LA JOLLA, Calif. – Down by four at the half, UC San Diego used a strong second half push to remain unbeaten in Big West play thanks to a resounding 95-68 win over visiting Cal Poly Thursday night at LionTree Arena. The Tritons improved to 14-2 overall (4-0 Big West) with the win – their 12th in a row. UC San Diego possesses the nation's longest win streak. Senior
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was 13-for-14 from the free throw line, finishing with a game-high 25 points in the victory.
Hayden Gray added a season-high 21 points and six more steals.
Four finished in double figures for the Mustangs, who fell to 6-11 (0-5).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal Poly came out hot, knocking down five of its first seven shots to start the game. The Mustangs took a 13-7 lead before UC San Diego went on 15-2 run over next five minutes. Cal Poly cooled off and hit just one of its next eight attempts as the Tritons went up 22-15 at the 9:35 mark.
With UC San Diego leading by five, Cal Poly went on a 10-0 run to go on top, 39-34, with a minute left in the half.
Aidan Burke converted a layup as time expired and the Mustangs led 42-38 at the break.
Cal Poly knocked down ten first half three-pointers compared to just two for the Tritons. UC San Diego was 12-for-13 from the free throw line. Gray led the Tritons with 10 first half points; the Mustangs had three in double figures. UC San Diego committed eight turnovers.
Trailing by six – its largest deficit of the night – UC San Diego ripped off a 19-4 run to go up 57-48 as Gray knocked down a three-pointer on the run at shot clock buzzer.
The Tritons were clinging to a 62-59 lead before an 18-3 spurt gave UC San Diego an 80-62 lead with 4:07 to go.
Nordin Kapic nearly registered a double-double, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons improved to 3-2 this season when trailing at halftime.
- UC San Diego committed just three second half turnovers while forcing nine.
- Gray leads the nation with 62 steals.
- UC San Diego is 7-0 when outrebounding the opposition. The Tritons corralled 38 rebounds while Cal Poly had 23.
- The Tritons are one of 11 Division I teams with five active 1,000-point scorers on the roster.
- UC San Diego outscored the Mustangs, 57-26, after halftime.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts UC Irvine on Saturday in a highly anticipated battle of The Big West's two unbeatens (both teams are 14-2 overall, 4-0 Big West). The nationally televised game will be the Tritons' first in La Jolla. Limited tickets remain through the
Triton Box Office. The game will air on ESPNU and KSDT, with live stats 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.
