In a low-scoring battle on Saturday, Nov. 22, UC San Diego (2-3, 0-0 Big West) women’s basketball made only four 3-pointers all game. But it didn’t matter, because Air Force (3-3, 0-0 Mountain West) struggled even more; the Tritons cruised to a 55-43 victory in the afternoon matinee to snap a two-game losing skid.
Thanks to a Triton defense that continues to be an early bright spot for the team, the Falcons finished the game shooting 3-for-27 from beyond the arc, good for an 11% 3-point percentage. Air Force’s performance was the lowest 3-point shooting percentage the Tritons have allowed against a Division-I opponent who took at least 21 attempts in UCSD’s history.
For their part, the Tritons didn’t fare much better, making only one more 3-pointer than their opponents on 17 attempts. Resident 3-point maestro, senior guard Sabrina Ma, went 1 for 6 from deep. A corner three in the fourth brought her over the 1,000-point mark on her career.
Although their 3-point shooting proved a weak spot, the Tritons dominated down low, scoring 34 of their 55 points from inside the paint. Junior center Erin Condron — who struggled to find her rhythm at the beginning of the season — delivered her third double-digit scoring outing in a row, dropping 12 against the Falcons.
The Tritons’ aggressive defense and dominance inside propelled them to an early 22-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. Although Air Force narrowed the lead to 12 midway through the third, the Tritons successfully fended off the Falcons, ultimately winning 55-43.
UCSD will play Division-III Occidental at home on Monday, Nov. 24, before traveling to play No. 25 Washington in Seattle — its only ranked opponent of the season — on Friday, Nov. 28.
