UC San Diego women’s basketball (10-12, 6-4 Big West) came into Thursday night’s matchup against the University of Hawai’i (14-6, 8-2 Big West) looking for its fifth consecutive victory. Despite a rocky start to the season, the Tritons have found a winning formula in conference play. However, the red-hot Rainbow Wahine were one of their toughest foes yet. Hawai’i carried a seven-game win streak and the No. 2 spot in the Big West into LionTree Arena. The Tritons fought through a first-half deficit and some controversial calls but came up just short of a victory. UCSD squandered golden opportunities at both the fourth quarter and overtime buzzers, ultimately losing to the Rainbow Wahine by a score of 65-63.
The Tritons came out of the gate hot, going on a 6-0 run to kick off the game. Last week’s Big West player of the week, sophomore guard Sumayah Sugapong, broke the ice with a mid-range jumper from the left elbow. On the ensuing Hawai’i possession, junior guard Sabrina Ma intercepted an ill-advised Rainbow Wahine pass, and the Tritons found the bottom of the basket on the other end. After a Hawai’i player threw the ball into the fifth row on the next possession, Sugapong got the ball on a dribble hand-off at the free-throw line and immediately went up with a floater that kissed the back of the rim on its way down.
However, as the quarter played out, UCSD went cold from the field. When a Rainbow Wahine player hit a top-of-the-key 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the quarter, they capped a 14-2 run and made the score 14-8 in favor of Hawai’i.
The Tritons were highly active in their first defensive possession of the second quarter but failed to cash in on the other end. Sugapong hounded her defensive matchup well above the three-point line and poked the ball loose into the backcourt, but was called for a loose ball foul after diving for it. It was her first personal foul of the game. However, Ma took a hit to make a play after Hawaii inbounded the ball — intercepting a pass as a Hawai’i player inadvertently smacked her in the mouth. UCSD ran the ball up the court, but sophomore guard Junaé Mahan’s step-back mid-range jumper was off the mark.
Nevertheless, the Tritons’ smothering defense kept them afloat in the second quarter, despite shooting a paltry 29.4% from the field. They limited Hawai’i to just 10 shots in the quarter and forced seven turnovers. UCSD struggled but only trailed 32-26 as the buzzer sounded.
In the third quarter, the Tritons shot 60% from the field and outscored Hawaii 20-14, tying the game at 46-46. Sugapong had an excellent quarter, scoring an efficient 6 points alongside two assists and a steal. The San Diego native dazzled the crowd with a no-look one-handed pass to sophomore center Erin Condron, who put in the ensuing layup. Condron was also key to the Tritons’ third-quarter surge, recording 8 points while shooting 4 for 5 from the field.
Although Sugapong led UCSD’s second-half comeback, she found herself in hot water with the officials at the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter. With 39 seconds left in the third, Condron and graduate student guard Parker Montgomery trapped a Hawai’i player near the sideline, forcing her to step out of bounds. On the following inbound pass, Sugapong was called for an offensive foul — her third personal foul — as she jockeyed for position to receive the pass. Boos rained down from the stands, and head coach Heidi VanDerveer indignantly demanded an explanation from the officials. Fast forward to one of UCSD’s first offensive possessions of the fourth, when Sugapong was called for a charge. Again, the home crowd and VanDerveer voiced their irritation with the referees. Sugapong was now just one foul away from being disqualified from the game.
When The UCSD Guardian asked VanDerveer about the officiating in a postgame interview, she said, “No one likes the officials. I mean, I like them, but they’re 50/50. If they call for you, you’re excited. If they call against you, you’re depressed.” VanDerveer instead emphasized that her team focuses on what is in their control.
Even with a restrained Sugapong, UCSD managed to keep up with Hawai’i. The Big West’s premier 3-point sniper, Ma, made some clutch shots to keep the Tritons alive. With 4:13 remaining in regulation, UCSD was down 3 points and had not scored in over five minutes. It looked like it was going to be yet another fruitless trip down the court when Ma caught the ball at the top of the key with the shot clock expiring. Ma got her defender in the air with a pump fake, maneuvered around her, and drained a triple as the shot clock expired.
Ma’s shot gave the Tritons some much-needed offensive momentum, but with 17 seconds remaining in regulation, they were down 58-56. After a Hawai’i blocking foul, VanDerveer called a timeout and drew up a sideline inbound play for the critical possession. Ma ran around a screen, and caught the inbound pass on the left wing with time and space. Her 3-pointer found nothing but net, and the crowd ignited as UCSD took a 1-point lead with mere seconds to go.
The crowd’s cheers turned to boos when Condron was called for a blocking foul on Hawaii’s next possession, sending the Rainbow Wahine to the charity stripe. The Hawai’i player split the pair, tying the game with nine seconds remaining.
On the final possession of regulation, Sugapong isolated her defender at the top of the key before exploding to her left. She had a step on her defender as she got to the rack, but her scoop layup hit the front rim and fell harmlessly to the floor. The buzzer sounded, and we had bonus basketball in La Jolla.
The overtime period shared some similarities with the fourth quarter: a controversial call and a blown opportunity at the buzzer. With 1:50 remaining and the Tritons leading 63-62, UCSD was about to inbound the ball from the sideline when the official suddenly blew his whistle and pointed at Sugapong. It was a mirror image of her third foul and sent her packing. She pleaded her case to the officials and threw her hands up to mock a flopping motion while walking to the bench.
UCSD’s offense sputtered without Sugapong, failing to register a point for the rest of the period. However, with eight seconds to go, the Tritons found themselves down 2 points with a chance to tie or win the game. On this critical possession, Montgomery possessed the ball on the left wing. Sophomore guard Gracie Gallegos cut to the weak-side block where she found acres of space. The arena collectively held its breath as Montgomery’s pass traveled across the court. Gallegos had to reach over her head to bring the ball in and awkwardly stepped back, giving the Hawai’i defenders crucial moments to recover. The buzzer sounded before Gallegos could get a shot off, and the game was over.
Despite the loss, VanDerveer credited Sugapong and her team for remaining calm in the face of adversity and controversy against a tough opponent: “I don’t think much rattles our team. I think that is based on the way Sumayah plays, quite honestly — the poise she brings to our team.”
Although it was a losing effort, the Tritons demonstrated they can go blow for blow with the best the Big West has to offer. They will attempt to get back to their winning ways on Thursday, Feb. 6 on the road against UC Riverside. UCSD defeated the Highlanders 59–58 on Jan. 18, and will be aiming for a season sweep.
