On a chilly Tuesday night in Logan, Utah, they came, they saw, and they conquered. In a monumental upset on Dec. 17, UC San Diego (10-2, 2-0 Big West) men’s basketball outfought the previously undefeated Utah State Aggies (10-1, 1-0 Mountain West), thanks in large part to senior guard Tyler McGhie and senior forward Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones. McGhie finished with 26 points, including 10 in the final three minutes of play, and Tait-Jones contributed 20, half of which came from the free-throw line.
The Tritons entered the game with their longest winning streak of the Division-I era, having won their last seven games. Prior to tip-off, UCSD ranked No. 17 in the national Mid-Major Top 25 poll and achieved its highest-ever NET and KenPom ratings. However, the Tritons’ opponent was riding an even bigger high: Utah State was one of five remaining undefeated teams in the country at 10-0 and received 48 votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll. With home-court advantage, the Aggies were expected to overwhelm the Tritons.
While Utah State had the upper hand for most of the game, the Tritons never let the Aggies extend their lead past 7 points. In the first half, UCSD could not get going on offense. The Tritons would go on to turn the ball over a season-high 18 times during the game — disappointing numbers for a team whose strongest asset is ball security.
The Tritons looked like a new team in the second half. UCSD was phenomenal on defense, holding the Aggies to only eight field goals after halftime. But the Tritons’ shots still weren’t falling.
Enter Tait-Jones. Going into the game, the forward was one of the nation’s leaders in fouls drawn and free throw attempts — and he delivered a masterclass in drawing fouls down the stretch. During a five-minute stretch midway through the second half, the Triton offense consisted solely of Tait-Jones’ free throws, and combined with their excellent defense, they took the lead late.
Enter McGhie. In the biggest game of his career so far, he scored on three straight possessions to give the Tritons a decisive advantage over the Aggies. While Utah State played well in the final minute, the Tritons successfully closed out the game at the free-throw line, winning 75-73.
Utah State is the highest-ranked opponent in NET and KenPom rankings the Tritons have ever beaten — at No. 20 and No. 46, respectively. UCSD extended their winning streak against crosstown opponents University of San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 21, downing the Torreros, 77-71. The Tritons will host Occidental on Saturday, Dec. 28, before opening conference play at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Jan. 4.
