ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 13-7
Big West: 6-3
Home: 8-2
Away: 3-4
Neutral: 2-1
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: W4

WHAT'S NEXT
UC San Diego visits CSUN Saturday evening for a 5 p.m. tip in Northridge. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and 97.3 The Fan, with a link to live stats on UCSDTritons.com.
  
SPIRIT NIGHT RETURNS TO UC SAN DIEGO
The 41st annual UC San Diego Spirit Night comes to LionTree Arena Thursday night. The campus-wide celebration culminates with the 31st annual awarding of the Cup of Cheer following the game — given to the college showcasing the most school spirit throughout the week!
 
The night kicks off with a Triton Tide Fan Fest, with a live DJ, games and more on the University Credit Union Terrace outside the arena at 6 p.m. The first 1,500 students will get a free Spirit Night t-shirt, and the first 1,000 students will get pizza while supplies last!
 
LAST TIME OUT: UC IRVINE 61, TRITONS 59 Stats
UC San Diego junior Leo Beath posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds – both game highs, but visiting UC Irvine secured a 61-59 victory over the Tritons Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 4,000 at LionTree Arena. Freshman Hudson Mayes scored 12 points for UC San Diego (15-6 overall, 5-4 Big West), with junior Tom Beattie chipping in eight points and seven rebounds.
 
UC Irvine had four in double figures as the Anteaters remained atop the Big West standings at 7-2 (14-7 overall).
 
The back-and-forth game featured five ties and eight lead changes.  
 
LAST TIME VS. UCSB: TRITONS 69, GAUCHOS 51 (3/14/2025) Stats
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 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.
 
CHAIKIN IT UP
UC San Diego adjusted its starting lineup for the first time this season when sophomore Alex Chaikin was inserted into the first five vs. CSUN (Jan. 15). Chaikin responded with a season high 22 points and six three-pointers in the game. Against Big West opponents, Chaikin is second in The Big West with 3.2 three-pointers per game and second in the conference, shooting 48.3% from beyond the arc.
 
FINDING SUCCESS AT THE FREE THROW LINE
The Tritons enter Thursday as the third-leading free throw shooting team in The Big West during conference play, knocking down 75.7% of their attempts against conference foes. UC San Diego hit only 66% of its free throw tries in non-conference games.
 
MAYES MAKES HIS MARK
Freshman Hudson Mayes matched set a new career high with 19 points, pulling down a personal best 12 rebounds in a career-high 29 minutes off the bench at UC Davis (Jan. 22) – marking his second career double-double. Mayes leads the team in field goal percentage, connecting on 60.0% of his attempts. In Big West play, Mayes is tops in the conference from the free throw line, hitting 93.9% of his shots (31-33).
 
ON THE REBOUND
UC San Diego handed Hawai'i its first conference loss, 83-73 (Jan. 3). The Tritons outrebounded the Rainbow Warriors, 33-29, despite UH holding a league-best +11.2 rebound margin coming in.
 
BOUNCING BACK
The Tritons have not lost back-to-back Big West games since Feb. 3 and Feb. 8, 2024, when UC San Diego fell at Long Beach State and then in overtime at Hawai'i.
 
PACKING 'EM IN
UC San Diego played in front of a sellout crowd vs. UC Irvine on Jan. 24. The Tritons are second in The Big West in home attendance during conference play, averaging 2,765 per home game.
 
LOWEST OF LOWS
UC San Diego's 67-65 loss at Cal Poly (Jan. 1) snapped a 16-game win streak against conference opponents. The Tritons hit just 21% of their second half field goal tries – the program's worst shooting half since opening night last season (18% first half in a five-point loss at San Diego State). The Tritons' 23 points after halftime at Cal Poly is UC San Diego's lowest scoring half this season.
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
First-year Triton Bol Dengdit posted a double-double in back-to-back games: 10 points, 10 rebounds vs. Stanton (Dec. 28) and 12 points, 12 rebounds at Cal Poly (Jan. 1). He blocked three shots in back-to-back games (Dec. 19 vs. USD, Dec. 28 vs. Stanton).
 
DRAINING 'EM FROM DISTANCE
UC San Diego tied an NCAA Division I single game record when nine Tritons sank three-pointers in a win over Towson at Walt Disney World (Nov. 26). Over the three-day tournament, UC San Diego shot 51.9% from beyond the arc – hitting 40 of 77 attempts.
 
A PROSPERE-OUS NIGHT
First year Triton Emanuel Prospere II paced UC San Diego in a 26-point victory over Tulane in the Jack Jones Classic (Dec. 13). He scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting in the win. Prospere's 20 points, eight rebounds, and four steals were all a season high. 
 
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
With a 26-point victory over Tulane in the Jack Jones Classic (Dec. 13), UC San Diego has won all three games it's played three games at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada. The Tritons also downed UC Santa Barbara in the 2025 Big West semifinal and UC Irvine in the 2025 Big West Championship. The conference's postseason tournament will be held at that venue again in 2026.
 
LISTEN UP!
UC San Diego and Audacy have partnered to bring Tritons basketball to 97.3 The Fan – home of the San Diego Padres – in a multi-year deal. All remaining Big West road games this season – plus postseason games – will air live on 97.3 The Fan and stream on the Audacy app.
 
MICKEY'S MOST VALUABLE
First year Triton Leo Beath was named Most Valuable Player at the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational, leading UC San Diego to three wins in three days at Walt Disney World (Nov. 24-26). Beath averaged 23.7 points per game, shooting 61.9% over three games. He drained 9-of-13 three-point attempts (69.2%) and averaged four rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in the victories over Temple, Bradley, and Towson.
 
RACKING UP THE AWARDS
After being named tournament MVP at the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational, Leo Beath piled up the awards. The following week, he was selected Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by the USBWA, named the Lou Henson Award-winner as mid-major's top performer, voted Big West Player of the Week, and garnered UCU Athlete of the Week honors on campus. The Big West honor was Beath's second of the season (also Nov. 17). Beath was named to the Lou Henson Award watch list on Dec. 18.
 
A YEAR TO REMEMBER
Including the postseason, the Tritons were 29-5 in 2025.
 
TRITONS IN THE PROS
Three Tritons from last year's Big West Championship team are playing professionally this year. Tyler McGhie is playing for Gipuzkoa Basket in Spain, Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones is competing with Valmiera Glass in Latvia, and Hayden Gray is playing in the NBA G League for the Maine Celtics (Boston).
 
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 has begun a new era 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 garnered 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 NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.