LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego erased a 15-point second half deficit to take a one-point lead with 15.7 seconds to play, but USD's Ty-Laur Johnson banked in the game-winning three-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining, lifting the Toreros to an 82-80 victory over the Tritons Friday night at LionTree Arena. The loss snapped UC San Diego's three-game win streak, dropping the Tritons to 10-2 on the season.
Bol Dengdit scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Tritons (15 in the second half), with
Tom Beattie adding 14 and
Hudson Mayes matching his career high with 12.
USD sank 12 three-pointers and improved to 5-6 with its second straight win. Johnson scored a game-high 23 points, adding seven assists in the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons led 8-6 early, but a 12-2 run by USD gave the visitors an 18-10 lead at the 12:01 mark. Neither team shot well early – both at 33%, but the Toreros sank four three-pointers (while UC San Diego was 0-for-6) in building the eight-point lead. The Tritons began to work their way back, and a thunderous dunk by
Hudson Mayes at 5:01 brought the crowd to its feet.
The Tritons shot just 14% from beyond the arc and trailed 40-31 at halftime. Beattie led the way with nine, with
Leo Beath adding seven. USD outrebounded the Tritons, 24-16.
In the second half, a layup from USD's Dominique Ford gave the Toreros their biggest lead of the night at 64-49 with 13:47 left. UC San Diego freshman
Jaden Vance responded with a three to keep the home team in it.
USD built a 71-58 lead before the Tritons went on an 8-0 run, forcing three turnovers and getting a big three-pointer from Dengdit and a driving layup from
Emanuel Prospere II to get within three at 71-68.
With under a minute to go down three,
Aidan Burke got a steal and he fed a driving Dengdit whose dunk drew the Tritons within one. After a defensive stop, Prospere drew a foul and hit two free throws to give UC San Diego its first lead of the second half, 80-79, with 15.7 to play.
UC San Diego played tough defense but Johnson's three off the glass with 0.5 to play secured the win for the Toreros.
TRITON TIDBITS
- The loss was UC San Diego's first nonconference home setback since Nov. 16, 2024 (Seattle U).
- When USD led 64-49 with 13:47 left, that 15-point deficit marked the Tritons' largest of the season.
- UC San Diego trailed at halftime for just the third time this season.
- The Division I series between these two teams is tied at 2-2.
- Despite students being on winter break, Friday's crowd was 2,711.
QUOTABLE
UP NEXT
UC San Diego returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 28 to close out 2025 against Stanton. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. from LionTree Arena. Tickets can be purchased through the
Triton Box Office, and Sunday's game can be seen on ESPN+, heard on KSDT radio, with a link to live stats found 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.
