For the second straight year, No. 2 seed UC San Diego women’s basketball (23-8, 17-3 Big West) will battle for the Big West Championship title after earning an 84-79 victory over No. 3 seed UC Davis (23-10, 15-5 Big West) in Saturday’s semifinal game.
The Tritons had their work cut out for them, having lost to the Aggies — the only team to sweep UCSD in conference play this season — 66-62 in January and 88-80 last month. A strong 21-point showing from senior guard Sabrina Ma and a 16-point bench boost from freshman guard Lev Feiman secured the Tritons a chance at earning a return March Madness appearance on Saturday afternoon against No. 4 Hawai’i.
The Aggies started on the front foot, going on an 11-2 run to open the game. UCD’s early blaze prompted Triton head coach Heidi VanDerveer to call her first timeout with six minutes left in the first quarter. UCSD found its rhythm quickly after the break, and a medley of steals fueled a 16-2 run to put the Trions up by seven late in the period.
“Playing on a double-bye is a challenge,” VanDerveer said in a postgame press conference. “You know, they’ve been in the arena. They experience … the lights, the rims, and I think that we have a very veteran group. But … it takes a little bit of time to get in a rhythm.”
Feiman — who scored 16 points in the Tritons’ regular-season finale against UC Santa Barbara — continued her strong form against the Aggies. With one minute left in the first quarter, Feiman wrestled the ball away from an Aggie on a rebound and scored a tough close-range layup. In her sixth double-digit scoring outing in seven games, she finished with 16 points.
To highlight their scoring depth, three other Tritons joined Feiman in the double-digit club: Ma, junior guard Dymonique Maxie, and senior guard Makayla Rose. Maxie made both of her 3-point attempts and picked up six rebounds to push her team to tomorrow’s final. A transfer from Nevada, Maxie has taken on a dynamic role in her first year as a Triton.
“I think that, like, if Dymo was a wreck, I think everybody would be a wreck,” VanDerveer said. “And maybe as anxious or nervous or whatever she is, she really has matured so much in however many months here. It’s quite impressive.”
After erasing the Aggies’ first-quarter advantage, UCSD didn’t look back. The Tritons ended the first half up 42-35.
In the third quarter, the Tritons established themselves as a formidable threat from deep. Ma went 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to push UCSD ahead by seven with two minutes left. Toward the end of the third quarter, junior center Erin Condron picked up her fourth foul, leaving her one wrong move away from fouling out. To minimize the risk of an early exit, Condron stayed on the bench until the final four minutes of the game.
With three minutes left, Rose scored her second triple of the match to give the Tritons a 9-point lead. On the ensuing Aggie possession, Rose snatched the ball away and kicked it out to a wide-open Feiman, who calmly drained it to seal UCD’s fate.
Though there were still three minutes on the clock, the triple was the Tritons’ final field goal of the game. The Aggies managed a 12-point barrage but were unable to pull off a comeback before the buzzer. UCSD exited with an 84-79 victory and a spot in Saturday’s final.
“We really focused on not getting comfortable today,” Maxie said in a postgame press conference. “Even when we were up, we wanted more and just kept our foots on their necks, and that helped us get the outcome we got today.”
This win brings UCSD one step closer to making history. Standing in the Tritons’ way is No. 4 seed Hawai’i, which defeated top-seeded UC Irvine on Friday to clinch its spot in the final. The Rainbow Wahine have won 16 of their last 17 games, with their only loss coming against the Tritons. UCSD, on the other hand, is entering the showdown on a five-win hot streak. If the Tritons best Hawai’i, they will be back-to-back Big West Champions and secure a second consecutive March Madness appearance.
