UC San Diego

LA JOLLA, Calif. – Playing in his first game as a Triton, Treysen Eaglestaff put on a show, scoring a game-high 29 points and pulling down seven rebounds. However, visiting USC hung on for an 80-74 win over UC San Diego in an exhibition contest Saturday night at LionTree Arena. The game was played in front of a preseason sellout crowd of 4,000. Leo Beath scored 11 and first-year Triton Rahmir Barno scored ten and added four steals for UC San Diego.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half was a back-and-forth affair that featured five ties and seven lead changes. UC San Diego knocked down a couple of quick three-pointers and went up 11-6. USC responded with a 12-1 run to take an 18-12 lead with 11:22 left in the half.
 
A three-pointer from Kayde Dotson and an Olavi Suutela layup knotted the score at 22 and forced a Trojan timeout at the 8:55 mark. Eaglestaff got off to a blazing start offensively, hitting his first four 3-point tries and scoring 14 quick points for UC San Diego.
 
With two minutes to go in the half, Beath sank a three and, on the subsequent possession, Barno got a steal and a driving layup to put UC San Diego on top, 36-33.
 
USC got a bucket in the final seconds, taking a 40-38 lead into halftime. Eaglestaff led all scorers with 18 and he had a game-high six rebounds. Dotson added five for the Tritons, who forced eight Trojan turnovers in the first half.
 
USC took a 10-point lead, 62-52, with 12:09 to play. The Tritons battled back, drawing to within three on a Jaden Vance layup. UC San Diego leveled the score on Eaglestaff's fifth three of the night, forcing a USC timeout with 5:08 left.
 
The Trojans were 12-for-15 from the free throw line in the second half to seal the exhibition win. Rodney Rice scored 26 and Alijah Arenas added 22 for USC in the victory.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The crowd of 4,000 was a sellout.
• Treysen Eaglestaff had five games with 20 or more points last season at West Virginia.
• Former Triton point guard Hayden Gray was in attendance Saturday. Gray plays for the Boston Celtics.
• UC San Diego wore its alternate gold uniforms Saturday.

 
QUOTABLE

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego officially opens its season at LionTree Arena on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Tritons host Whittier. Tickets can be purchased through the Triton Box Office.
 
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 39 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.