LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego junior Bol Dengdit scored a game-high 15 points and pulled down six rebounds, but visiting UC Santa Barbara downed the Tritons, 62-48, Thursday before a Spirit Night crowd of 3,704 at LionTree Arena. Junior Tom Beattie scored 10 points and had three steals for UC San Diego (15-7 overall, 5-5 Big West).
 
Despite being held 20 points below its per-game average against Big West opponents, UC Santa Barbara won its fifth straight conference game, improving to 14-7 overall and 7-3 at the conference's midway point.
 
The Tritons' 48 points were a season low. UC San Diego has dropped back-to-back Big West games for the first time since losing at Long Beach State and at Hawai'i in overtime on Feb. 3 and 8, 2024.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
A driving baseline layup from Bol Dengdit and a bucket from Hudson Mayes gave UC San Diego a quick 4-2 lead at the first media timeout. Out of the break, Alex Chaikin knocked down his first three-pointer of the night as the Tritons maintained their slight edge early. The Gauchos answered, methodically building a 23-13 advantage at the 8:12 mark. Bol Dengdit banked in a three at the other end to draw UC San Diego closer, giving the junior seven quick points in the game.
 
The Tritons hit just one of their last nine first half shots and UCSB took a 35-22 lead into halftime. UC San Diego hit 9-of-27 attempts over the first 20 minutes. Dengdit led the way with seven points and Leo Beath grabbed seven rebounds. UC San Diego committed eight first half turnovers.
 
UC Santa Barbara led 37-23 early in the second half when the Tritons went on a 7-0 run capped by a fastbreak layup from Tom Beattie to get within 37-30. UC San Diego's defense forced six turnovers during that stretch, keeping the Gauchos off the board for more than five minutes.
 
UC Santa Barbara regained the hot hand, scoring seven in a row to go back on top, 44-30. The rest of the half was evenly played, but the Tritons got no closer than seven points.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The Gauchos had lost five straight to UC San Diego – including three meetings last season.
• UC San Diego's 22-point output in the first half is the Tritons' lowest scoring half this season.
• The Tritons have dropped four straight at home.
• UC San Diego used its third different starting lineup of the season: Mays, Chaikin, Beattie, Beath, and Dengdit.

 
QUOTABLE
 

UP NEXT
UC San Diego begins the second half of Big West play at CSUN Saturday evening for a 5 p.m. tip. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and 97.3 The Fan, with a link to 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 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 83 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.