HENDERSON, Nev. – Big West Player of the Year
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones scored 20, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out nine assists with just one turnover as top seed UC San Diego downed fifth seed UC Santa Barbara, 69-51, in a Big West semifinal Friday night at Lee's Family Forum. In their first year of Division I postseason eligibility, the Tritons will compete for a conference title Saturday night. The win was the team's 14th in a row as UC San Diego improved to 29-4 on the season. The 29 wins are the second most in program history.
Tait-Jones was one of four Tritons to finish in double figures, joined by 13 apiece from
Nordin Kapic and
Tyler McGhie.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego built a 7-2 lead by the first media timeout. Hyden Gray knocked home a three and a driving layup from
Chris Howell helped build the early advantage. Meantime, on the other end, UC San Diego limited the Gauchos to just 1-of-7 shooting. After UCSB drew within two, Tait-Jones fed
Nordin Kapic for a driving layup and, on the next possession, Kapic drew a charge.
The Gauchos took their first lead of the game on a three-pointer with five minutes left on the clock, part of an 11-0 UCSB run. UC Santa Barbara was up five, 27-22, before back-to-back buckets by Tait-Jones drew the Tritons to within one with 62 seconds left in the half. UC San Diego out-shot the Gauchos in terms of field goal percentage, 33 to 32, but trailed by a point, 27-26 at the break.
Tait-Jones scored seven to lead all scorers, with McGhie adding six. The Tritons shot just 7-for-13 from the free throw line.
In the second half, UC San Diego was down a point when McGhie got a friendly bounce on a contested, off-balance three-pointer to put the Tritons on top, 34-32. The Gauchos were whistled for a technical foul, and McGhie sank the two free throws. Gray buried a jumper and a fast break dunk by Howell capped a 9-0 run that saw the Tritons go up eight, 40-32, with 14 minutes to play.
Three-pointers from
Aidan Burke and Kapic extended the spurt to 15-0, and UCSB took a timeout with the Tritons leading, 46-32, with 12:35 left.
The Gauchos could get no closer than nine the rest of the way. A driving layup from Gray put the Tritons on top by 13, 58-45, with 5:03 to play and UC Santa Barbara called a timeout.
UC San Diego was 11-for-12 from the free throw line in the second half.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego committed just three turnovers, matching a season-low.
- The 20 points scored by Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones gave him his 20th game of the season with 20 or more points scored.
- When he sank his first three-pointer of the game midway through the first half, Tyler McGhie set a new program single season record with his 112th made triple of the season.
- The one-point halftime deficit marked the first time UC San Diego trailed at halftime since being down a point at Hawai'i on Jan. 30. The Tritons won that game by 11.
UP NEXT
Playing in its first season of postseason eligibility, UC San Diego will compete for a Big West title Saturday night. The Tritons will take on the winner of UC Irvine vs. Cal Poly at 6:40 p.m. March 15 on ESPN2. The game can be heard on SiriusXM and KSDT radio, 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 began a new era in 2020 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 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.
