LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego women's basketball (7-11, 3-3 Big West) pulled off a thrilling upset against Big West leader Long Beach State (9-6, 5-1 Big West) on Thursday evening at LionTree Arena, claiming a convincing 79-68 victory. The Beach held a perfect Big West record prior to this loss.
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Four Tritons recorded double-digit scoring, led by
Sabrina Ma and
Gracie Gallegos who each finished with 17.
Parker Montgomery was productive on both ends, snagging a game-leading four steals and contributing 13 points, while
Erin Condron finished with 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Sumayah Sugapong led the team with four assists.Â
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HOW IT HAPPENEDÂ
Sugapong got the crowd going with consecutive steals and layups to claim the momentum. Two more Triton steals and as many two-pointers prompted an early timeout from The Beach with the score at 8-0. The Beach dropped four layups out of the timeout as the Tritons struggled from the field. Junaé Mahan broke the drought with a fadeaway two before Condron draining four free throws and a layup to lead 17-14 at quarter's end.Â
Gallegos banked in UC San Diego's first three of the game to open the scoring from the field in the second quarter. The hosts kept Long Beach State at bay with strong defense around the rim, although LBSU kept it within one possession until the midpoint. The Tritons caught fire in the final minutes of the quarter, which included a pair of layups and a Ma three-pointer. The Beach went 0-for-5 from the field during this period, leading to a 34-25 Triton lead entering halftime.Â
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The Tritons quickly regained the momentum out of the half, going on an 8-0 run with threes from Sugapong and Ma that forced another Long Beach State timeout midway through the period. The Beach pushed the pace as the quarter continued, converting a layup and a three, as well as a four-point play. The Tritons remained efficient with the ball, yielding four two-pointers, including an and-one Gallegos layup to contribute to a 55-44 lead.Â
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The Beach cut the deficit to five early on in the final period with a pair of threes, drawing a timeout from the Tritons at 60-55. The Beach continued to press, at one point attracting three fouls in as many seconds. Montgomery responded to the foul spree with back-to-back three-pointers, and Ma iced the game with a deep three of her own. Â
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TRITON TIDBITSÂ
- The Tritons extend their home win streak to four games with the win.Â
- Long Beach State never held a lead in Thursday's contest.Â
- The Tritons now sit in seventh place in the Big West, while The Beach drop to third.
- UC San Diego is now 3-7 all-time against Long Beach State.
- For the eighth consecutive game, UC San Diego starters were Sumayah Sugapong, Sabrina Ma, Gracie Gallegos, Kayanna Spriggs and Parker Montgomery.Â
UP NEXTÂ
UC San Diego plays host to UC Riverside at 2 p.m. on Saturday, where they will look to improve on their 7-16 record against the Highlanders. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.Â
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About UC San Diego AthleticsÂ
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.Â
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