LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego redshirt freshman
Dimitrije Vukicevic had a career night with 10 points and five rebounds off the bench as the Tritons knocked off first place Hawai'i, 83-73, Saturday night at LionTree Arena. Vukicevic was one of five in double figures for the Tritons, who improved to 12-3 overall and 2-1 in The Big West.
Alex Chaikin hit five-of-seven field goal tries and was 8-for-9 from the line in scoring a season-high 21 points.
Bol Dengdit established a new season-high with 19 points, hitting 8-of-12 shots.
Tom Beattie added 12 points, a career-high eight assists, and seven rebounds, with
Leo Beath chipping in 10 points in the win.
Hawai'i suffered its first conference setback with its seven-game win streak snapped in the process. The Rainbow Warriors fell to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in The Big West.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Saturday's showdown was a back-and-forth affair out of the gate, with three ties and four lead changes in the game's first ten minutes. Hawai'i hit 10 of its first 16 shot attempts but led only by two, 22-20, at the seven-minute mark.
Dimitrije Vukicevic scored a career high six points over just six minutes of playing time, as the Tritons scored 18 early points in the paint.
Trailing 29-28,
Bol Dengdit knocked down a three-pointer and then a fast break three from
Alex Chaikin forced a Hawai'i timeout with UC San Diego in front, 34-29, with 1:48 left.
The Tritons closed the first half on a 10-0 run to lead 36-29 at the break. UC San Diego was buoyed by 24 points in the paint and 17 from its bench – including 11 from Chaikin. Dengdit added nine, with
Tom Beattie adding six assists and four rebounds for the Tritons. UC San Diego turned the ball over just twice in the first half.
UC San Diego hit four of its first seven from beyond the arc after halftime – including a couple from Beattie and another from Chaikin – to go up 55-38 with 11:35 left. That 17-point advantage was the Tritons' largest of the night.
The Tritons shot 57% in the second half and hit a season-high 87% of their free throws on the night in handing the Rainbow Warriors their first Big West setback.
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego led at halftime for the 12th time in 15 games. The Tritons are 11-1 in those games.
- UC San Diego outrebounded UH, 33-29, improving to 6-0 when outrebounding its opponent. Hawai'i leads The Big West in rebounding margin.
- Saturday marked UC San Diego's first home Big West game of the season. The Tritons were the only team yet to have played a conference home game.
- Vukicevic and Emanuel Prospere II both fouled out, the first time this season the Tritons had multiple players foul out of the same game.
- The game featured seven ties and seven lead changes – all in the first half.
QUOTABLE
UP NEXT
UC San Diego welcomes Cal State Fullerton (1-3) to La Jolla on Thursday. Action tips at 7 p.m. from LionTree Arena, with tickets available through the
Triton Box Office. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and KSDT, 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.
