced by UC San Diego Athletics Communications, Tritoncast features in-depth interviews with UC San Diego personalities including scholar-athletes, alums, coaches, and administrators. Triton fans will get an inside look at the UC San Diego Athletics Department as the program transitions to NCAA Division I and The Big West. New episodes of Tritoncast are available each week on the most popular podcasting apps. In addition, each episode can be heard and downloaded on UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow Tritoncast on X
@Tritoncast.
MEN'S BASKETBALL ON TRITONCAST
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 has begun a new era 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 garnered 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. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
