LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego women's basketball extended a five-game winning streak by defeating Hawai'i, 59-46, on Saturday afternoon in LionTree Arena. The Tritons (17-6, 12-1 Big West) scored 18 points off turnovers to sweep the season series with the Rainbow Wahine (12-10, 6-6 Big West).
 
Makayla Rose scored a season-high 28 points—including 3-for-3 from three—and set the Tritons' single-game record with nine steals—breaking her own record from a week ago. Erin Condron and Rosa Smith also scored in double-figures with 12 and 10 points respectively. Sabrina Ma led the team with six rebounds, while Condron and Dymonique Maxie finished with five apiece. Condron led the team with three blocks—matching her career high—and adding two steals, while Maxie led the way with six assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hawai'i took the early lead, building a 7-2 advantage in the opening quarter. Midway through the period, the Tritons found their rhythm scoring nine unanswered to jump in front, 11-7. Hawai'i responded with a seven-point run of their own to make it 14-11 and maintained the advantage down the stretch. A steal-and-score by Rose ended UC San Diego's scoring drought but the Wahine scored the final six points unanswered to lead 20-13 at the first quarter break.
 
The Tritons took charge in the second quarter, outscoring the Rainbow Wahine 16-4 in the period. UC San Diego forced seven turnovers in the quarter and held UH to 18 percent from the field. Condron and Rose combined for a 8-0 scoring run to begin the quarter, giving the Tritons the lead once again, 21-20, midway through the period. Hawai'i knocked down back-to-back jumpers to lead, 24-21, but Rose caught fire in the closing minutes scoring eight in-a-row for UC San Diego. Rose hit a pair of threes in the stretch, including a buzzer-beater that gave the Tritons a 29-24 halftime advantage. 
 
Hawai'i open the second half with a three-point swing to cut the lead to two, 29-27. The Tritons responded with a 9-0 scoring run, sparked by four straight points from Smith. Maxie knocked down a three-pointer to build UC San Diego's largest lead of the quarter, 38-27. The teams traded baskets down the stretch and the Tritons took a 40-31 advantage into the final quarter break.
 
UC San Diego maintained an 11-point advantage until midway through the fourth period when the 'Bows converted on a three-point play to make it 45-37. The Tritons responded with back-to-back layups from Ma and Rose to push the lead back to double-figures and the Wahine never came closer. A three-pointer by Smith with under 30 seconds to play pushed the largest lead of the contest for UC San Diego at 15, and the Tritons closed out the contest, 59-46.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Makayla Rose set a season record with 28 points, her third 20-point performance of the season. 
• Rose surpassed her single-game program record from a week ago with nine steals in the contest.
• UC San Diego had the advantage in points off turnovers (18-4), fast break points (16-4), points in the paint (28-24), steals (11-4) and turnovers forced (19-8). 
• Hawai'i had the edge in second chance points (5-2), bench points (9-0) and rebounds (37-28).
• The Tritons are now 6-5 in the all-time series with Hawai'i.
• UC San Diego starters were Erin Condron, Sabrina Ma, Dymonique Maxie, Makayla Rose and Rosa Smith.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hit the road for a pair of games next week, taking on UC Davis on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. and facing UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com. Saturday's game at UCR will also air locally in San Diego on 97.3 The Fan.
 
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 began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-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 earned 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.