UC San Diego women’s basketball (1–0, 0–0 Big West) opened up their season with an 86–51 win over the Occidental Tigers (0–1, 0–0 SCIAC) at LionTree Arena on Monday night. Sabrina Ma scored 15 points and Nicki Polocheck added 14 more off the bench in a blowout victory. Having completed their four-year transition period during the offseason, this was their first official win as a Division I program.
“I just think it was great to get different combinations, getting a lot of new parts, playing together in a real game,” Tritons Head Coach Heidi VanDerveer shared with The UCSD Guardian after the game. “We’ve been playing together since July, so it’s fun to get out there and play somebody else.”
The team also seemed equally excited to get their season underway. In spite of the small crowd, the Tritons were full of energy during pregame warmups and into the player introductions, when the starting five were met with high fives and handshake routines from their enthusiastic teammates and coaches.
However, once the teams hit the court, the Tritons were unable to channel this energy into their performance. They missed 11 of their first 14 shot attempts, with several taking unlucky rolls and bounces off the rim. Meanwhile, luck was on the Tigers’ side, scoring 14 early points, including a three-point bank shot as the shot clock expired. Halfway through the first quarter, the Tritons found themselves down by 8.
It wasn’t until a timely block by senior forward Kayanna Spriggs that momentum shifted back in the Tritons’ favor. They closed out the first quarter with 10 unanswered points, putting them ahead 16–14.
Starting off the second quarter, an additional eight consecutive points gave the Tritons a strong cushion from which they never looked back. After scoring a whopping 35 points in the second quarter alone, the Tritons built a comfortable 51–26 lead.
While this lead ultimately proved to be insurmountable, it didn’t stop either side from keeping their foot on the gas and putting forth their all. On the court, both teams fought hard for loose balls and tough baskets. On the sidelines, both benches celebrated big plays by their teammates and encouraged players on the defensive side of the ball with “D-up” chants. When it was all said and done, the Tritons had the upper hand, taking the victory 86–51.
It was an all-around dominant performance from the Tritons. Despite the rocky start, UCSD shot nearly 50% from the field, while Occidental was held to 34%. The Tritons also did a much better job when the ball was up for grabs, out-rebounding the Tigers 42 to 34 and winning the turnover battle 27 to 11.
With such a strong start to the Division-I era, Coach VanDerveer is optimistic about how far this team can go. “I think our goal every year is to compete for a Big West Championship,” she said. “I think that’s definitely doable. I think the sky’s the limit for not just our basketball program but UCSD athletics as a whole.”
Following Monday’s win, the Tritons will head to the state capital for their next game against the Sacramento State Hornets (1–0, 0–0 Big Sky) on Thursday. They then face their biggest test of the season thus far when they return to LionTree Arena on Sunday to battle the Arizona Wildcats (1–0, 0–0 Big 12).
