UC San Diego's trip to SRC Arena proved successful as they took down UC Riverside 69-66, thanks to a strong second-half performance. The Tritons, now 15-6, were led by Bol Dengdit's 17 points, while Tom Beattie added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. On the other side, Andrew Henderson's 27 points for UC Riverside were not enough to overcome the visitors' balanced attack.
The first half belonged to UC Riverside, as they built a 32-26 lead behind Henderson's 15 points. The Highlanders' offense was clicking, with Tyler Jones and Osiris Grady also contributing to their early success. However, UC San Diego adjusted at halftime and came out strong in the second half, outscoring UC Riverside 43-34. The Tritons' offense, which had been stagnant in the first half, found its rhythm, with Dengdit and Beath combining for 18 points in the period.
As the game unfolded, it became clear that UC San Diego's depth would be a deciding factor. While Henderson was nearly unstoppable for UC Riverside, scoring from all areas of the court, the Tritons' ability to spread the scoring around ultimately paid off. Leo Beath added 11 points for UC San Diego, including several crucial baskets late. UC Riverside, on the other hand, relied heavily on Henderson, with Jones and Grady providing some support but not enough to overcome the Tritons' balanced attack.
The win for UC San Diego is a quality addition to their resume, even if it comes against a UC Riverside team with a 7-14 record. As a Quadrant 4 win for the Tritons, it may not significantly boost their tournament chances, but it does help to pad their record. For UC Riverside, the loss is a Quadrant 3 defeat, which, while not ideal, does not drastically hurt their resume given the difference in the teams' net rankings.
With the victory, UC San Diego improves to 15-6, solidifying their position as a strong mid-major program. Their net ranking of 107 suggests they are firmly on the bubble, but with several games still to play, they have ample opportunity to improve their standing. UC Riverside, meanwhile, falls to 7-14, and their net ranking of 279 indicates they have significant work to do if they hope to make a postseason push.
The outcome of this game reinforces UC San Diego's position as a team to watch in their conference, with a strong roster and depth that can compete with most opponents. As the season progresses, the Tritons want to build on this win and make a push for a tournament berth. With their current record and net ranking, they are in a good position to make a run, but they must continue to perform well against quality opponents to solidify their resume.