Dominating on both sides of the court, the UCSD women’s basketball team kicked off its preseason with a decisive 69-46 victory over Biola University on Nov. 15 at UCSD.
The Lady Tritons showed fine form in their presason match against Biola University, overwhelming the Eagles in a 69-46 blowout on Nov. 15 at UCSD.
The Tritons started out the game strong, building an early 10-4 lead. Senior captain and guard Leora Juster scored the first two points of the game on a layup, setting the tone for a big night from the UCSD veteran.
The UCSD women were continually one step ahead of Biola University on offense, drawing fouls and giving the Tritons the opportunity to convert on free throws. UCSD took advantage of these opportunities, making 14 of 16 from the line in the first half.
Even though the Triton offense in the first half was effective, the defense was even more impressive, holding Biola University to only 15 points in the first half. Biola University’s offense never looked comfortable against the Tritons, who pressured the Eagles, causing them to make mistakes.
“”We have a pretty effective half-court trap that usually pushes teams out of their element,”” Juster said. “”Once you get their offense out of rhythm, you basically can throw anything at them.””
The Tritons used various defenses to confuse Biola University, causing turnovers that led to UCSD points on the other side of the court.
UCSD essentially sealed the win in the first half, dominating in almost every facet of the game to create a 35-15 lead going into the second half.
“”I think we did really well,”” said sophomore forward Michelle Osier, who had eight points and 10 rebounds in the game. “”We came out strong and got a lead right off the bat.””
Before the game, head coach Janell Jones said that Biola University would play both zone defense as well as man-to-man against the Tritons.
Juster had no trouble with the Eagles’ defense, scoring from the outside, driving to the hoop and drawing numerous fouls. Overall, she finished with a game-high 20 points and five assists.
“”I just try to play the best I can, play hard and make the best decisions I can,”” Juster said.
UCSD took a strong attack stance led by Juster, but it was backed by many other strong performances on the Triton side.
Senior forward Hillary Hansen was one rebound away from a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds, and junior forward Meaghan Noud came off the bench to score another 14 points for the Tritons.
“”We have a good enough team that if we play our hardest and play smart for 40 minutes, we have a good chance to win games,”” Juster said.
According to Osier, UCSD worked especially hard on defense for this game and it paid off as the Eagles were held to only 46 points.
“”Last year, we played zone defense a lot,”” Osier said. “”This year, with the new team, we’re working on [man-to-man defense]. We have the same two-zone defenses as last year, the 2-2 and the 2-3, and we’re teaching them to the new players.””
The game marked the first time the team could play together as a well-oiled unit this season. “”We worked well together, we clicked … “” Osier said. “”We’re getting used to playing with each other. It’s exciting to see how everything plays out.””
The team also played its first regular-season game against Northwest Nazarene University on Nov. 18, outlasting the Crusaders by a score of 86-82. Backed by a career-high 37 points in 40 minutes from Juster, UCSD overcame a nine-point halftime deficit in Nampa, Idaho.
Sophomore center Alexis Gaskin chipped in with seven rebounds and 11 points on five of six shooting from field-goal range, while Hansen registered 11 rebounds and 24 points, which included a timely three-point play to take the lead four minutes into the second half.
The Tritons’ second-half efforts may have been the key to the game, as they shot 65.4 percent from the field compared to 44.4 percent in the first half. UCSD also made its free throws count, shooting 84.6 percent to secure the win.
The Tritons will play Chico State at UCSD on Dec. 1 for the team’s first conference game of the season.
UCSD and Chico State are ranked first and second, respectively, in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, and the game should be a tough one for both teams.
