UC San Diego Tritons Hold Off UC Riverside Highlanders 72-66 Behind Hudson Mayes' 24 Points

The UC San Diego Tritons, led by Hudson Mayes' 24 points and 7 rebounds, managed to hold off the UC Riverside Highlanders 72-66, in a game that saw the Tritons' offense score 32 points in the first period and 40 in the second, with Mayes scoring 14 of his points in the second half. The Highlanders, who have been averaging 74.4 points per game over their last 5 games, were led by Andrew Henderson's 21 points and 5 rebounds, but were unable to overcome a 4-point deficit at halftime, despite outscoring the Tritons 38-40 in the second period. The Tritons' win was their 18th of the season, and it came on the heels of a 2-3 record in their last 5 games, in which they averaged 64.8 points per game, 3.2 points fewer than their opponents. In contrast, the Highlanders have been outscored by 5.0 points per game over their last 5 games, and their loss to the Tritons was their 4th in their last 5 games.

The game was marked by a series of runs, with the Tritons scoring 10 unanswered points in the first period to take a 20-10 lead, only to see the Highlanders respond with a 10-2 run of their own to cut the deficit to 22-20. The Tritons would go on to score 12 of the next 16 points, taking a 34-24 lead into halftime, with Mayes scoring 10 of his points in the first half. In the second period, the Highlanders would cut the deficit to 4 points on 3 separate occasions, but each time the Tritons would respond with a big shot, including a 3-pointer by Mayes with 2:15 remaining to put the Tritons up 68-62. The Highlanders would get no closer than 4 points the rest of the way, with the Tritons scoring 4 of the final 6 points to seal the win. The Tritons' 72 points were 8.2 points fewer than their average over their last 5 games, while the Highlanders' 66 points were 8.4 points fewer than their average over their last 5 games.

The star performers in the game were Mayes, who hit 9 of 17 shots from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and Henderson, who hit 8 of 15 shots from the field, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range. Mayes' 24 points were his 5th highest total of the season, while Henderson's 21 points were his 7th highest total of the season. The Tritons also got a strong performance from Bol Dengdit, who scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, including 4 offensive rebounds, which helped the Tritons to a 34-29 rebounding advantage. The Highlanders, on the other hand, got a strong performance from BJ Kolly, who scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, including 5 offensive rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome the Tritons' balanced offense, which saw 4 players score in double figures.

The Tritons' win was not a surprise, given their 18-9 record and their 122 NET ranking, compared to the Highlanders' 8-19 record and 289 NET ranking. The CHD Scout had predicted a 18.2-point win for the Tritons, and while the actual margin was only 6 points, the prediction was still correct. The reason for the discrepancy was the Highlanders' ability to stay in the game, despite being outrebounded and outshot from the field. The Highlanders hit 7 of 20 shots from 3-point range, including 4 of 10 in the second half, which helped them to stay within striking distance. The Tritons, on the other hand, hit 6 of 18 shots from 3-point range, including 3 of 9 in the second half.

The CHD Scout's prediction was correct, despite the smaller-than-expected margin, because it took into account the Tritons' strong offense and the Highlanders' struggles on defense. The Tritons have been averaging 64.8 points per game over their last 5 games, while the Highlanders have been allowing 79.4 points per game over their last 5 games. The Scout's model also took into account the Tritons' 2-3 record in their last 5 games, and the Highlanders' 1-4 record in their last 5 games. The model correctly predicted that the Tritons would win, but underestimated the Highlanders' ability to stay in the game.

The win was a big one for the Tritons, who are trying to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. With 5 games remaining, the Tritons are in 4th place in their conference, 2 games behind the leader. The loss was a tough one for the Highlanders, who are trying to avoid a last-place finish in their conference. With 5 games remaining, the Highlanders are in 9th place, 4 games behind the 8th-place team. The Tritons' win was their 4th quadrant 4 win of the season, and it improved their record to 4-6 in quadrant 4 games. The Highlanders' loss was their 10th quadrant 2 loss of the season, and it dropped their record to 1-10 in quadrant 2 games.

The win was a big one for the Tritons' tournament resume, as it improved their NET ranking to 122 and gave them a much-needed quadrant 4 win. The Tritons are now 4-6 in quadrant 4 games, and they have a chance to improve that record with 2 more quadrant 4 games remaining. The loss was a tough one for the Highlanders' tournament hopes, as it dropped their NET ranking to 289 and gave them their 10th quadrant 2 loss of the season. The Highlanders are now 1-10 in quadrant 2 games, and they have a slim chance of making the tournament. The Tritons' win also improved their record to 18-9, which is their best record through 27 games since the 2019-2020 season. The Highlanders' loss dropped their record to 8-19, which is their worst record through 27 games since the 2017-2018 season.

The Tritons' next game is against the Cal Poly Mustangs, who are 12-15 on the season and 6-8 in conference play. The Mustangs have been averaging 73.2 points per game over their last 5 games, and they have a 3-2 record in that stretch. The Tritons must be ready to defend against the Mustangs' high-powered offense, which has been averaging 75.6 points per game in conference play. The Highlanders' next game is against the Long Beach State Beach, who are 15-12 on the season and 8-6 in conference play. The Beach have been averaging 74.8 points per game over their last 5 games, and they have a 3-2 record in that stretch. The Highlanders must be ready to defend against the Beach's balanced offense, which has been averaging 73.4 points per game in conference play.