On Friday, the Tritons kicked off the 2012-2013 season against hosts Dixie State, losing 67-71. UCSD blew a 12-point lead with 11 minutes left to play, after the Red Storm went on a 9-0 lead in the preceding two minutes of play. Up just 55-52, UCSD sophomore Brandon Blanchard hit a jumper, while UCSD Head Coach Chris Carlson experiment with lineups in an effort to stem the bleeding, but it wasn’t enough to keep the home team from taking the advantage.

“It really was a tale of two halves tonight,” UCSD Head Coach Chris Carlson said to the UCSD Athletics Department. “We were very sharp to start the game but gave up too many easy shots in the second half and you can’t do that against a good team like Dixie State.”

Senior forward Justin Brue led UCSD in scoring, finishing with 14 points on the night. The forward was buttressed in the attack by junior point guard James McCann, recording 13 points, and freshman forward Drew Dyer, who also finished with 13 points.

On Saturday, UCSD took their first win of the season over Fresno Pacific 83-74 on a career-high 33 points from senior guard Tyler McGrath.

The Tritons got off to a slow start, allowing Fresno Pacific to overturn a five-point lead at the start of the half.

“We were not very sharp to start the game and that is something we need to shore up,” Carlson said to the UCSD Athletics Department. “But, I am very proud of the determination and toughness we showed in the second half. Good teams adjust and adapt, and we did a great job in doing that tonight.”

The Tritons ended the half with a three-point lead, which grew in the second half as McGrath went off. The senior shooting guard went 10-for-17 from the field, including four three-pointers. Dyer and McCann both finished with double digits, with Dyer finishing 15 and McCann sinking 13.

UCSD’s first home match is slated for next weekend, Nov. 17 against Grand Canyon.