8:43 p.m. The Tritons win in an incredible battle against their rival Anteaters to secure their first-ever Big West Championship and March Madness berth. Gray gave everything he had tonight; he scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting. In its first year of postseason eligibility, UCSD will send both its men’s and women’s basketball teams dancing. The final score is 75-61, Tritons.
8:31 p.m. This has been an incredible display from both teams. As my counterpart from UC Irvine put it, “The Anteaters gave an A-minus performance tonight. Unfortunately, the Tritons gave an A-plus performance tonight.”
8:26 p.m. MCGHIE. TAIT-JONES. The Tritons are now on a 10-2 run. They are up 11 with two minutes remaining.
8:21 p.m. Gray is giving his finest performance of the year in the biggest game of his career. He has 20 points on 7-9 shooting, including six triples. The Tritons are up 58-54 with a little under four minutes remaining.
8:15 p.m. This is the best Big West game in recent memory — two incredible teams playing at their peaks. The Anteaters have gone on a mini-run to dwindle the lead down to one possession. The Tritons are up 52-49 with seven minutes remaining. If you aren’t watching, turn the game on now. You won’t regret it.
7:55 p.m. UCSD explodes right out of the gate in the second half. Just like in its previous matchup against Irvine, it seems like a halftime break reinvigorated the team. Unlike last time, however, the Tritons are choosing to play a more physical game. This has paid off, and they’re now on a 10-0 run; Tritons are up 43-36 with 15 minutes left to play.
7:29 p.m. The Tritons’ aggressive defense is starting to yield results, allowing UC Irvine to make only one of its final 10 field-goal attempts of the half. The Anteaters still lead 33-31 at halftime.
7:18 p.m. With the Anteaters focused on defending Tait-Jones and senior guard Tyler McGhie, senior guard Hayden Gray has stepped up. He has scored 11 points as the Tritons dwindle UCI’s lead. The Anteaters are up only three now; the scoreboard reads 29-26 with four minutes remaining in the first half.
7:08 p.m. After a slow start, the Anteaters have found the form that led them to this incredible season. They are on a 16-4 run, and the Tritons look helpless trying to stop them. UCI leads 25-16 with eight minutes left in the half.
6:44 p.m. We are now underway in Henderson. UC San Diego (29-4, 18-2 Big West) faces off against rival UC Irvine (28-5, 17-3 Big West) in the Big West Men’s Basketball Championship final. They split the season series; a tough defensive battle resulted in an Anteater victory in La Jolla, and a brilliant shooting performance led the Tritons to get revenge when they faced off in February.
The Tritons enter as slight favorites, holding the nation’s longest active winning streak, having emerged victorious from their last 14 games. Senior forward Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones has been the team’s focal point in recent months. He has become one of the most efficient players in the country, and his offensive rating is the second highest in Big West history across a season.
The one player with a higher offensive rating is UC Irvine senior center Bent Leuchten. The 7-foot-1-inch German is one of the most dominant big men in conference history and has attained a double-double in his last six games — all six of which ended in Anteater victories. He will look to attack a Triton lineup that has occasionally struggled against centers this season.
The most anticipated Big West title game in decades is finally here; we’ll have live updates and analyses for you throughout the game.
5:07 p.m. UCSD women’s basketball is going dancing for the first time! The Tritons got off to a hot start and never let up, defeating the Aggies 75-66. In front of hundreds of fans, they celebrate their first-ever Big West conference championship. What a team! We’ll be back later tonight with the men’s basketball final against UC Irvine.
4:55 p.m. Gracie Gallegos has excelled for the Tritons in the fourth quarter. The redshirt sophomore guard has scored 6 points thus far in the period, bringing her total to 18 this afternoon. The Tritons are up 66-56 with only two and a half minutes left.
4:32 p.m. One quarter away — the Tritons can just about taste it. UCSD’s defense continues to dominate as the Aggies miss their final six field-goal attempts of the third quarter. All the Tritons need to do is hold on for 10 more minutes. They lead 54-39 as we enter the final frame.
4:17 p.m. The Tritons are only 13 minutes away from their first-ever March Madness berth, and they know it. Unfazed by the pressure, they are playing their unique brand of defensive basketball. With just over three minutes left in the third quarter, UCSD leads 50-33.
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.
