The UCSD women¹s basketball team continued its strong play on Jan. 3 with a 63-49 road victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills. This marked the sixth consecutive victory for the Tritons, a streak that started on Dec. 13. The win pushed the team¹s record to 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal State Dominguez Hills dropped to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
Guardian file
The Tritons started the game by scoring the first points. By halftime, the Tritons had built a 32-20 lead over the Toros. UCSD freshman guard Leora Juster had 10 points in the first half. She finished with a game-high 15 points.
UCSD let the game slip at the beginning of the second half, when Cal State Dominguez Hills was able to tie the score at 42 with 7:41 remaining on the clock. The Tritons were able to recuperate, however, and they scored the next seven points and maintained a comfortable lead for the rest of the game.
“”Our team showed a lot of resilience when [Cal State Dominguez Hills] came back and tied the score at 42 in the second half,”” senior guard Ali Ginn said. “”Instead of folding or giving up, we refocused and played strong the last seven minutes of play. Kim Buffum¹s two field goals right after our time out were key baskets to get our momentum back.””
Along with Juster¹s 15 points, freshman guard Buffum had 13, and center Margaret Johnson and forward Katie McGann, both juniors, contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. McGann and Johnson also led the team with rebounds, nine and eight, respectively. Collectively, the Tritons made 21 of 25 free throws.
The well-balanced scoring came at the right time. The current leading scorer on the Tritons this season, Ginn, was held to just seven points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field.
The Tritons’ record after nine games last season was 0-9. UCSD women¹s basketball head coach Judy Malone attributes the significant turnaround to a more experienced team.
“”The experience is starting to show and things are coming together,”” Malone said after UCSD¹s Jan. 2 win over Cal State Los Angeles.
Another big factor in the Tritons¹ success has been obtaining a rebounding edge. UCSD has been out-rebounded in just one game this season. The Tritons were slower to the boards in the first game of the season, which they dropped to Seattle Pacific, 89-57, on Nov. 21. Since then, the Tritons have had more rebounds than the opposing team in all eight of their games. The Jan. 3 game was no different, as UCSD had 45 rebounds to Cal State Dominguez Hills¹ 30.
The Tritons will be looking for their seventh win in a row when they return to play at home at RIMAC Arena for a four-game home stand after playing two games on the road. They will face Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 9 at 5:30 p.m., followed the next day by a game against Cal State San Bernardino at 5:30 p.m. The Tritons are a perfect 4-0 at home this season.
