The UCSD women’s basketball team will return to action in San Diego for its next two games following a tough road trip in Northern California on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8. During the trip, the Tritons split their games, beating Cal State Stanislaus and falling to Chico State, putting the team’s record at 7-3 overall and 3-1 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play.
The Tritons topped Cal State Stanislaus at Warrior Arena for their third straight win in CCAA action, beating the Warriors, 76-65.
The Tritons led by two points in the first half with a 31-29 lead. UCSD had some difficulties hitting its field goals and long distance shooting attempts in the first half, but improved dramatically in the second half, raising its field-goal percentage from .325 to .500 and three-point attempts from 0-for-7 in the first half to 4-for-5 in the second.
Sophomore guard Leora Juster, the leading scorer for the Tritons, dropped a game-high 21 points. Senior center Margaret Johnson came through with 16 points, three assists and six blocks in the game.
Junior guard Andrea Herold and senior center Stacey Gallagher-Bolton added 10 and six points, respectively, with Gallagher-Bolton collecting six rebounds.
Top scorers for the Warriors included Latrici Nickelberry with 17 points and Shakavi Jackson with 12 points. Lindsie LeFort and Gwendolyn Page both added 10 points apiece.
UCSD continued its road trip to Chico State on Jan. 8. UCSD, Cal Poly Pomona and Chico State went into the evening tied for first place in the CCAA, but the Tritons fell to Chico 93-66 and Pomona lost to Cal State Bakersfield, putting the Wildcats in first place.
UCSD was led offensively by four double-digit scoring players. Johnson had 22 points, 13 rebounds and three steals, while Gallagher-Bolton managed 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Juster and Hansen posted 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
The Tritons trailed only 37-33 at the half, but had scoring troubles for the entirety of the game. UCSD averaged .406 in field goals for the game and .650 in free throws.
The Tritons, usually very strong in long-distance shooting, were unsuccessful in three-point shots, making only one of 12 attempts. UCSD’s difficulty beyond the arc proved to be a strong factor in their first loss in CCAA league play.
On Jan. 12, the Tritons return to San Diego to take on Cal State Bernardino before facing off against Cal State Monterey Bay on Jan. 14. Both games will begin at 5:30 p.m. at RIMAC Arena.
