LA JOLLA, Calif. – Four Tritons scored in double figures and UC San Diego erased an early nine-point deficit as the Tritons outlasted visiting Cal State San Marcos, 74-72, in overtime in an exhibition contest Friday night at LionTree Arena. Newcomer
Tom Beattie led UC San Diego with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting (3-for-7 from three).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Playing together for the first time, it was a bit of a slow start for UC San Diego. The Tritons committed three early turnovers and Cal State San Marcos took at 7-0 lead and, eventually, went up, 13-4, five minutes into the game.
UC San Diego began to settle in and find some momentum. Trailing 19-10, UC San Diego forward
Leo Beath had a steal and a tremendous two-handed dunk on the other end which brought the LionTree crowd to its feet.
UC San Diego forced ten first half turnovers, but the Cougars led, 34-30, at the break. San Marcos outrebounded the Tritons, 20-15, over the first 20 minutes. Beath led UC San Diego with seven first half points. The Tritons were just 2-for-11 from beyond the arc; the Cougars knocked down seven of their fifteen attempts from distance.
It was back-and-forth early in the second half. After the Cougars went up six, the Tritons battled back to tie it at 36 on a
Tom Beattie fast break layup. CSUSM led by three, and Beattie knocked down a three to level the score.
Down by two with 9:44 to play,
Alex Chaikin drove to the bucket, knocking down a shot and drawing a foul on the play. He converted the and-one to put the Tritons on top, 50-49. In all, the Tritons used an 8-0 run over nearly six minutes to put some space between themselves and the visitors.
The Tritons led by a point as time was winding down, but a Cougar free throw with two seconds remaining sent the game to overtime, tied at 64. A three from Beattie with two minutes left gave the Tritons a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Beath fouled out in overtime, finishing with ten points and nine rebounds.
- UC San Diego returns zero starters from last year's Big West champion team.
- The exhibition was UC San Diego's first-ever in La Jolla, and the students came out. Friday's crowd was 2,026.
- The Tritons and Cougars were former conference mates in the Division II CCAA. In their final D2 meeting, UC San Diego earned a 99-86 road victory over the Cougars in 2020. That season, the Tritons' final in Division II, UC San Diego posted a 30-1 regular season mark before the postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
QUOTABLE
UP NEXT
UC San Diego officially opens the 2025-26 season at LionTree Arena on Monday, Nov. 3, when the Tritons host La Verne. Tickets can be purchased through the
Triton Box Office. The game will air on ESPN+ 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 has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
