SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The No. 17 University of California San Diego women's basketball team battled the Cougars at The Sports Center this afternoon, but ultimately fell 75-57.
With the outcome, the Tritons and Cougars share possession of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season title. UC San Diego secures the number two seed in the CCAA Tournament, while Cal State San Marcos locks up the top seed.
The Tritons move to 22-5 on the season and 18-4 in conference play, while the Cougars improve to 23-4 overall and 18-4 in league action.
The Tritons and Cougars traded baskets in the early minutes of the first quarter, but the Cougars were able to put together an 11-3 run in the final five minutes to take a 16-9 advantage.
UC San Diego started off strong in the second quarter, putting up the first six points of the period to pull within one (16-15). The Cougars recovered though, and they managed to enter halftime with a lead of 37-26, which was their largest lead up to that point.
The Tritons picked things up offensively in the third quarter. Shooting 56% (9-16), they outscored the Cougars 23-21 and entered the fourth quarter down by nine (58-49).
UC San Diego was unable to keep its offensive momentum going in the fourth though, and the Cougars were able to secure the 75-57 victory.
UC San Diego finished the afternoon with four double-digit scorers.
Julia Macabuhay led the way with 15 points, also recording a game-high four assists. She was followed by
Sydney Brown, who shot 63% (5-8) en route to contributing 13 points.
Tyla Turner was 5-for-5 at the free throw line as she scored 11 points.
Brianna Claros finished with 10 on the afternoon.
Stephanie Moore was the Tritons' rebound leader, as she collected six boards.
"I think that San Marcos came out with a single purpose of really competing and I don't think we responded well," said Head Coach
Heidi VanDerveer. "That's a lesson for our team. Through our winning streak we improved in a lot of areas, but we were exposed a bit this afternoon in terms of coming ready to play. We have winners on our team and competitors on our team and we understand what's at stake now. Our team will respond from this adversity."
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Tritons' next game will be during the CCAA Tournament. UC San Diego will take part in a quarterfinal game at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at RIMAC Arena. The Tritons' opponent will be determined tonight.
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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