LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego won its 11th consecutive game in impressive fashion, rolling to a 100-55 victory over Cal State Fullerton Saturday night in LionTree Arena. Senior
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones led the way with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals as the Tritons improved to 26-4 overall (16-2 Big West) with the win. The 45-point margin of victory was the largest-ever for UC San Diego in a Big West game. UC San Diego maintains its one-game lead in The Big West standings with two regular season games to play.
UC San Diego forced 20 turnovers while committing just four. The Tritons lead the nation in turnover margin at +7.5. UC San Diego shot 53% for the game, improving to 11-1 when shooting 50% or better.
Tait-Jones was one of four Tritons to score in double figures, joined by
Tyler McGhie (13, on four three-pointers),
Hayden Gray with 11, and
Justin Rochelin with 11.
The Titans (6-24, 1-17) connected on just 37% of their field goal tries and have dropped ten straight.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After missing its first two field goal tries, UC San Diego got going offensively. The Tritons hit their next four field goal attempts including a thunderous dunk from Tait-Jones and a contested three-pointer from
Tyler McGhie – and UC San Diego ran out to a 12-0 lead, forcing a Fullerton timeout.
UC San Diego closed the first half on a 14-0 run and led 49-17 at halftime. Tait-Jones scored 14 and registered three steals to lead the way. The Tritons committed just one turnover, while forcing 12. UC San Diego shot 53% over the first 20 minutes, while limiting the Titans to just 27%.
The Tritons picked up right where they left off at the start of the second half, scoring the first eight points of the period, to go up, 57-17, on a three from McGhie. When Rochelin drained a fast break three-pointer with 13:59 to play, UC San Diego extended its lead to a game-high 46 points, 68-22. Rochelin matched his personal best with three makes from beyond the arc.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- The 100-points are the second-most the Tritons have ever scored in a Big West game.
- UC San Diego led 49-17 at halftime. The 17 points allowed are tied for the fewest UC San Diego has surrendered in any Big West game this season (Hawai'i, Feb. 22), and the 32-point halftime advantage is the Tritons' largest.
- The Tritons improved to 22-0 when leading at halftime.
- Tyler McGhie has hit 101 three-pointers this season. The program's single season record is 111 (Tyrell Roberts, 2019-20).
- The Tritons forced 20 turnovers while committing just four. UC San Diego has won the turnover battle in 29 of its 30 games this season, and the Tritons lead Division I in turnover margin.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego wraps up its home slate at LionTree Arena on Thursday night when the Tritons host Long Beach State on Senior Night. The game tips at 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+ and KSDT radio, with live stats on UCSDTritons.com. Tickets can be purchased through
Triton Box Office.
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.
