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<p>Nearly 1,500 students piled into RIMAC Arena on Jan. 20 ready to meet the UCSD basketball teams at the eighth annual Triton Jam. With free food, contests and prizes, the Triton Jam served as a precursor to Spirit Night, UCSD’s annual showcase of school spirit that takes place this year on Feb. 20. </p>
<p> ‘The Triton Jam is roughly patterned after Midnight Madness, but instead of doing it in the fall before the first day of practice, we do it before the first home game after the holiday break to reintroduce the basketball teams who haven’t played at home in a while,’ Senior Associate Athletic Director Ken Grosse said.</p>
<p> The spirit rally consisted of shooting contests for students ‘mdash; as well as a few professors ‘mdash; and included prizes ranging from free Spring Quarter textbooks to a new iPod Touch.</p>
<p> Despite the enticing prizes, the real highlight of the event was the introduction of the Triton basketball teams. Members of each team introduced their fellow teammates, revealing personal and sometimes embarrassing quirks and characteristics.</p>
<p> ‘It’s pretty funny when we get to talk about each other,’ junior guard Leilani Martin said. ‘It lets the student body know that we have a personality.’</p>
<p> ‘ The men’s team did more than just talk about themselves: Senior guard Shane Poppen performed a daring jig upon introduction and freshman guard Kirby Ruiz showed off his air saxophone skills, earning considerable applause from the mainly student audience.</p>
<p> ‘It’s fun to see other people on campus,’ redshirt senior forward Brett Stuckey said. ‘Most of the time, I just see people walking to class, so it’s nice to get a chance to meet and talk to them.’</p>
<p> While the Triton Jam was a good opportunity for students to interact with UCSD’s basketball squads, the Tritons hope that the fans will come out in larger numbers to the games this season. On average, 899 spectators attended men’s basketball games and 438 attended women’s games at RIMAC last season. </p>
<p> Women’s head coach Charity Elliott and men’s head coach Chris Carlson also addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of student support. Carlson spoke in particular about a group of 18 students that supported both teams throughout their 2007-08 campaigns.</p>
<p> ‘Eighteen doesn’t sound like a lot, but it matters,’ said Carlson in his address. ‘This weekend I hope to see not 18, but 1,800 students.’</p>
<p> The No. 21 women’s basketball team has given fans plenty of reasons to come out to games, the foremost being the Tritons’ current undefeated record in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Riding an eight-game winning streak, the women’s team returns home to face Cal State Stanislaus on Jan. 23 and Chico State University on Jan. 24, two teams that have seen slow starts to their seasons thus far.</p>
<p> Cal State Stanislaus comes into its game against UCSD tied for seventh place with a 3-5 conference record, and last year’s CCAA champion Wildcats currently stand at 4-4 in the conference, good for fourth place. The Tritons are currently in first place and on a quest to become the first team in conference history to post an undefeated CCAA record for a full season.</p>
<p> ‘We don’t want to get complacent,’ Martin said. ‘We’re taking it one game at a time and continue to progress and get better as a team.’</p>
<p> On the men’s side, UCSD currently owns a 5-3 CCAA record and has won its last two games. The Tritons, defending CCAA champions, will host the conference’s cellar dwellers in Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State. UCSD won its last two games after losing three games in a row ‘mdash; a rough stretch that accounts for all of the team’s conference losses. The Triton men will try to stay on the winning track at its home games this weekend.</p>
<p> ‘Hopefully more people will come out to support us and help us win more games,’ Stuckey said.<br /> ‘ <br /> Readers can contact Janani Sridharan at jsridhar@ucsd.edu.</p>
<p>” />#1.1308341:3801266271.jpg:012209jam2:Junior guard Tyler Acevedo introduced his teammate to mostly student onlookers. Both the men</p>
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