In only its fifth season in Division I, UC San Diego is the regular season Big West champion.
The Tritons (28-4, 18-2 Big West) dominated the conference all season, becoming the league’s highest-ranked team since Long Beach State in 2012, according to KenPom. UCSD has emerged as one of the top mid-majors in the country, ranking No. 2 in the previous week’s Mid-Major Poll, and have been touted as a potential Cinderella in March.
On Thursday’s Senior Night, many considered the conference regular season title to be a foregone conclusion. With one more win than the second-place Anteaters, the Tritons only needed to win one of their two final games to clinch the title. Their opponents, the Beach (7-25, 3-17 Big West), sat 10th in the Big West standings, were on a 13-game losing streak, and lost in their previous matchup handedly. The Tritons, on the other hand, were red hot. UCSD entered the evening with an 11-game winning streak, the second longest in the nation.
Both teams struggled to get going on offense in the first half, but the Tritons pulled away in the second period to take a 22-point lead. However, the Beach stormed back late to bring the lead within four in the final minute. Yet, time would prove to be fatal for Long Beach as it was forced to foul, allowing the Tritons to close out the game at the free throw line.
“I didn’t think we were our usual selves,” head coach Eric Olen said to The UCSD Guardian after the game. “Maybe we relaxed, there’s emotions of senior night, you’re on the cusp of a championship; there’s all those kinds of things going on. Ultimately, we found a way to make enough plays to hold on, and at this time of the year, that’s all we care about.”
Senior forward Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones and senior guard Tyler McGhie each scored 20 points in the final game at LionTree Arena, a fitting conclusion for this year’s graduating class. Senior guard Hayden Gray added 9 points and two steals to extend his lead as the NCAA leader in steals and steals per game. Junior guard Chris Howell also had an impressive defensive performance, contributing five steals and one spectacular chase-down block to repel Long Beach’s comeback effort.
After the final buzzer sounded, the celebrations began. Students filed onto the court and celebrated with the team as the players, coaches, and staff cut down the nets.
“It’s great for our program,” Olen said, referring to the title. “It’s a really fun moment for our players, excited for them, proud of them. Just a really great night overall.”
Tait-Jones, UCSD’s leading scorer this season and the favorite for Big West player of the year, spoke to The Guardian as the celebrations raged on.
“It’s amazing,” he said, watching the celebrations unfold. “It’s surreal. All glory to God. So happy for my teammates and for the school. We deserve it.”
For Tait-Jones, the night was even more meaningful. In the stands was a large group of family and friends who had traveled from New Zealand to support him.
“It’s amazing; I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Tait-Jones said. “I’m so thankful my family’s here and we could do it in front of these amazing fans.”
McGhie also spoke to The Guardian after the game. He said that he always believed the team could win the Big West regular season title.
“With this coaching staff and the group of people they brought in, I thought we were really special, and this is definitely a goal that we set out for,” McGhie said.
The Tritons closed out the regular season on Saturday in Davis, beating the Aggies 68-57 to bring their conference record to 18-2 and claim sole possession of the regular season crown. McGhie also earned an impressive individual accolade, tying the program’s single-season 3-point shooting record.
While the regular season title is a fantastic feat, the job is not finished yet. In a week, the Big West tournament will take place in Henderson, Nevada, and the winner will be awarded an automatic bid to March Madness. The Tritons’ first-place finish guarantees them a double-bye into Friday’s semifinals, scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. on March 14.
As the No. 1 seed in the Big West, the team is confident about its chances in the tournament.
“I definitely think we can win,” McGhie said. “We’ve been playing great basketball, and we believe in our coaches and the game plan they’re gonna give us.”
