It took a while, but the Tritons have finally hit their stride.
After a turbulent start to the season — losing eight straight games following an opening night win — UC San Diego women’s basketball (8-11, 4-3 Big West) rallied to win seven of its next 10 games. On Thursday, Jan. 16, the Tritons handed the first-place Long Beach State (12-5, 6-1 Big West) their first Big West loss, holding off a late comeback effort, for a 79-68 victory.
Though the Beach were undefeated in Big West play going into the game, they looked sloppy all evening, turning the ball over 21 times.
Head coach Heidi VanDerveer reflected on the Tritons’ progress following their win against the Beach.
“We played a tough preseason, and obviously, we didn’t do as well as we wanted to,” VanDerveer said. “I think we’re developing not just competitive depth but different combinations playing together — some synergy. We have a mix of experience, but it’s not necessarily experience that has played at UC San Diego consistently.”
Against Long Beach State, this synergy was on full display.
Sophomore guard Gracie Gallegos, who finished the game with 17 points, shared the mentality they had going into a game against a team that was yet to lose in the Big West.
“I think we just came ready to compete,” Gallegos said.
That competitive drive was evident from the very first dribble. The Tritons played aggressively on defense, forcing four turnovers early, which they were able to turn into easy buckets on the other end. Only two minutes in, UCSD was already up 8-0.
“It was a really good start,” Gallegos said. “It gave us that little confidence. We just were playing well together and getting stops and converting in those first couple minutes.”
The crowd was in the Tritons’ favor on Thursday. Just under 2,000 spectators packed LionTree Arena to cheer on the team, including UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla. VanDerveer hopes that the strong attendance will be a recurring trend.
“I think women’s basketball is exciting,” she said. “People that maybe saw it for the first time, I hope will come back, and the people that saw young women play extremely hard and play together and fight through adversity will come back.”
Right out of halftime, UCSD scored 9 unanswered points, giving the team their largest lead of the night — a 15-point cushion. The Tritons seemed to have a victory in the bag, but Long Beach State senior guard Savannah Tucker had other plans.
Early in the fourth quarter, Tucker single-handedly brought the Beach back into the game, scoring their first 11 points of the quarter to shrink the Triton lead down to five. After a pair of free throws by the Beach cut the lead down to three, the Tritons desperately needed someone to step up.
Senior guard Parker Montgomery answered the call, nailing back-to-back triples to swing momentum in the Tritons’ favor. This gave UCSD a 9-point lead with only two minutes left in the game.
She’s “crucial,” VanDerveer said when asked about Montgomery’s importance to the squad. “I think her leadership and the poise and the calmness she brings to our team, the communication is critical, and obviously her ability to stretch the defenses is also equally as critical.”
On Saturday, Jan. 18, the Tritons scored their second consecutive win, besting UC Riverside (8-9, 4-3 Big West) in a 59-58 defensive battle. Next on the calendar for UCSD is a trip north to Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos on Thursday, Jan. 23. Then, a Saturday, Jan. 25 clash at CSU Northridge will set up a Thursday night battle against Hawai’i on Jan. 30 for Lunar New Year Celebration Night.
