UC San Diego women’s basketball (1-7, 0-0 Big West) fell to the Stanford Cardinal (7-1, 0-0 ACC) on Friday, losing 84-54 at Maples Pavilion. The loss marked the Tritons’ seventh straight defeat since their opening day win against Occidental, their worst losing streak since transitioning to Division I in 2020.
While bright spots were few and far between for UCSD, there were some promising moments, especially in the second half. Sophomore guard Sumayah Sugapong had her best scoring game of the season, netting 21 points and adding six rebounds, three assists, and seven steals — all team highs. Redshirt sophomore guard Junae Mahan also energized the Tritons on both sides of the floor, shooting 5-10 for 10 points and contributing two blocks and two steals.
UCSD was unable to counter the Cardinal’s size and shooting in the first quarter, allowing Stanford to dominate early. By the time the Tritons scored their first points thanks to a strong drive and layup from Mahan, Stanford was leading 11-2. A deep two from freshman forward Nicki Polocheck would be the only other Triton points in the first frame; the Cardinal rode a staggering 78.57% field goal percentage to take a 32-4 lead after only 10 minutes.
Stanford’s 3-point shooting was instrumental to their 28-point advantage. The Cardinal made four 3-pointers in the first quarter, compared to the Tritons’ game total of three. Sloppy turnovers and fouls in the paint further hampered the Tritons’ already tall task, and the game quickly got out of hand.
The Tritons’ poor play continued in the second quarter. A corner three increased Stanford’s lead to 44-6 with six minutes left in the half, and it seemed as if the relentless Cardinal barrage would never end. However, an 8-2 Triton flurry — with contributions from Sugapong, senior forward Kayanna Spriggs, graduate student guard Parker Montgomery, and sophomore guard Eri Blithikioti — stemmed the tide to close the second quarter. UCSD ultimately trailed 48-16 at the break.
The third quarter was far more positive for the Tritons. After the Cardinal’s lead briefly ballooned to 40, UCSD outscored Stanford 16-8 in the final seven and a half minutes of the period. Junior guard Sabrina Ma, who was forced to sit early in the game due to foul trouble, hit a 3-pointer after a Sugapong steal. Ma then snagged a steal of her own, which led to a tip-in score. Sugapong took over in the final three minutes, singlehandedly outscoring the Cardinal 7-4. After 30 minutes, the Maples Pavilion scoreboard read 67-36.
Sugapong’s momentum carried into the fourth quarter. The San Diego native scored 10 of UCSD’s 18 points in the final frame, including 4 created by her own steals in Stanford’s backcourt. The Tritons were also much better defensively in the fourth, only allowing Stanford to make one 3-pointer. A buzzer-beating Cardinal layup ended the game, with Stanford winning 84-54.
After finding themselves in an almost instantaneous hole, the Tritons did well to claw the gap back to 30 points in the second half. While the team was certainly disappointed by their first quarter showing, the scoreline could have been — and certainly looked like it was going to be — far worse. Triton head coach Heidi VanDerveer is sure to be encouraged by her squad’s second-half performance on the court that bears the name of her sister, legendary Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer — who was in attendance on Friday.
UCSD now turns to a clash against UC Santa Barbara at home on Thursday, Dec. 5, to kick off their regular season Big West schedule. The Tritons split last year’s season series against the Gauchos, winning at LionTree Arena before losing at The Thunderdome in Santa Barbara. They will then head to Cal State Bakersfield for a Saturday matinee on Dec. 7, followed by a Dec. 14 meeting with California Baptist University in Riverside.
