LA JOLLA, Calif. – The two hottest teams in The Big West collide on Saturday night when UC San Diego hosts Cal Poly at LionTree Arena (7 p.m.). Both teams enter the matchup having won their last four games. The Tritons shot 50% and had four in double figures in Thursday's win over Bakersfield. The Mustangs scored 102 in a home win over Long Beach State, clinching their spot in The Big West Championship next month.
In the first meeting between these teams on January 1, Cal Poly took its first second half lead with 18 seconds to play, upending UC San Diego, 67-65, in San Luis Obispo. Tickets to Saturday's game can be purchased through the
Triton Box Office. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on KSDT radio, with a link to live stats on UCSDTritons.com.
DETAILS
| Game 30: UC San Diego (20-9, 10-7) vs. Cal Poly (13-16, 9-8) |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 7 p.m. |
| LionTree Arena (4,000) | La Jolla |
| ESPN+ | KSDT Radio | Live Stats |
| Series Record: UC San Diego leads 5-3 in Division I |
| Last Meeting: Cal Poly 67, Tritons 65, (Jan. 1) |
ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 20-9
Big West: 10-7
Home: 9-5
Away: 7-4
Neutral: 4-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: W4
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
Overall: 13-16
Big West: 9-8
Home: 7-6
Away: 6-9
Neutral: 0-1
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: W4
WHAT'S NEXT
The Tritons will head out on the road for their final two regular season games. On Thursday, UC San Diego visits Cal State Fullerton in a matchup of teams currently tied for fifth in the conference standings. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Titan Gym with broadcasts on ESPN+ and 97.3 The Fan, with a link to live stats on UCSDTritons.com.
LAST TIME OUT: TRITONS 84, CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 72 Stats
UC San Diego won its fourth consecutive game Thursday night, topping Cal State Bakersfield, 84-72, in a Big West contest at LionTree Arena. Freshman
Hudson Mayes scored 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Tritons, who improved to 20-9 overall and 10-7 in Big West action. The 20-win campaign is the third consecutive for UC San Diego.
Triton junior
Tom Beattie posted his second double-double of the season with 11 points and ten rebounds. Junior
Bol Dengdit scored 15 and sophomore
Alex Chaikin chipped in 11 in the victory.
Ronald Jessamy scored 40 points to lead the way for Cal State Bakersfield (8-21, 2-15). He was 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
LAST TIME VS. CAL POLY: MUSTANGS 67, TRITONS 65 (Jan. 1) Stats
Despite leading for more than 30 minutes, UC San Diego narrowly fell to Cal Poly 67-65 at Mott Athletics Center. UC San Diego led by three points at halftime but was unable to hold on as the Mustangs took their first lead of the second half with 18 seconds to play The Tritons' bench contributed 34 points though it wasn't enough.
Freshman
Hudson Mayes recorded a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
Bol Dengdit also posted a double-double, contributing 12 points and 12 rebounds, adding two assists.
Alex Chaikin led the scoring effort with a season-high 17 points, including five 3-pointers.
Tom Beattie collected three steals.
THANK YOU, E
Prior to Saturday's game, UC San Diego will thank the lone member of this year's graduating class: grad student
Emanuel Prospere II. Despite missing six games due to injury, Prospere leads the team in steals and assists per game; he ranks in the single season top five in both categories in the program's Division I era.
20x3
A win over Cal State Bakersfield Thursday night gave the Tritons their third consecutive 20-win season. UC San Diego matched a program record last season with 30 victories, while notching 21 wins in 2023-24.
CENTURY MARK
With the win at UC Irvine on Feb. 21 – the Tritons' third in the last four meetings at UCI – UC San Diego earned its 100th victory as a Division I program.
A NEW HIGH
UC San Diego scored 84 points in a win over Cal State Bakersfield (Feb. 26) – the most points the Tritons have scored in a Big West game this season.
MAYES MAKES BIG MOVES
UC San Diego freshman guard
Hudson Mayes was named Big West Player of the Week on Feb. 16. The honor is a first for Mayes, and the third such recognition for a Triton this season.
Mayes averaged 21 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in a pair of Big West wins. He scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in a win over UC Davis – his team-leading fourth double-double of the season – then followed that up with a career-high 24-point effort in a victory over UC Riverside. Mayes shot 61.9% (13-21) from the field and hit 15 of his 16 free throw attempts. For the season, he's second in The Big West from the free throw line in conference play, hitting 89.9% of his attempts.
STINGY ON DEFENSE
UC San Diego allowed a season-low 51 points in a home win over UC Davis (Feb. 12). That was the fourth time this season a Big West opponent has scored 62 or fewer points.
CALLING HIS NUMBER
Triton freshman
Jaden Vance had a career night in the win over Long Beach (Feb. 5). The Phoenix native scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting – all three numbers are personal bests – over a career-high 20 minutes played.
THE COMFORTS OF HOME
UC San Diego plays five of its seven games in February inside LionTree Arena. The only road tests took place against the top two teams in the standings: Feb. 7 at Hawai'i and last Saturday at UC Irvine. The Tritons are 5-1 this month.
WHAT'S CHAIKIN?
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, shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc. His 2.6 threes per game ranks third.
MEECH'S NEW MARK
Freshman
Dimitrije Vukicevic established a new career-high with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting over 12 minutes in the Tritons' home win over UC Riverside (Feb. 14). He was one of three Tritons to score in double figures in that victory.
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.
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.
