BASKETBALL — The UCSD men’s and women’s basketball teams will look to continue their recent good form as they host Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona this week.
The Triton women are on a six-game winning streak following victories over Cal State LA and Cal State Dominguez Hills last weekend. Sophomore guard Emily Osga had a pair of outstanding games, averaging a team-high 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on 65-percent shooting. The sophomore also went 9-12 from beyond the arc.
This weekend figures to be a tougher test for the Tritons as they face two of the top four teams in the conference. San Bernardino sits in fourth in the CCAA, and is 11-2 and 7-2 in conference. The Coyotes are second in the conference in team defense — allowing just 52.5 points per game — and will try to slow down the Tritons best-in-conference offense that puts up more than 77 points a game.
Cal Poly Pomona is second in the CCAA, with an 8-1 conference record and 11-2 overall. The Broncos’ only loss is to undefeated Cal State Monterey Bay, and Pomona is outscoring opponents by an average of 15.4 points per game. The Tritons will have to find a way to slow down the CCAA’s leading scorer Reyana Colson, who averages 20.5 points per game.
UCSD is currently 10-7 overall and 8-2 in conference play.
The Triton men also had a solid weekend, securing a double-overtime victory over Cal State LA before a tough loss to No. 7 Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Junior Center Christian Hatch had a game-high 26 points and 13 boards against CSULA, but was held to just 6 points against Dominguez Hills. The Tritons will need to find a way to get him involved in the offense again, as he averages a team-best 14.6 points per game.
UCSD’s offense as a whole has sputtered, shooting less than 40 percent from the field in each of the last five games. The Tritons have supplemented this with good defense and rebounding, and senior guard Casey Ryan — all 6’4” of him — is the current conference leader in rebounding with 9.8 rebounds per game.
San Bernardino currently sits in fourth place in the CCAA, with a 6-3 conference record and 8-5 overall record. UCSD has not beaten the Coyotes since 2008.
The Tritons will then face defending national champions Cal Poly Pomona, who has had a rough season at 7-6 overall and 4-5 in conference play. The Broncos have the players that average double figures in scoring, led by Dwayne Fells’ average of 13.5 points a game.
UCSD comes into the week 9-7 overall and 4-6 in the CCAA.
The Tritons face San Bernardino on Thursday, Jan. 19, then host Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, Jan. 21. The women’s game tips off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday, all at RIMAC Arena.
Readers can contact Liam Rose at [email protected].
