The UCSD women’s basketball team knew it was in for a challenge before it hit the road last weekend. On Friday night, the team traveled north to square off against seventh-ranked Chico State and lost 61-64. The next night, the Tritons found a warmer greeting at UC Davis and upset the sixth-ranked Aggies 77-57.
Against the Wildcats, UCSD beat itself, shooting only 32 percent from the field. Leading scorer Ali Ginn poured in 28 points — including five three-pointers — for the Tritons. However, Nicolle Bromley was the only other UCSD player to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points. Despite shooting less then 25 percent from the floor in the first half, the Tritons trailed the Wildcats by only nine points.
Chico State, helped by 24 UCSD turnovers, received 38 points from Smilie Glenn and Jennifer Kern, who scored 19 each. The Wildcats also received 16 points off the bench from reserve Kara Scheitlin en route to their victory.
The next night, Ginn again led the Tritons, posting a game-high 24 points to secure the win for UCSD. The first half was back-and-forth between both the Tritons and the Aggies. After UCSD grabbed a commanding 42-15 lead, Davis responded with a 9-2 run and finished with only a 28-34 deficit at halftime.
While the Aggies struggled without center Ranae Henning, the Tritons were unstoppable in the second half, beginning the period with a 14-6 run, increasing their lead to 48-34. UCSD’s defense, which had been inconsistent for much of the season, held Davis to a season-low 29.8 shooting percentage and created 17 Aggie turnovers.
Senior Maya Fok also contributed 17 points against her former team. Bromley posted 15 points.
With the victory, UCSD’s overall record jumps to 8-7 (4-6 in the CCAA), while UC Davis drops to 11-4 (7-3 in the CCAA).
The next action for the Tritons comes Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m., when they face Grand Canyon University at RIMAC Arena.
