LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego women's basketball fell to UC Davis, 66-62, on Thursday evening in LionTree Arena. The Tritons (12-6, 7-1 Big West) built an early lead but the Aggies (13-6, 6-2 Big West) used a 22-14 fourth quarter to come out ahead. Despite forcing 19 turnovers and recording 15 steals, the Tritons could not maintain their early advantage.
 
Erin Condron recorded her sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds, adding four steals and a team-best four assists. Three other Tritons scored in double figures, including Rosa Smith with 15, Makayla Rose with 12 and Sabrina Ma with 11. Rose led UC San Diego's defensive efforts with six steals and tallied seven rebounds. Dymonique Maxie joined Condron with four assists and added three steals.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego opened the first quarter with strong defense and efficient scoring, quickly establishing a lead. Rose sparked the team with a steal and fast-break layup at 8:04, helping the Tritons build momentum early. Condron contributed significantly in the paint, scoring multiple layups, while Smith closed the quarter by sinking three free throws with two seconds remaining. The Tritons led the Aggies 21-11 at the end of the first quarter.
 
After a six-point run by the Aggies, the Tritons regained their momentum midway through the second quarter with a critical 3-pointer by Rose, extending their lead. Condron contributed by converting a layup with an assist from Smith to make it 30-20. Despite the Aggies closing in with a late seven-point run, UC San Diego maintained composure and took a 38-33 lead into the halftime intermission.
 
The Tritons maintained a slight edge in the third quarter, leveraging strong defensive play, including five steals, to disrupt the Aggies' efforts. Ma's jumper at 9:29 provided an early lift, but UC Davis pulled even, 40-40, with just over seven minutes on the clock. Condron ended a five-minute scoring drought for the Tritons with a layup to give UC San Diego the edge once again, 42-40. Despite the Aggies' attempts to close the gap, the Tritons clung to a narrow 48-44 advantage by the end of the quarter.
 
The fourth quarter started with a quick three-pointer by Ma, assisted by Maxie. However, the Aggies responded with an 11-point run, overtaking the Tritons and taking a lead midway through the period, 55-51. Despite UC San Diego's efforts, including a key three-pointer from Smith at 4:31 and a fast-break layup by Condron at 1:31, the Aggies maintained their advantage, 63-57.
 
In the final minute, the Tritons narrowed the gap with a late three-pointer banked in by Condron and a layup by Ma at 0:12, but the Aggies sealed the win with free throws, ending the game 66-62 in favor of UC Davis.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• It was the sixth double-double of the season and third 20-point performance for Erin Condron. 
• Makayla Rose matched her career high with six steals in the contest.
• UC San Diego had the advantage in points off turnovers (12-9), second chance points (10-3), steals (15-6) and turnovers forced (19-11). UC Davis had the narrow edge in rebounds (40-39) and fast break points (11-7), while points in the paint were even (28-28). 
• The Tritons are now 7-20 in the all-time series (4-8 in D-I) against UC Davis.
• UC San Diego starters were Erin Condron, Sabrina Ma, Dymonique Maxie, Makayla Rose and Rosa Smith.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will travel to take on UC Irvine on Saturday at 2 p.m. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 
Article partially generated with FanWord.

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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.