DAVIS, Calif.—UC San Diego women's basketball defeated UC Davis, 65-63, on Saturday afternoon in University Credit Union Center. With the win, the Tritons (13-13, 9-5 Big West) moved ahead of the Aggies (15-10, 9-6 Big West) into third place in the Big West with just three weeks to go in the regular season.
 
Sumayah Sugapong emerged as a key performer for UC San Diego, scoring 23 points and contributing 10 rebounds, including 8 successful free throws on 10 attempts. This marked her seventh 20-point game of the season and set a career high in rebounds. Gracie Gallegos was another standout, matching her career high with 20 points and 10 rebounds, adding 4 steals to her impressive performance. Kayanna Spriggs made a defensive impact with 5 steals while also scoring 9 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Her 5 steals matched her career high. Erin Condron contributed defensively with 2 steals, and Junaé Mahan tallied 3 blocks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego had a strong start in the first quarter, pulling ahead early with a 6-3 lead, thanks to Spriggs' layup and jumper, both assisted by Sugapong. Gallegos was instrumental with multiple steals and contributed vital points, including a jumper and two free throws, closing the quarter. Despite trailing near the end, Gallegos' efforts brought the Tritons back to a 14-12 lead before UCD managed to edge ahead, ending the quarter with a narrow 15-14 advantage.
 
In the second quarter, a Sugapong free throw leveled the score at 15-15 in the opening minute. Gallegos made significant offensive contributions, hitting two consecutive jumpers, including a fastbreak, to give the Tritons a brief lead at 20-17. Despite these efforts, UC San Diego faced a scoring challenge, ultimately trailing 34-26 at halftime. 
 
Opening the second half, the Tritons held a narrow 17-16 advantage in the third quarter scoring. Sugapong led a key offensive drive with a notable jumper at 7:15, followed by a successful 3-pointer shortly after, bringing UC San Diego within four points of the Aggies. Gallegos contributed defensively with key rebounds and a block, also adding points through a layup and free throws, helping to keep the game competitive as the quarter concluded with the Aggies on top, 50-43.
 
UC San Diego came out strong in the final quarter, opening with a 6-0 scoring run to pull within one point. Spriggs was active defensively with two key steals and added points with a successful layup on the other end to highlight the run. Sugapong assisted Parker Montgomery in hitting a crucial 3-pointer at 3:20, giving UC San Diego its first lead since the opening quarter. Sabrina Ma and Montgomery solidified the victory with four made free throws in the final minute, ensuring the win for UC San Diego.
 
QUOTABLE
"Obviously very excited about our game this afternoon," said head coach Heidi VanDerveer. "I thought we came in and battled a very good Davis team, had people step up and make big plays and stuck with it. We were back and forth throughout the first half and dug ourselves a little hole in the third quarter but had people step up and make big plays. 
 
"I thought Kayanna [Spriggs]'s defense in the fourth quarter—specifically early—getting two steals, getting out in transition really got us going and I think our team fed off that energy. We had great leadership from Sumayah [Sugapong], especially down the stretch. Gracie [Gallegos] played really well. I thought Junaé [Mahan] came in and gave us great minutes and Parker [Montgomery] was steady. Again, I think our team battled and stuck with it and earned a hard-fought victory over a very good UC Davis team."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Sumayah Sugapong and Gracie Gallegos both recorded double-doubles in the contest. 
  • It was the first career double-double for Sugapong who finished with a career-high in rebounds.
  • Gallegos matched her career high in points and recorded her second career double-double.
• Kayanna Spriggs also matched her career high in steals.
• UC San Diego erased an 11-point second half deficit to earn the victory—the largest of the season for the Tritons.
• UC San Diego had the edge in points off of turnovers (25-7) and steals (17-8), while UC Davis had the advantage in rebounds (47-36), three-pointers (10-2), second chance points (15-4), bench points (18-4) and points in the paint (22-18).
• With the win, the Tritons moved into third place in the Big West and improved to 6-18 (3-6 in D-I) in the all-time series with UC Davis.
• UC San Diego starters were Sumayah Sugapong, Sabrina Ma, Gracie Gallegos, Kayanna Spriggs and Parker Montgomery.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego will play host to Cal Poly in LionTree Arena for Pride Night on Thursday, Feb. 20 before traveling to face Big West leader Hawai'i on Saturday, Feb. 22. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via 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 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.