IRVINE, Calif. – Chris Howell scored a career-high 15 points on five made three-pointers, and the Tritons sank 16 from distance on the way to a convincing 85-67 victory over UC Irvine in front of a sellout crowd at Bren Events Center and a national television audience on Saturday night. Four Tritons finished in double figures and the team won its fifth game in a row – moving the Tritons (20-4, 10-2 Big West) into a first-place tie with the Anteaters (20-4, 10-2). Senior
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones scored 22, grabbed eight rebounds, and had eight assists in the win.
UC San Diego's 16 made three-pointers marked a season high over a Division I opponent. The Tritons were 16-31 (52%) from distance – including 13-of-20 after halftime. UC Irvine had won 22 straight at home prior to Saturday's setback, formerly the longest active home win streak in Division I.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Irvine left Howell open, and the first-year Triton didn't miss early. The San Diego native knocked down his first three 3-point tries in the game's first 3:18 as UC San Diego ran out on top, 11-5.
The Tritons led for most of the half, before UC Irvine used a 5-0 run to forge ahead briefly, 23-22, on a three from Justin Hohn with 6:18 on the clock. That lead was short-lived thanks to a lob from Tait-Jones to
Justin Rochelin, whose jam put UC San Diego back on top. The teams traded buckets from there, with another alley-oop to Rochelin proving to be the difference as the Tritons led 32-30 at the half.
UCI's Bent Leuchten led all scorers with 13; Howell's nine paced UC San Diego. The Tritons shot 46% while limiting the Anteaters to 36% shooting over the first 20 minutes. Each team scored 14 points in the paint.
Early in the second,
Nordin Kapic knocked down a three-pointer and a bucket, and
Hayden Gray drained two triples as the Tritons forged ahead. UC San Diego built a seven-point lead, 53-46, but foul trouble began to mount.
Tyler McGhie and Rochelin each had four with still more than 12 minutes to play.
Aidan Burke drained a pair of thres and the Tritons had their largest lead to that point, 59-50, with 11:00 on the clock.
The Tritons' run extended to 21-4 over a four-minute stretch as UC San Diego extended its lead to 17, 67-50, on another Howell three – his fifth of the night. The Tritons hit 8-of-9 three-point tries during that stint.
UC Irvine refused to give in and went on a 7-0 run to close to within nine, 70-61, with still 5:27 left. Tait-Jones squashed the Anteaters' momentum, burying a three from the top of the arc.
Kapic buried his third three of the night to put the Tritons on top 83-65 with a minute and a half left, sending many home fans towards the exits.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego has posted its second consecutive 20-win season at the Division I level.
- UC San Diego is now 11-2 in road/neutral games this season.
- The Tritons sank 16 three-pointers in the win – their 12th game this season with 10 or more made threes.
- Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was 8-10 from the free throw line. He leads the nation in free throws made and free throws attempted.
- The Tritons improved to 16-0 when leading at halftime.
- The Tritons forced 18 turnovers while committing 12. UC San Diego has won the turnover battle in 23 of its 24 games this season.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego travels to Cal State Bakersfield Thursday night. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. from Icardo Center, with a live broadcast on ESPN+ and 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.
