The UCSD men’s basketball team won a lengthy doubleheader against Grand Canyon University last week. The Tritons faced the Antelopes on Jan. 23 at RIMAC Arena before traveling to Phoenix on Saturday to play their second game against GCU in four days.
Wednesday night’s game was a heartbreaker for the Tritons when they battled back from a 27-39 halftime deficit to pull within 73-76 with 21 seconds remaining.
Triton Ryan Rikansrud, shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc this season, launched a three-pointer for the tie but was blocked by Grand Canyon’s Sean Harris. The call was disputed by the Tritons, who contended to no avail that Harris had fouled Rikansrud.
Antelope Jovian Dobrzenski sank two free throws with 0.3 seconds left to secure the 78-73 victory for Grand Canyon.
The Tritons hurt themselves by shooting 31 percent from the floor in the first half, and their 60 percent from the field in the second half couldn’t match GCU’s overall shooting percentage of 54.4 percent.
Guard Cameron Jackson went 7-11 from the floor to lead all scorers and finish with 17 points, while Jody Woods added 15 points and C.J. Duffaut contributed 12 points off the bench.
The ‘Lopes finished with four players in double-digits. They were led by Dobrzenski, who came off the bench to post 16 points for Grand Canyon.
Saturday’s game in Arizona appeared to be the opposite for the Tritons because they dominated Grand Canyon on their way to a 43-29 halftime lead. UCSD held the Antelopes to a 32.1 shooting percentage in the first half and appeared to have the game in control.
But Grand Canyon battled back in the second half and shot 16-36 from the field in the second half. Luckily, it wasn’t enough as they fell to the Tritons, 76-72.
Freshman Jordan Watkins burst out against the ‘Lopes, scoring 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting. Ryan Swed posted 12 points and 13 rebounds for UCSD, while Nick Christensen added 16 points for the Tritons.
UCSD currently stands at 4-8 in league and 7-12 overall, while GCU drops into a tie with the Tritons at 4-8 in league and 7-11 overall.