HENDERSON, Nev. – UC San Diego freshman Hudson Mayes scored 23 points – 16 after halftime – as the Tritons rallied from an 11-point second half deficit to top Cal Poly, 72-69, in the opening round of the Credit Union 1 Big West Championship Wednesday night inside Lee's Family Forum. The win propels No. 5 UC San Diego into the quarterfinal round, where the Tritons (23-10) will meet four-seed CSUN Thursday evening.
 
The Tritons never led by more than four points all night.
 
Junior Tom Beattie scored a career-high 20 on 8-of-12 shooting for UC San Diego with Bol Dengdit chipping in 11. Both Beattie and Dengdit pulled down five rebounds, with Beattie adding four assists and Dengdit going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
 
Cal Poly was led by 21 points from Hamad Mousa. The Mustangs end their season at 14-19.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
With the score knotted at 7-7 early, Cal Poly went on a 10-0 run over a two-minute stretch. The Tritons were in a 1-for-9 shooting slump, and the Mustangs took advantage to go on top, 17-7, midway through the first. UC San Diego committed five turnovers early.
 
The Mustangs went up by 11, 30-10, with just over three minutes to play in the half. UC San Diego answered with a 7-0 run – capped by a long three-pointer from Alex Chaikin – to draw within four. The Triton defense forced three turnovers in a two-minute stretch.
 
Cal Poly led by nine, 35-26, at halftime. The Tritons shot just 37% overall and just 3-of-11 from beyond the arc. Tom Beattie paced UC San Diego offensively with eight points. Hudson Mayes chipped in seven. Cal Poly shot 48% and was credited with 12 assists on 14 made field goals.
 
Trailing by seven early in the second half, Hudson Mayes scored seven– and the team hit five of seven shots to draw within a point, 38-37. The Tritons forged ahead with an 8-0 run capped by a Mayes layup off a feed from Beattie, forcing a Mustangs timeout. That bucket gave UC San Diego its largest lead of the night to that point, 53-49, with 9:10 left. The Tritons began the half hitting 10 of their first 15 shot attempts while limiting the Mustangs to just 24% shooting during that stretch.
 
With the score tied at 55 and 5:56 remaining, Mayes drew his fifth foul. The teams battled back-and-forth until UC San Diego forged ahead on a three from Beattie with 1:58 left. CP answered with a bucket, and then a three-point play from Dengdit catapulted the Tritons back in front, 67-65, with 77 seconds left. Two free throws from Beattie made it a four- point game before Cal Poly's Mousa got a bucket to bring it back to two.
 
Dengdit had a fast break dunk with four seconds to seal the win.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The Tritons trailed at halftime for the first time since Feb. 7 at Hawai'i – eight games ago.
• UC San Diego shot 54% after halftime, while limiting the Mustangs to just 31% shooting.
• The Triton defense limited Cal Poly to just 19% shooting from three-point distance (6-for-32). The Mustangs came into the night averaging 11 made threes per game.
• UC San Diego improved to 4-0 at Lee's Family Forum all-time.

 
QUOTABLE

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will take on 4-seed CSUN Thursday at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinal round of the Credit Union 1 Big West Championship. The game will air live on ESPN+ and on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego. Prior to the game, there will be a Triton basketball pep rally at PKWY Tavern (across from the Arena): Please RSVP here for this event if you plan to attend. Heavy apps and one complimentary beverage are included for attendees.
 
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.