The UCSD women’s basketball squad improved its win streak to eight games with a 68-36 win over Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 21.
With the win, the Tritons improved on their historic start and now have a 12-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association league action. The team’s record moves it back into a tie at the top of the CCAA with Cal State Bakersfield and Chico State. The Roadrunners and Wildcats stayed even with the Tritons as CSUB beat Cal State Monterey Bay 79-68 on Jan. 20 and Chico State topped San Francisco State 76-61 on Jan. 21.
After toppling Cal State Dominguez Hills on Jan. 20 with a 67-52 victory, the Tritons followed their seventh-straight win with number eight over Cal Poly Pomona the following night. With the impressive wins, the Tritons have gained more confidence as the season has progressed.
“There’s definitely an increase in confidence [in] who we are and what we need to do,” said junior guard Leora Juster, the team’s leading scorer. “It’s definitely hard to believe, but I think we are starting to realize it’s real, and I think the pressure lowers a bit because we are definitely not a fluke now.”
The Tritons jumped to an early 12-5 lead with only 12 minutes to play in the first period. They held strong, sailing ahead in the second half for the 15-point margin and the win.
Juster set a new career high of 32 points and had a big hand in carrying the Tritons to their victory over the Toros.
Cal State Dominguez Hills made a measly 17-of-57 shots from the field while coughing up 18 turnovers to the defensive-minded Triton team.
The game against Pomona was a bit lackluster at the beginning with only 10-of-32 Triton shots made, but the team managed to pull through with a 29-17 advantage at intermission, and eventually outscored the Broncos to finish with a 32-point victory.
Sophomore forward Briana Hinga sparked the Tritons on the boards with her team high of 11 rebounds. She was accompanied by freshman forward Michelle Osier, who added 14 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Juster led the Tritons’ offensive battle, as she usually does, with her 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
The Tritons’ intimidating record seemed to work on Cal Poly Pomona, which struggled all night as the team made only 13 of 58 shots and converted only half of its 18 foul-shot attempts.
Next week will also be an important one for the Tritons, when they face Sonoma State and San Francisco State on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, respectively.
Juster is eagerly awaiting a chance to continue the team’s streak against the tough CCAA competition.
“Sonoma is definitely going to be a challenge because every team has a Jekyll and a Hyde, and you hope to bring out that bad side and force teams to fall into our rhythm, as we did against Dominguez Hills and Pomona,” she said.
