3:51 p.m. The Aggies’ offensive struggles have continued into the second quarter. Their 3-point shooting has finally improved — albeit not by much — but they shot 13% from inside the arc in the first half. In contrast, UCSD has shot a decent 43% from the field. The Tritons lead 34-21 at halftime, but based on their second-half performance yesterday, that lead is certainly not safe.
3:28 p.m. The Tritons lead at the first-quarter break, 16-9. Sugapong continues to dominate; the San Diego native scored 6 points in the first 10 minutes.
3:09 p.m. UC Davis’ offense is struggling to get going early. The Tritons are up 8-0, and after five minutes of play, the Aggies are yet to score.
3:07 p.m. The Big West Women’s Basketball Championship final is now underway here in Henderson, Nevada. From the opening tip, Triton fans are immediately making their voices heard; it feels more like a home game for UCSD than a neutral site game.
2:54 p.m. A day after Sugapong’s incredible game-winning layup against top-seeded Hawai’i, the Tritons are back at Lee’s Family Forum to face the UC Davis Aggies. The winner will automatically qualify for March Madness, giving UCSD the chance to earn its first-ever berth for the Big Dance. We are now only 10 minutes away from tip-off, and we will be providing live updates and analysis throughout the game.
12:03 p.m. College basketball’s postseason is ruthless. After a grueling, months-long slog, your favorite team’s season comes down to 40 minutes on a neutral court. The conference tournament is a casual fan’s heaven, a Cinderella story’s dream, and a contender’s worst nightmare. Welcome to March.
Today, in its first year of postseason eligibility, UC San Diego has the opportunity to send both its men’s and women’s programs to the Big Dance. Only two Big West schools have accomplished this feat in the 21st century: Hawai’i in 2016 and UC Santa Barbara in 2002. The Triton men’s and women’s programs took different paths to the mountaintop, yet they now seek a shared glory.
No. 4 UCSD women’s basketball (19-15, 13-7 Big West) takes on No. 3 UC Davis (21-11, 13-7 Big West) at 3 p.m. This week, the Tritons have been a team of destiny. After starting the season 1-8, they found their groove in conference play to earn their place in the Big West Championship. In their first-ever postseason game on Thursday, the Tritons dispatched No. 8 Cal Poly, coming from behind to win 59-54. Twenty four hours later, sophomore guard Sumayah Sugapong’s last-second layup clinched an upset semifinal victory over No. 1 Hawai’i — the early tournament favorites. Their biggest test comes against the Aggies, who beat UCSD at LionTree Arena just one week ago. This afternoon, the Tritons will look to avenge their Senior Night loss to clinch a historic NCAA tournament bid.
At 6:30 p.m., No. 1-seeded men’s basketball (29-4, 18-2 Big West) will wrap up an epic, heavyweight trilogy. In the way of UCSD’s first March Madness appearance are the No. 2 UC Irvine Anteaters (28-5, 17-3 Big West). After losing to UCI at home in January, the Tritons returned the favor — and more — in a February victory that ultimately decided the regular season title. UCSD enters tonight’s title bout having won 14 games in a row, the longest win streak in the country; while a loss does not necessarily exclude the Tritons from March Madness, a win will deliver a certain knockout blow to their blue and gold rivals.
– Kurt Johnston, Sports Editor
Follow Senior Staff Writer Alan Zhang’s live coverage of both games shortly.
