WOMEN’S BASKETBALL — The Tritons entered last weekend’s
games with a chance to climb into first place in the California Collegiate
Athletic Association standings, but with a split on the road, UCSD remains tied
for third place. The Tritons took a 60-51 loss to first-place team Chico
State on Feb. 1 before bouncing
back with a 67-57 win over Cal State Stanislaus on Feb. 2.

UCSD didn’t bounce back from its loss to Chico
State until the second half of its
game against Cal State Stanislaus. The Tritons started the game well, as
sophomore forward Erin Noonan hit a three-pointer four minutes into the game to
give the Tritons an early 9-5 lead. The Warriors answered back with a
three-pointer of their own and, after a foul by senior forward Meaghan Noud,
took the lead on a jump shot.

Despite senior forward Meaghan Noud’s 20-point effort on Feb. 1 against Chico State, the Wildcats proved too much for the Tritons and overwhelmed UCSD with a 60-51 victory. (Erik Jepsen/Guardian File)

The Warriors led for the rest of the half, controlling the
game and forcing UCSD into a poor shooting half. The Tritons had many
opportunities to get back in the game, but were unable to make their free-throw
attempts, shooting a mere 2-10 from the line.

The Warriors’ offense had no trouble scoring and took a
33-20 lead after hitting another three-pointer with 1:29 left. Then senior center Diahnn Futalan made one out
of two free-throws, and the Tritons entered halftime trailing the Warriors by a
score of 33-21.

The Tritons immediately turned the game around in the second
half’s opening minutes. Field goals by Futalan, Noonan and junior forward
Michelle Osier led the Tritons in their 11-0 run to start the second half. With
15:14 left in the game, Futalan’s
two free-throws cut the Warriors’ lead to 33-32.

“We kind of got yelled at at halftime and that made us come
out really hard in the second half,” Osier said. “We were aggressive and
driving to the basket. We knew what we had to do.”

The Tritons then changed their fortunes from the free-throw
line, taking their first lead in the half on a free-throw from sophomore guard
Annette Ilg that put them on top by a score of 43-42 with 10 minutes left.

Led by Osier, UCSD continued its offensive attack, extending
its lead and controlling the game. With Osier leading the offensive scoring and
the Tritons hitting their free-throw attempts late in the second half, UCSD was
able to complete its 67-57 comeback victory.

The Tritons outscored the Warriors 46-24 in the second half
and shot 20-of-23 from the charity stripe. Osier led all scorers with 28 points
and collected a game-high 13 rebounds for UCSD. Noud and Noonan also added 11
points each for the Tritons.

“Osier had 24 points in the second half,” Elliott said. “She
came out with a different intensity that carried over to the rest of the team
and set the tone for the second half.”

UCSD needed the win against Cal State Stanislaus to preserve
its tie for third place, after suffering losing to Chico
State. UCSD’s offense struggled
mightily in the first half against Chico
State, shooting only 22 percent
from the floor. Despite their struggles on the offensive end, the Tritons were
able to stay close in the game, taking a 13-12 lead on a three-pointer from
Noud with 9:29 left in the half.

The Tritons only managed to score 15 points in the half, but
they held the Wildcat offense at bay to enter halftime facing only a nine-point
deficit.

UCSD’s offense showed improvement in the second half,
scoring 10 quick points to cut Chico State’s
lead to two points. The Wildcats answered back with their own run, hitting a
three-pointer with 12 minutes left in the contest to give Chico State a 40-27
lead. The Tritons continued to fight, but the Wildcats’ efficient offense was
too much for UCSD to overcome.

The Wildcats shot an impressive 65 percent from the field in
the second half, allowing UCSD no chance to keep up offensively with them in
the game. Noud led the Tritons with 20 points in the loss and Osier added 12
points with 12 rebounds.

“We would have obviously liked to get two wins, but coming
out with a big win on the second night was definitely a good thing.”

The loss to Chico State
and win over Cal State Stanislaus gave the Tritons an 8-4 CCAA record and a
16-6 record overall. UCSD will have a chance to distance themselves from Sonoma
State, with whom they currently
share third place, when the two teams face each other on Feb. 9 at RIMAC Arena.
The Tritons will also face Humboldt State
at home on Feb. 8.

“We lost to both of these teams earlier in the season and
they were not good memories,” Elliott said. “We need to have a good week of
practice and figure out a way to keep the intensity going. Every single game is
important.”