Even historic seasons ultimately come to a close.
In its first-ever appearance in the Division-I NCAA tournament, UC San Diego women’s basketball (20-16, 13-7 Big West) was downed by the Southern University Jaguars (21-14, 15-3 SWAC), 68-56.
A 20-point halftime deficit was too much for the Tritons to overcome. Shooting proved to be the deciding factor for the Jaguars; with a combination of skilled playmaking and good fortune, Southern shot 49% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Sumayah Sugapong contributed 19 points to a furious second-half comeback effort, while graduate student guard Parker Montgomery scored 15 points in the final game of her five-year UCSD career. However, despite briefly cutting the Jaguar lead to 6, the Tritons were unable to close the gap in the final minutes.
UCSD head coach Heidi VanDerveer reflected on the season and Wednesday night’s heartbreaking loss at the postgame press conference: “If it didn’t hurt so much, it means that it wasn’t important to you.”
Despite being knocked out of the NCAA tournament, the Tritons can walk out of Pauley Pavilion and the 2024-25 season with their heads held high. After a four-year transition process into Division-I basketball and a difficult start to the season, UCSD bounced back to claim the program’s first-ever Big West championship and March Madness appearance — an extraordinary achievement for schools in their first year of tournament eligibility.
VanDerveer also discussed the Tritons’ improbable journey. “I don’t think anybody really thought we’d be sitting here in November to mid-December,” she said. She mentioned a December loss to Northern Kentucky as a particularly low moment but credited the next game’s victory over La Salle as a turning point: “We started understanding the commitment that it takes to compete, and I couldn’t be prouder. … I don’t think anybody would have thought that we’d be sitting here, except for the people in our circle.”
Senior forward Kayanna Spriggs echoed VanDerveer’s belief in the Tritons through the highs and lows of the season. “We had a lot of adversity in the beginning, but never for a second did it cross my mind that it wasn’t gonna be us cutting down that net when it came to March,” she said.
Montgomery also reflected on her team’s accomplishments.
“I knew that this team was special,” the graduate student said. “I took a chance coming back because I wanted to stick it out with UC San Diego, and I couldn’t be any happier going to March Madness. Who would’ve thought that UC San Diego would be here winning the Big West in our first year out?”
VanDerveer had the final word on UCSD’s record-breaking season.
“I think our journey has been one — this is gonna sound dramatic — for the ages.”
