LA JOLLA, Calif. – Triton junior
Bol Dengdit had a huge block with 15 seconds remaining to preserve a 77-74 comeback win for UC San Diego over Long Beach State Thursday night at LionTree Arena. Dengdit notched his third double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Freshman
Jaden Vance scored a career high 17 and
Alex Chaikin added 16 and a season best six rebounds in the win.
UC San Diego (16-8 overall, 6-6 Big West) outrebounded the Beach, 42-26.
Shaquil Bender scored a game high 22 points for Long Beach State (8-16, 4-8). The Beach led the game 13-0 before the Tritons scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED
As noted, Long Beach State got off to an impressive start, building a 13-0 road lead out of the gate. The Beach sank three three-pointers and got a fast break bucket before UC San Diego got on the board. However, the Tritons methodically worked their way back and took their first lead of the evening, 27-24, on a
Jaden Vance three with 5:17 left in the half. That triple was part of an 11-0 Triton spurt.
Despite the sluggish start, UC San Diego was on top by eight at the break.
Alex Chaikin scored ten with Vance adding nine. The Tritons hit 46% of their shot attempts overall and 5-of-11 from distance. UC San Diego also held a 19-15 rebounding edge and scored 16 points in the paint.
After halftime, both teams improved their shooting. Long Beach State took a four-point lead at 63-59. UC San Diego answered with free throws from
Trap Johnson and
Bol Dengdit to level the score. A critical three-point play from Vance put UC San Diego back on top.
Long Beach State answered and the back-and-forth second half continued. The Beach led 74-73 with a minute to play but the Tritons got a key defensive stop. On the other end,
Hudson Mayes was fouled on a putback attempt with 24.9 seconds left. He sank both free throws to put UC San Diego in front.
On the other end, Dengdit's huge block sealed the victory.
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego hit 14 of its 17 free throw attempts in the second half.
- Redshirt junior Cade Pendleton made his first career start.
- UC San Diego scored 13 second half points and 32 points in the paint.
- The Tritons have won four in a row vs. Long Beach State.
QUOTABLE
UP NEXT
UC San Diego heads west to take on Hawai'i Saturday night on O'ahu. The game tips at 9 pm PT and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and 97.3 The Fan in San Diego, 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.
